The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has today (11.11.20), launched a new website that provides information about ownership and shareholdings of Irish media companies.
The BAI has commissioned the School of Communications at Dublin City University to design and maintain a dedicated website www.mediaownership.ie. This website offers a structured and searchable reference database of media businesses that serve Irish audiences using the definitions in the BAI Media Plurality Policy. Media outlets included in the database comprise national and local newspapers, radio stations, tv channels, and media websites. Members of the public can search by outlets, owners and shareholders to better understand the Irish media landscape. The information provided via the website reflects media ownership in Ireland up to the end of 2019. The database will be updated in Q1 2021 to reflect the position at the end of 2020.
The project is part of the BAI’s commitment to promote media plurality, in line with the provisions in the Broadcasting Act 2009 and the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014.
Commenting, Chief Executive of the BAI, Michael O’Keeffe said: “The BAI is committed to promoting media plurality in Ireland and also to empowering audiences. In the recent Media Pluralism Monitor Report 2020, transparency of media ownership in Ireland was considered to be a medium risk (38%). By making this easily searchable database available, we are providing the public with information about media companies and individual owners thereby reducing the risk identified in the recent report.
“The BAI also has a role in advising the Minister on proposed media mergers in the context of protecting plurality of media. The information in this database will also act as an important resource when examining the impact any proposed media merger may have.”
Dr Roddy Flynn from Dublin City University’s School of Communications and project coordinator added: “The database has been created in a way to make it user-friendly, allowing visitors to perform broad searches, or to search by media outlet or shareholder. The information about ownership and shareholdings is derived from the Irish Companies Records Office, the FAME database, corporate annual reports, company websites and direct communication with media outlets and / or their owners. The status of all media outlets included in the Media Ownership database will be revisited at twelve-monthly intervals.”
To access the website, visit www.mediaownership.ie
ENDS
Contact: Tony Heffernan / Thelma Harris, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-2399508 / 083-0517622
Note for Editors:
- Michael O’Keeffe and Dr Roddy Flynn are available for interview.
- Under the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, all proposed media mergers must be approved by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, in the context of the relevant criteria set down in the act.
- The 2020 Media Pluralism Monitor Report for Ireland is part of a larger study that documents the health of media ecosystems, detailing threats to media pluralism and freedom in European Union member states and some candidate countries. The report is available here.