The Minister for Communications, Mr Dermot Ahern, today announced plans for a major review of radio licensing in the State and ruled out any increased political involvement in the licensing process.
Mr Ahern said the present system, where licensing decisions are made by an independent regulator, will not be altered. However, he said he had concerns over transparency, cost and fairness within that policy framework.
He said it was a good time for such a review because of the upcoming establishment of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and the conclusion of the present round of licensing.
The review will include a public consultation process, which is expected to include input from the BCI, the Joint Oireachtas Committee, broadcasting stakeholders as well as the listening public.
The review will address issues such as evaluating whether there is a need to revisit objectives with regard to changes in Irish society and in broadcasting markets.
The review will also consider what and who should be licensed, the issue of licence roll-over and barriers to market entry.