Newstalk to provide news to UTV radio stations

Newstalk has today announced a new deal to provide a news service to the UTV group of radio stations:

It will provide national and international news, business and sports service to Limerick 95FM, LMFM, Cork 96FM, C103FM, Q102 and FM104, it said today.

Newstalk, which is owned by Denis O'Brien's Communicorp, will now become the largest news supplier in Ireland, with a total audience of 1.7 million listeners daily.

Mr O'Brien is Ireland's largest owner of private media assets, being the biggest shareholder in the Independent News & Media group, and the owner of Communicorp, the radio business that includes Newstalk, 98FM and TodayFM.

Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, of the NUJ said the union is “gravely concerned” with the development.

Newstalk already provides broadcast services to 25 independent local and regional radio stations across the country, with the new addition of the UTV group it will bring the total number to 31, which is the entire independent radio network.

Mr Dooley said the news that the Communcorp group will become the largest supplier of news to the independent radio network posed problems for media diversity in Ireland.

“In terms of diversity of news, analysis and opinion we do not believe that the public interest will be best served by further extension of the influence of a dominant player in the Irish media market, Communicorp.”

Last year, former Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte said the growing concentration of media ownership in fewer hands is not a desirable situation.

“Far from representing a strengthening of the independent commercial radio sector this move poses a threat to employment, to employment standards and to media diversity,” he said.

Mr Dooley said the NUJ has long been calling for a Commission on the Future of the Media in Ireland and this development underlines the need for a comprehensive debate on public policy in relation to media ownership, control and future direction.

“We also need to look at employment standards across all sections of the media. We have growing concerns at the nature of contracts being offered by a range of companies and the use of JobBridge and other schemes by broadcasting organisations and newspaper publishers. Any threat to employment in the UTV Group of companies must be viewed in that wider context.”

A spokesman for UTV Ireland said the move will not result in redundancies for their current staff as they will “continue to work on local news in their areas.”

Director of News at Newstalk John Keogh said the addition of the UTV group of stations to the network “demonstrates the collective strength of independent radio news in Ireland.”

Ronan McManamy, Chief Executive, UTV Radio Ireland said: “The national news service will be used by our local radio newsrooms to provide a comprehensive news service to our listeners across Ireland. We took the decision to move our national radio news provision to Newstalk to benefit from the collective strength of independent radio across Ireland.

“There are no redundancies as a result of this decision. In addition, individuals who currently provide services to the newsroom on a shift basis have been advised that their services will continue to be required going forward.”