European private media is consolidating into efficient, professional groups while digital multinationals hold the keys to the audience public-service broadcasters need to access. Ireland is no longer immune to this reality.
Bengt Braun is one of the most respected names in the European newspaper business. He is the former chief executive and chair of the Swedish group Bonnier, which has recently bought into the Business Post. What’s the significance of the move?
It’s perverse to think that the people asking the questions of the state broadcaster over recent weeks are those who should also be answering them.
New trends emerging from the beleaguered Californian studios could point the way for RTÉ as it frantically seeks to develop a viable strategy. The future for the troubled national broadcaster could lie in scrapping the RTÉ Player and selling content to viewers through the likes of Netflix or YouTube.
With revenue of €4 million, the central charge against RTÉ in the case of GAAGO is that it is asking licence fee payers to pay twice, once through the fee and another if they take a subscription.
Successive Oireachtas hearings have left politicians none the wiser about who to believe, but the bling they have revealed shows the need for a plan to refocus resources on public-service broadcasting.
Thursday’s proceedings featured an attempt to appear by text, Rory Gallagher and a tit-for-tat response to Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly’s evidence.
We cannot continue to avoid dealing with the funding issue which is at the root of the current difficulties at RTÉ, writes Oireachtas Media Committee member, Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne.
Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly gave a diametrically opposing account to RTÉ's on how the Renault deal unfolded, who knew about it and why the deal was underwritten by the station. Both sides are now digging in.
Documents and statements before the Oireachtas show agreement on how much money changed hands – but not on where it came from.
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