The Irish Times has reported on a call for the Broadcasting Bill to be amended to require RTE to operate its long-wave radio transmitter at full capacity. Campaigners say that RTE’s current practice of transmitting its long-wave service at about half-power means that the broadcaster is not giving adequate service to the Irish abroad.
The newspaper says,
Kevin J O’Connell, a former director of engineering at RTE, said the broadcaster is not living up to its obligation to serve the public because the long-wave transmitter is operating at just over half its capacity.
RTE says, however, that “It is satisfied its long-wave signal ‘is sufficient to reach customers across Ireland and the UK’.”
The amendment was recently the subject of discussion in the Seanad. See the transcript.