mr president the imminent closure of independent network news a dublin-based news agency providing a first-rate national and international news service to the majority of ireland's local radio stations raises serious and legitimate questions about the ownership plurality and regulation of the media in ireland
local radio stations in ireland are required to ensure that twenty of their news content is national and international
this service has largely been supplied by inn in recent years
on foot of inn's demise the newstalk station owned by communicorp which is also a major shareholder in inn has been awarded the contract to provide a replacement service for the next six months
utv whose withdrawal from inn precipitated the service's demise has also been centrally involved in the efforts to source a replacement service
the national union of journalists has raised important questions over the appropriateness of the involvement of these two bodies in this process in the context of diversity of media ownership in ireland
these questions must be fully explored
