A total of 19 radio stations have breached rules governing the amount of advertising that can be carried on commercial radio, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) disclosed yesterday.
The stations' names were not disclosed, but the BCI said all had been notified of the problem. Under the terms of the Radio and Television Act, 1988, stations are allowed carry 10 minutes advertising per hour. Community stations face an even lower limit of six minutes per hour.
According to the BCI's annual review, the level of compliance with these minute rules fell significantly between 2003 and 2004. Of the 19 stations, 17 were commercial services, with the remainder community services. One commercial station had nine breaches of the 10 minute limit, although the BCI declined to name this station.
If breaches occur, the BCI contacts the offenders and ensures measures are introduced to prevent the problem. TV3 is also governed by the rules, although it appears the channel was in compliance in 2004.
The figures are included in the organisation's annual review which includes details of its routine activities, including content monitoring.
Several stations also failed to meet requirements in relation to playing Irish music. "This matter was raised with 13 stations and meeting this commitment continues to be a challenge for broadcasters," said the BCI.
BCI chairman Conor Maguire said monitoring was a key activity of the organisation and it had increased by 20 per cent during 2004.
He said the BCI continued to play an important role in the development of the sector, although he said the emphasis had changed somewhat "to one of working strategically with the industry rather than on its behalf".
