Published on
Minister Rabbitte calls for a wider debate on the future of media in Europe at the EUROVISION Media Summit in Brussels
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte T.D, in a keynote speech to the European Broadcasting Union Annual Conference in Brussels
called for a wider debate on the future of media in Europe. The Minister said that he "believes that we need to take a wider view than merely seeking to shore up and modernise the Audio Visual Media Services Directive because the issues we are dealing with now are wider and deeper than those that Directive was framed to deal with".
He identified emerging concerns around ensuring that European citizens have access to a full and rich range of commercial services, no matter where they live, that European values are respected across media, and also around ensuring that certain minimum standards for quality are met on a free to air basis. He also noted that there are issues of plurality of media emerging, and new issues around ensuring availability of material over privately owned networks as opposed to publicly owned spectrum. He noted particularly that "We need to ensure that content is not just available to all, but that there are still local markets for material so that it is created close to those consuming it."
To read the speech please click here -
http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Corporate+Units/Press+Room/Speeches/2013/Speech+by+Minister+Pat+Rabbitte+at+European+Broadcasting+Union+Conference.htm