The latest JNLR/Ipsos MRBI report into radio listening is published today (08.02.24).
On behalf of the JNLR Committee, a media release and summary information tables are available to download here.
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Please note:
Media queries regarding individual programme or station performance should be directed to IPSOS MRBI or the relevant broadcaster.
After more than thirty years in media regulation, Celene Craig has decided not to seek a full five-year term as Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner when her current term expires in March this year.
Celene, formerly the CEO of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, was appointed as Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner for an initial one-year term by Minister Catherine Martin when Coimisiún na Meán was established in March 2023, under the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022.
Celene’s term as Commissioner ends on March 15th 2024. The role of Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner is now being advertised by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The recruitment process is run by the Public Appointments Service. Any further queries on the process should be directed to the Department or the Public Appointments Service.
Jeremy Godfrey, Executive Chair at Coimisiún na Meán said:
“Celene has been a stalwart of media regulation in Ireland for more than thirty years. Over her career, she has made a significant contribution to legislative and policy developments in the sector in Ireland and Europe. During the past year, she has been generous in sharing her unrivalled knowledge of the media landscape as we have made the transition from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland into Coimisiún na Meán. Her warm, collegial nature will be sorely missed by the other Commissioners and myself, as well as by all our colleagues at Coimisiún na Meán. We all wish her well for the future.”
Celene Craig, Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner, said:
“After a hugely enjoyable career at Coimisiún na Meán, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC), I have decided to step back from the role of Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner. It has been a privilege to work at the cutting edge of the transforming media sector at both Irish and European levels. In recent years, it has been particularly rewarding to contribute to shaping the new Irish online safety regulatory framework and in leading the BAI into the new regulatory body. It has been a privilege to participate with my fellow commissioners and colleagues in establishing and operationalising Coimisiún na Meán in its first exciting year of establishment. I commend their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to the tasks at hand wish them well in their future work. I look forward to seeing An Coimisiún continuing to grow and develop in the years ahead and in delivering a diverse, thriving and safe media landscape.”
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On the 8th December 2023, Coimisiún na Meán published a consultation document on its Draft Online Safety Code and related matters.
Following requests from industry and civil society organisations the Commission has agreed to extend the deadline. The new deadline for submissions is Wednesday 31st of January 2024.
Submission can be made to VSPSregulation@cnam.ie and a copy of the consultation document may be found here.
Coimisiún na Meán has announced the award of new sound broadcasting contracts for local broad-format radio services, serving listeners in counties Galway, Louth and Meath, Mayo, Waterford, and Clare. The stations are:
Each of the broadcasters signed new 10-year contracts between August and December 2023, following licensing processes commenced by An Coimisiún’s predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
Commenting, Broadcasting Commissioner, Celene Craig said: “Coimisiún na Meán is delighted to have entered into new 10-year contracts with these broadcasters, all of whom have been delivering to listeners in their respective franchise areas a diverse range of high-quality local content that both entertains and informs. I wish each station every success during their new contract term.”
“An Coimisiún is committed to helping maintain a diversity of services and range of service options for radio listeners across Ireland and looks forward to continuing its licensing activities in the new year.”
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Media Contact Coimisiún na Meán: Síona Cahill / Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications. Tel: 087-753 0255 / 087-9881837
Notes for Editors:
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:
Groups representing children and young people to provide input into draft Online Safety Code consultation
Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new body for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services, and online media, and supporting media development, has today (19.12.23) held the first meeting of its new Youth Advisory Committee.
The Committee has been established to assist and advise Coimisiún na Meán in relation to its online safety functions and other matters. It currently comprises representatives from nine national youth groups and nine individual young people under 25 years of age. An Coimisiún will be consulting with the Committee on the draft Online Safety Code and related guidance materials, which were released for public consultation on 8th December last. The draft Code sets out specific measures that video-sharing platforms will be obliged to implement to keep their users, especially children, safe online. This includes protecting children from harmful content, such as cyberbullying; online content that promotes or encourages a feeding or eating disorder; online content that promotes or encourages self-harm or suicide, as well as illegal content such as incitement to hatred or violence, child sex abuse material and non-consensual intimate image-sharing.
Commenting, Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett said: “Our online safety framework will hold online services accountable for how they protect their users. Being online can bring huge benefits to young people, but they can also encounter a wide range of harmful content or behaviour.
“In putting in place online safeguards for children and young people, it’s important to hear their experiences online and their views on what we are proposing. It is vital that we hear directly from digital natives to ensure that the measures we put in place under our first Online Safety Code actually help to create a safer online environment for children and young people. We look forward to engaging with the Youth Advisory Committee and to getting their input in these important rules.”
In establishing the Youth Advisory Committee, Coimisiún na Meán invited organisations representing children and young people under 25 years of age to nominate a representative and a youth member to join the Committee. The organisations that have been invited to the inaugural Committee are:
Ms Hodnett added: “In establishing the inaugural youth advisory committee, we wanted to capture the views and experiences of a wide range of children and young people. We are delighted with the representative group we now have. We are always open to hearing from other organisations representing young people that would be interested in joining the Committee and contributing to its work.”
The Committee will meet again in January, to discuss the draft online Safety Code and draft Guidance Materials.
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Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837, Email: media.cnam@dhr.ie.
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:
About the Youth Advisory Committee
Section 19 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 provides that Coimisiún na Meán must establish a Youth Advisory Committee within one year of establishment. The Committee includes representatives from organisations representing children or people of not more than 25 years of age, nominated at the invitation of An Coimisiún. At least half of the members of the Youth Advisory Committee must be 25 years of age or younger.
Coimisiún na Meán is aware that the European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against X for possible breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Coimisiún na Meán will provide assistance to the European Commission in this investigation.
Coimisiún na Meán will enforce the DSA in Ireland from February 17th 2024, when the legislation becomes fully applicable and An Coimisiún’s formal powers as Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator commence. An Coimisiún’s enforcement of the DSA will form part of Ireland’s overall online safety framework, alongside the draft Online Safety Code, which is out for consultation and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation.
Under the DSA, the responsibility for supervising Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines is shared between the European Commission and the regulator of the EU Member State where the service has its EU headquarters. Thirteen out of the nineteen Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines designated so far, including X, have their EU headquarters in Ireland. Coimisiún na Meán is working closely with the European Commission and other European regulators to prepare for the DSA.
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Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837, Email: media.cnam@dhr.ie.
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:
Consultation on binding rules for video-sharing platforms to keep adults and children safe online
Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new body for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services, and online media, and supporting media development, has today (08.12.23) opened a public consultation on its draft Online Safety Code for video-sharing platform services.
After consultation, the finalised Code will form part of Ireland’s overall online safety framework, making digital services legally accountable for how they keep people safe online. This framework will also include the EU Digital Services Act and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation, enforced in Ireland by Coimisiún na Meán.
The draft Code sets out measures that designated video-sharing platforms will be obliged to implement to keep their users, especially children, safe online. These platforms will have to protect children from specific types of harmful content. This includes cyberbullying; online content that promotes or encourages a feeding or eating disorder; and online content that promotes or encourages self-harm or suicide. The measures include using robust age verification technology to make sure that children are not exposed to inappropriate content, such as pornography. As part of these measures, parents must also be given the tools to ensure that children do not encounter illegal or harmful content online.
Platforms will have to prevent the uploading or sharing of a range of illegal content, including incitement to hatred or violence. They will also have to provide media literacy tools for users, which can help people recognise disinformation and misinformation.
Once finalised, the Code will be legally binding on designated video-sharing platforms based in Ireland. Coimisiún na Meán will be able to impose fines of up to €20 million for breaches of the Code.
Commenting, Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett said: “Coimisiún na Meán is determined to use its full suite of powers to keep people safe online. The publication of the draft Code is a milestone in the move from self-regulation by platforms to effective regulation. The draft Code was informed by the views gathered as part of a call for inputs during the summer from civil society organisations and industry. These insights were extremely valuable in helping us to develop a robust code. We are now inviting members of the public to have their say in this critical part of our new online safety regime.”
She added: “Once the consultation closes, we will move to finalise Ireland’s first online safety code. We will be seeking approval from the European Commission to implement the code. This effective regulation of video-sharing platforms will significantly reduce the potential harms that these services can cause to children and young people.”
The draft Code and the consultation document can be found here. The consultation is open for responses until Friday, 19th January 2024.
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Media contact: Joanne Ahern / Síona Cahill, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837 / 087-7530255.
All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.
Notes for Editors:
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:
Designation of Video Sharing Platform Services
Coimisiún na Meán will announce the initial designated Video-Sharing Platform Services by the end of the year.
Coimisiún na Meán is now publishing the first Register of Media Service Providers that are subject to registration under the Broadcasting Act 2009 as amended. An Coimisiún is required to maintain a register of media service providers under the jurisdiction of the State, and has enforcement powers to issue directions to providers, where it appears they have failed to comply with An Coimisiún’s notification process.
The current entries in the Register are based upon notifications submitted to, and decisions made by, An Coimisiún on or before the 9th November 2023, and the information included was mandated by Rules published by An Coimisiún on 4 May 2022. Additional entries are likely to be made to the Register in due course, following consideration of further notifications received by An Coimisiún.
The current Register can be found here.
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Following yesterday’s violent events in Dublin, Coimisiún na Meán has held meetings with platforms today together with the European Commission to get more information about how they have responded to the incidents that unfolded online and offline.
Yesterday afternoon, Coimisiún na Meán alerted the platforms to our concerns about the possibility of graphic images and videos being shared, and about the incident being used as a reason to incite violence and hatred, following news of the stabbing incident. The platforms informed us that they had activated their incident response mechanisms.
A feature of the rioting last night was the use of messaging and online platforms to spread hatred, to incite violence and crime, as well as to spread disinformation. Coimisiún na Méan calls on all platforms based in Ireland to limit the spread of such content and take steps not to amplify it. We also encourage them to work with An Garda Síochána in identifying persons using their platforms to spread hatred and incite crime. We encourage any organisations which have evidence of this type of content being disseminated online to bring it to the attention of An Garda Síochána.
We remain concerned about the spread of videos or imagery showing graphic violence, speech inciting hatred or violence, and the spread of disinformation and misinformation. We plan to meet with the platforms again in the coming days to receive further updates on how the platforms are responding to these events.
Under the EU Digital Services Act, Very Large Online Platforms are obliged to assess and mitigate a series of risks from the use of their services, including negative effects for public security. They are also obliged to notify law enforcement authorities if they become aware of information about an actual or potential criminal offence involving public safety.
Coimisiún na Meán emphasises in the strongest possible terms that online services should act responsibly and do their utmost to prevent their services being used to exacerbate the current situation.
We also alert the general public to be alert to misinformation and disinformation circulating online. We urge them to rely on reputable sources of information and to Stop, Think and Check when reading information and especially before sharing it.
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Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837
All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.
Notes for Editors:
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:
Advice about misinformation and disinformation can be found at https://www.bemediasmart.ie/
First and foremost, Coimisiún na Meán’s thoughts are with the victims of yesterday’s horrific stabbings in Dublin, their families, and communities.
When we became aware of the incident, we immediately contacted large online platforms to bring the incident to their attention so that they could respond. Specifically, we expressed concerns about:
Under the EU Digital Services Act, Very Large Online Platforms are obliged to assess and mitigate a series of risks from the use of their services, including negative effects for public security. They are also obliged to notify law enforcement authorities if they become aware of information about an actual or potential criminal offence involving public safety.
Subsequent to our contact the major platforms responded yesterday evening and we understand that they have activated their incident response plans. We are having further discussions with the platforms today to gather additional information about how they have responded to this incident and how they will deal with any future issues that arise.
We are also in contact with An Garda Síochána as they continue to respond to yesterday’s incidents.
The violent incidents yesterday highlighted the risks of disinformation and misinformation to a modern democracy. We want people to be aware that there tends to be a surge of disinformation and misinformation whenever there is a high-profile incident.
In line with the public awareness raising campaign we have been running in collaboration with Media Literacy Ireland, we urge everyone to follow the advice to Stop, Think and Check that the information that they are getting, from whatever source, is accurate and reliable.
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Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837
All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.
Notes for Editors:
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:
Advice about misinformation and disinformation can be found at https://www.bemediasmart.ie/
