The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) is to amend its guidelines for independent broadcasters on the current 48-hour moratorium on general election coverage.
This means that during the forthcoming general election they will no longer be strictly restricted from reporting news stories which are "reasonably considered" to have the potential to influence the outcome of the poll.
However, as is currently the case, independent broadcasters such as TV3, Today FM and regional radio stations will continue to be restricted from covering candidates and their activities in the 24 hours before polling and on polling day itself.
The guidelines will also continue to stress the statutory requirements for broadcasters to demonstrate fairness and balance throughout the campaign period.
Separately, the BCI has approved plans for the commencement of a detailed consultation process to establish a new code on impartiality, fairness and balance for independent broadcasters which could see limits on the type of content they can allow.
The process will include a review of existing Irish and international codes covering the area and a public consultation process later this year.
Among the issues which will be considered are how to ensure a broadcaster is fair to all sides, and what limits should be placed on inappropriate content. It is thought that the implementation of any such code will be broadly complaints-led.
The type of material which could be subject to any new code includes blatantly racist or discriminatory claims.
"It is about making a call about what is acceptable . . . and how far you can go without breaking the requirements of the code," the chief executive of the BCI, Michael O'Keeffe, said yesterday.
Until now, BCI guidelines on the 48-hour moratorium on general election coverage have prohibited independent broadcasters from covering all issues which might be reasonably considered to have the potential to influence the outcome of the poll. One example of such a story might be news of the Government's failure to provide accident and emergency hospital beds.
However, a meeting of the BCI board last week decided that independent broadcasters should be allowed to report such stories. But they would still be required to demonstrate balance and fairness in this regard.
Advocates of this "narrower" interpretation of the moratorium have pointed out that RTÉ already reports such news stories, meaning independent broadcasters are at a disadvantage in this regard.
The change is also expected to make interpretation of the moratorium less complex and easier to operate.
The amended guidelines will be notified to independent broadcasters once the date of the general election is announced by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
An initial research and preliminary consultation phase for the new code is due to commence shortly.
Mr O'Keeffe said the decision to proceed with a new code was taken following discussions with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.