Coimisiún na Meán

Author: Aoife Molloy

Coimisiún na Meán seeks expressions of interest for sound broadcasting services

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Coimisiún na Meán (“the Commission”) today (21.03.24) placed a public notice in a national paper seeking expressions of interests from parties interested in securing a sound broadcasting contract (“Contract”) for the provision of the service/s listed below.  

Munster

  • South East Region comprising Waterford City and County, South Tipperary, and Counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford – Music-driven regional service for the 15 – 34 age group 

The Contract, currently held by WKW FM Limited and broadcasting as Beat 102-103, is due to expire on 30 March 2025. 

Guide and Form

  • County Kerry – Broad-format local service 

The Contract, currently held by Raidió Chiarraí Teoranta and broadcasting as Radio Kerry, is due to expire on 9 April 2025.  

Guide and Form 

  • Cork City and County – two services to be operated under a single contract, as follows: 
  1. Broad-format local service, broadcasting as C103 
  2. Music-driven local service for the 25-44 age group, broadcasting as Cork’s 96FM 

The Contract, currently held by County Media Limited and broadcasting the above services, is due to expire on 30 April 2025.  

Guide and Form 


Connaught-Ulster 

  • North Donegal – Broad-format local service 

The Contract, currently held by Donegal Highland Radio Limited and broadcasting as Highland Radio, is due to expire on 30 March 2025. 

Guide and Form 

  • County Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim – Broad-format local service  

The Contract, currently held by North West Broadcasting Limited and broadcasting as Ocean FM, is due to expire on 30 March 2025. 

Guide and Form


Leinster, excluding Dublin City and County 

  • Counties Kilkenny and Carlow – Broad-format local service 

The Contract, currently held by C.K. Broadcasting Limited and broadcasting as KCLR 96FM, is due to expire on 21 April 2025. 

Guide and Form 

  • Counties Laois, Offaly and Westmeath – Broad-format local service   

The Contract, currently held by Midlands Community Radio Services Limited and broadcasting as Midlands 103, is due to expire on 30 March 2025.  

Guide and Form 


Dublin City and County 

  • Dublin City and County – Music-driven local service for the 15 – 34 age group 

The Contract, currently held by Bauer Audio Ireland Limited acting as a general partner of Bauer Audio Ireland LP and broadcasting as Spin103.8, is due to expire on 5 April 2025. 

Guide and Form 

  • Dublin City and County – Niche music-driven local service  

The Contract, currently held by Star Broadcasting Limited and broadcasting as Sunshine 106.8, is due to expire on 30 March 2025. 

Guide and Form

Interested parties should carefully read the Commission’s relevant Guide for Expressions of Interest and then complete in full the Expression of Interest form for the relevant service or services. The guides and forms for the above sound broadcasting services are available at the links above  or on request from the Commission’s offices (email: licensing@cnam.ie or call 01 644 1200).   

New applicants should also reference the Indicative Guide for Competitive Licensing here.  

Parties interested in submitting expressions of interest to the Commission should do so by 12 noon on Monday, 20 May 2024. 

Coimisiún na Meán designates Video-Sharing Platform Services 

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Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new body for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services, and online media, and supporting media development, has today (09.01.24) published details of the designation of ten services as named video-sharing platform services.  

The designation process for these services was completed during December 2023. 

The designated services are: 

The draft Online Safety Code, which is currently subject to public consultation, can be applied to these services. The finalised Code will form part of Ireland’s overall online safety framework. This framework will make a range of online services legally accountable for how they keep people safe online. This framework is based on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the EU Digital Services Act and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation. 

ENDS 

Media contact: Joanne Ahern / Síona Cahill, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837 / 087 -7530255 

All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200. 

About Coimisiún na Meán: 

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services and online media, and supporting media development. Established in March 2023 under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, it builds on the work of its predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It is responsible for ensuring and maintaining a thriving and diverse media landscape in Ireland that facilitates a mix of voices, opinions and sources of news and current affairs, as well as a safe online environment. 

Its responsibilities are to: 

  • Oversee the funding of and support the development of the wider media sector in Ireland. 
  • Oversee the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services. 
  • Develop and enforce the Irish regulatory regime for online safety. 

About Designation: 

Under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, Coimisiún na Meán is responsible for regulating video-sharing platforms which have their EU base in Ireland.  

By law, Coimisiún na Meán is required to designate video-sharing platform services, the provider of which is under the jurisdiction of the State, as a category of services to which an online safety code may be applied. Notice of this designation was published on 14 August 2023 and the designation took effect on 11 September 2023. Coimisiún na Meán must also designate as a named service any relevant online service that appears to be a VSPS where the provider of the service is under the jurisdiction of the State.  

Sound & Vision Broadcasting Funding Scheme Round 52 Open

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Round 52 of the Sound & Vision Broadcasting Funding Scheme is open for Applications. Up to €750,000 is available for Social Benefit projects for community radio and television.

Round 52 – Guide for Applicants

Round 52 – Application Form

All applications must be submitted via www.cnamonline.ie   

An Coimisiún will run a Zoom webinar for prospective applicants at 12.00 Noon on Thursday, the 11th of January. Please register here for the applicant webinar.

The Round will close at 12 noon on Thursday, 8th February 2024. 

ENDS 

Latest JNLR figures released 

Posted on by Aoife Molloy

The latest JNLR/Ipsos MRBI report into radio listening is published today (09.11.23).  

On behalf of the JNLR Committee, a media release and summary information tables are available to download here. 

ENDS 

Please note: 

Media queries regarding individual programme or station performance should be directed to IPSOS MRBI or the relevant broadcaster. 

European Commission services sign administrative arrangements with Irish and French media regulators to support enforcement of Digital Services Act  

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The European Commission services have signed administrative arrangements with the media regulators of Ireland (Coimisiún na Meán) and France (Autorité de regulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique, Arcom), to support its supervisory and enforcement powers under the Digital Services Act (DSA). These arrangements aim at developing expertise and capabilities and follow the Commission Recommendation to Member States for coordinating their response to the spread and amplification of illegal content on Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines, ahead of the deadline for Member States to play their role in the enforcement of the DSA.  

The DSA sets landmark rules to shape a secure and trusted online environment in the EU. Ensuring closer cooperation with Member States and national regulatory authorities has become even more crucial to achieve this in the current context of conflict and uncertainty, particularly with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and now with the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel. 

These bilateral arrangements will allow the Commission services and relevant national authorities to exchange information, data, good practices, methodologies, technical systems and tools. Effective cooperation will facilitate the Commission’s assessment of systemic risks, the identification of emerging ones, including risks related to the spread and amplification of illegal content, as well as other systemic risks under the DSA, such as the spreading of disinformation or the protection of minors.   

The arrangements will be of particular importance until the establishment of the Board of Digital Services Coordinators, which is due for February 2023 and will be composed of independent Digital Service Coordinators of the Member States. Once the Board is operational, these arrangements will continue to provide an added value to organise the practical relationships between Commission services and national authorities in full compliance with the DSA. 

Next steps 

The Commission service responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the DSA, the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT) is in discussions with other national regulators and EU bodies to sign similar administrative arrangements to support it in its assessment of systemic and emerging issues under the DSA. The Commission will announce them in due time. 

Background 

At the end of August 2023, the DSA became legally enforceable for designated Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines. The DSA aims at empowering and protecting users online, among other things by requiring the designated services to assess and mitigate their systemic risks and to provide robust content moderation tools. 

The designated platforms have now completed the first annual risk assessment exercise to examine risks such as how illegal content might be disseminated through their services. The DSA requires Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines to adopt mitigation measures that are tailored to the specific systemic risks identified. Very Large Online Platforms have to assess the risks their systems pose, including systemic risks about illegal content and for protecting public interests. 

The Member States are obliged to designate their Digital Services Coordinators and other national competent authorities responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of the Digital Services Act by 17 February 2024. Nonetheless, the effective monitoring and enforcement of this Regulation by the Commission in relation to those designated Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines already requires the assistance of and active cooperation with a wide range of relevant national entities. 

For More Information 

Commission recommends Member States to fast-track DSA governance 

EU Official Journal text on the DSA 

Digital Services Act Q&A 

Digital Services Act fact page 

Quotes 

Jeremy Godfrey, Executive Chair, Coimisiún na Meán  

Thirteen of the nineteen very large online platforms and search engines have their EU headquarters in Ireland. This means Coimisiún na Meán will have a special role, working in tandem with the European Commission as we use the Digital Service Act to ensure a safer online world.  We look forward to collaborating with the European Commission and other national regulators to address urgent issues and to develop our shared expertise as we prepare to play our part in enforcing the DSA.  

John Evans, Digital Services Commissioner, Coimisiún na Meán  

Signing this agreement is an important step in our preparations to be Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator. Working with the European Commission and other regulators will be hugely beneficial to us as we continue to grow our organisation.