The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland is to be called before a Dáil committee to explain its recent controversial decision not to award a new radio licence to an established community station with 12 years of experience in the Carlow and Kilkenny area.
The newly appointed chairman of the Dáil Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Noel O'Flynn, told The Irish Times yesterday that the BCI will be asked to set out the criteria for awarding the licence.
"This matter is of great concern and I will be making it one of my top priorities," Mr O'Flynn said.
There was surprise last month at the failure of Radio Kilkenny to win the new licence for Carlow and Kilkenny after 12 years of broadcasting. It will have to go off the air next October.
The licence was granted to a rival bidder, CK Broadcasting, trading as KCLR. The BCI re-drew the licence areas in Leinster to create a new licence solely for Kildare, and has brought Carlow and Kilkenny together.
Staff and shareholders of Kilkenny Community Communications Co-op Society Ltd, which runs Radio Kilkenny, were devastated at last month's decision.Radio Kilkenny was the only community-based radio station in Ireland, and was a financial success.
The commission's decision to modify the franchise areas for Carlow, Kilkenny and Kildare was the subject of High Court proceedings earlier this year by CKR Ltd.
However, the application for a judicial review was withdrawn, clearing the way for the BCI to continue the licensing process.
The Radio Kilkenny issue was raised at a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last Wednesday by Carlow Kilkenny TD, Mr John McGuinness, who called for a review of broadcasting legislation.
Mr McGuinness said yesterday he was delighted to hear that the matter was to be raised by Mr O'Flynn's committee.
"Kilkenny Radio had built up a huge listenership. Up to 80 per cent of people listened in and it was an important part of the community," he said.
Mr McGuinness said it was wrong that the new station should get, for free, the benefit of the intangible assets of a strong listenership base and advertising business built up over 12 years. Mr O'Flynn said yesterday that there was huge concern that other community stations around the country could end up being disenfranchised in the same way.
"A change in existing legislation may be required and my committee will be making recommendations to the relevant Minister," he added.
The largest single shareholder in the winning Carlow/Kilkenny station is Mr John Purcell, a public relations consultant who has a 20 per cent stake.
He is a former chief executive of Radio Kilkenny.
Companies with shares in the group include People Newspapers and Setanta Media Holdings, with 12.6 per cent each, as well as Irish Radio & Media Holdings, with 17.6 per cent.
The company has promised that KCLR would bring a "fresh approach" to bear on local radio with "a broad-based service providing a comprehensive mix of news, current affairs, special interest and access programmes".
Promising a contemporary style, Mr Purcell has said that while the station would be local it would not be parochial.
In Kildare, a new locally based player, Kfm, was awarded the licence, beating off stiff competition from bigger media players such as UTV and Lite FM, as well as existing station CKR which broadcasts to Carlow/Kildare
Backers of the winning bid in Kildare include East Coast Radio and Midland Radio Group Ltd. The group is to invest €1.55 million in the station, and says it will move into profitability by year three of operation.