MEDIA INQUIRY

Commercial media are private businesses like all others. They reap the same rewards & pay the same obligations.

Government subvention of private enterprise is contradictory & wrong

Taxpayer grants to commercial media enterprises is wrong & against public interest

A Media organisation cannot serve opposing interests - public and commercial.

Commercial media's purpose is to make profit and every program and advertising decision is focused to that end.

A public broadcaster's purpose is to serve the public interest NOT PROFIT.

Therefore RTE MUST either be fully funded publicly AND make all programming decisions based on serving the public interest, not commercial ones.

RTE must work within budget

Alternatively, if RTE is to be run as a commercial enterprise in the free market it must be privatised.

If RTE is not willing to serve its public interest charter, making all programming decisions based on serving the public interest, it must be closed down or privatised.

Public interest in Ireland is not served by the public broadcaster, RTE, operating in a commercial manner.

Analytical and critical commentary is vital to all open democracies.

A nation's public broadcaster has a duty and obligation by its very existence to perform this function to the highest possible standard.

Any comprise of this duty also compromises the democracy of the nation.