RT PRE SE NT AT ION T O T HE JOINT OIRE ACHT AS COMMIT - PDF document

RT É PRE SE NT AT ION T O T HE JOINT OIRE ACHT AS COMMIT T E E ON COMMUNICAT IONS, E NE RGY & NAT URAL RE SOURCE S We dne sda y De c e mbe r 15, 2010 INT RODUCT ION T ha nk yo u fo r the o ppo rtunity to pre se nt to yo u to da y. My na me is Co no r Ha ye s a nd I a m the Chie f F ina nc ia l Offic e r o f RT É . I n a dditio n to my ro le a s CF O, I a lso ha ve E xe c utive re spo nsibility fo r a numb e r o f RT É ’ s I nte g ra te d Busine ss Divisio ns, inc luding RT É Pub lishing – whic h c a rrie s o ut a ll o f RT É ’ s dig ita l me dia a c tivitie s. At yo ur re q ue st, we will disc uss the issue o f fa ir c o mpe titio n in Pub lic Se rvic e Bro a dc a sting with pa rtic ula r re fe re nc e to dig ita l me dia . Jo ining me to da y fro m RT É Pub lishing a re : • Múirne L a ffa n, E xe c utive Dire c to r - re spo nsib le fo r the stra te g y a nd o pe ra tio ns o f RT É ’ s we b se rvic e s; • Aisling Mc Ca b e , Dire c to r o f Pla tfo rm De ve lo pme nt - re spo nsib le fo r pro duc tio n o f dig ita l c o nte nt & • E le a no r Ble a he ne , So lic ito r, RT É : spe c ia list in b ro a dc a sting la w a nd re g ula tio n. We a re c o nsc io us tha t in its re c e nt pre se nta tio n to the Co mmitte e , the Na tio na l Ne wspa pe rs o f I re la nd (NNI ) lo b b y g ro up ma de two ke y a sse rtio ns a b o ut RT É a nd its o nline a c tivitie s whic h c a n b e b ro a dly summa rise d a s fo llo ws: 1. T ha t RT É tra de s unfa irly, using its lic e nc e fe e a dva nta g e , a nd a s a re sult, a c ts in a n a nti-c o mpe titive ma nne r; 2. T ha t RT É 's a nti-c o mpe titive b e ha vio ur is pre ve nting the British a nd I rish ne wspa pe r title s, re pre se nte d b y NNI , fro m b e ing a b le to c o mpe te in the e me rg ing dig ita l e nviro nme nt, a nd thus pre ve nts the m fro m a c c e ssing a fa ir sha re o f the I rish o nline a dve rtising ma rke t. Ac c o rding ly a t the o utse t I think it is impo rta nt to c la rify tha t: • .ie is a public se rvic e , a c ting within RT É ’ s Pub lic Se rvic e RT É Bro a dc a sting re mit a s se t o ut the in the Bro a dc a sting Ac t 2009 a nd in c o mplia nc e with a pplic a b le E U re g ula tio ns; • .ie is not a c omme rc ia l we bsite , a ltho ug h it is funde d b y RT É ’ s RT É c o mme rc ia l a c tivity; 1

• RT É .ie a c ts fa irly, c ompe titive ly a nd tra nspa re ntly in its c o mme rc ia l a c tivitie s; • is fully c omplia nt with the re q uire me nts o f se c tio ns 108 a nd 109 RT É o f the Broa dc a sting Ac t 2009 . PACE OF DIGIT AL T E CHNOL OGY Pub lic Se rvic e Bro a dc a ste rs a ll o ve r E uro pe , a re e no rmo usly a ffe c te d b y the te c hno lo g ic a l de ve lo pme nts tha t ha ve le d to the e me rg e nc e o f the inte rne t a nd the dig ita l wo rld. E q ua lly E uro pe a n Pub lic Se rvic e Bro a dc a ste rs a re ma nda te d to e mb ra c e this ne w te c hno lo g y a nd to re spo nd to the se c ha ng e s b y de live ring c o nte nt a nd se rvic e s o n dig ita l pla tfo rms. I n this c o nte xt, Pub lic Se rvic e Bro a dc a ste rs a re a lso re q uire d to b e inc re a sing ly inno va tive in re la tio n to the de ve lo pme nt o f ne w fo rms o f fina nc ing to e na b le the m to pro vide the se dig ita l se rvic e s. All o f RT É 's o nline a c tivitie s c o mply with its pub lic se rvic e re mit. RT É 's ro le is no t just to info rm a nd e duc a te b ut it is a lso to e nte rta in a nd to e nsure tha t it ha s re le va nc e to a ll se c tio ns o f the po pula tio n. I t ha s lo ng b e e n re c o g nise d b y the E U tha t the sc he dule o f a pub lic se rvic e b ro a dc a ste r ne e ds to b e va rie d a nd mixe d a nd ha ve a b ro a d de mo g ra phic a ppe a l. T his princ iple is e q ua lly re le va nt in a n o nline c o nte xt. Simila r to Pub lic Se rvic e Bro a dc a ste rs, Ne wspa pe rs wo rldwide ha ve b e e n impa c te d b y lo ng -te rm struc tura l c ha ng e in the ir industry, b y a udie nc e fra g me nta tio n a rising fro m the e me rg e nc e o f dive rg e nt se rvic e s a nd b y the e c o no mic turb ule nc e o f re c e nt ye a rs. T he se c ha lle ng e s c le a rly a re a lso a ffe c ting the British a nd I rish ne wspa pe r title s so ld in I re la nd. T he shift to dig ita l a dve rtising is a n inte rna tiona l ra the r tha n a n Irish phe nome non . Adve rtise rs a re fo llo wing a udie nc e s a nd a re inc re a sing ly switc hing so me e le me nts o f me dia b udg e ts a wa y fro m tra ditio na l a ve nue s to wa rds the e me rg ing a lte rna tive s inc luding o nline me dia . T he NNI , in simple te rms is se e king fo r RT É ’ s c o mme rc ia l a c tivitie s o r its o nline a c tivity, o r b o th, to b e c urta ile d to the b e ne fit o f NNI ’ s British a nd I rish ne wspa pe r title s. RT É b e lie ve tha t a ny suc h a c tio n in itse lf wo uld b e unfa ir a nd a nti-c o mpe titive , a nd wo uld b e a g a inst the I rish pub lic inte re st. Simply put, the c omme rc ia l c ha lle ng e s fa c e d by the British a nd Irish ne wspa pe r industry ha ve not be e n c a use d by RT É ’s online a c tivitie s. T he se rvic e s we pro vide o nline to the I rish pub lic a re se rvic e s the y wa nt a nd a nything le ss wo uld sig nific a ntly hinde r RT É ’ s a b ility to fulfil o ur ro le a s a Pub lic Se rvic e Bro a dc a ste r. 2

RT É .ie – A PUBL IC SE RVICE Unde r RT É ’ s pub lic se rvic e re mit, RT must ma inta in a we bsite a nd de ve lo p a nd É pro g re ss o ur o nline pre se nc e in re spo nse to e me rg ing tre nds. I n 1996 RT É .ie wa s first la unc he d. F o llo wing a re -o rg a nisa tio n o f RT É in 2002 / 2003, we ha ve pro g re ssive ly so ug ht to e mb ra c e the o ppo rtunitie s o ffe re d b y dig ita l te c hno lo g ie s fo r the b e ne fit o f the wide r pub lic . RT É .ie o ffe rs ne ws, b usine ss, spo rt, e nte rta inme nt a nd life style , in a dditio n to se rvic e s suc h a s the RT É pla ye r, Ne ws No w a nd Ae rte l o nline . RT É ’ s o nline sc he dule s fulfil o ne o r b o th o f the two o b je c tive s, na me ly: RT É ’ s pub lic se rvic e c o mmitme nts a s se t o ut in the Bro a dc a sting Ac t ‐ 2009 & I ts ma nda te to pursue c o mme rc ia l o ppo rtunitie s ‐ RT É no t o nly a da pts a nd re -purpo se s T e le visio n a nd Ra dio c o nte nt fo r rte .ie , b ut it a lso c re a te s o rig ina l c o nte nt fo r o nline . I n do ing so we ha ve fulfille d the pub lic se rvic e re mit b y de live ring c o nte nt to a udie nc e s, b o th in I re la nd a nd inte rna tio na lly, whe n the y wa nt it a nd whe re the y wa nt it. T o illustra te this po int - a g o o d e xa mple is ho w we c o mmunic a te d a c ro ss a ll dig ita l pla tfo rms during the la st fe w we e ks o f e xtre me we a the r c o nditio ns. T he RT É .ie ne ws te a m pro duc e d live te xt upda te s fo r c o nsumptio n o nline , o n mo bile , a nd o n te le te xt e a c h da y fro m 6a m until 11pm. I n o rde r to de live r o ur o nline se rvic e , RT É .ie e mplo ys o ve r 70 pe o ple , inc luding jo urna lists, multime dia pro duc e rs, we b de sig ne rs a nd te c hno lo g ists who to g e the r: • Orig ina te a nd pro duc e ne w c o nte nt; • Ada pt a nd re -purpo se T e le visio n a nd Ra dio ma te ria l; • Distribute c o nte nt to o ur a udie nc e s, o n a multiplic ity o f de vic e s inc luding de skto p PCs, ipho ne s, la pto ps, mo b ile pho ne s a nd ipa ds. BROADCAST ING ACT , 2009 RT É ’ s pub lic se rvic e re mit is de fine d in spe c ific te rms in Se c tio n 114 o f the Bro a dc a sting Ac t 2009. I t is a lso re c o g nise d b y the E uro pe a n Co mmissio n in its 2009 Bro a dc a sting Co mmunic a tio n whic h a lso re fe rs to , a nd a c kno wle dg e s, the ne e d fo r “dive rsific atio n o f public se rvic e se rvic e s ” whic h g o e s b e yo nd 3