Rabbitte says media ownership will be key focus

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte has said diversity of media ownership will be one of his guiding principles when he assumes legislative responsibility for newspapers and broadcast media in Ireland later this year.

Mr Rabbitte who previously said he wanted to deal with the “harmful effects” of an over-concentration of media ownership in Ireland was responding to a question as to whether he was concerned about billionaire businessman Denis O’Brien’s perceived dominant position in the Irish market.

“I believe that diversity of ownership and diversity of content are our two cardinal principles”, he told the Irish Examiner.