The Broadcasting Bill will perpetuate and increase the dominance of RTE in the marketplace and give the organisation a major interest in a new State monopoly, TV3 said yesterday. The independent station said RTE should not have any role in Digico, the designated broadcasting company for all channels.
RTE said it was "completely untrue" it would dominate the sector, adding that the Bill would in fact add many new channels for consumers.
In an address to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, TV3's director, Mr Mark Deering, said the Bill, as currently drafted, "seeks to perpetuate and increase the dominance of RTE".
"It appears that the idea of RTE being imperilled by the advent of digital has been accepted by the responsible authorities, and what has emerged is an attempt to protect an existing monopoly at all costs rather than foster competition locally," Mr Deering said.
He questioned the need for RTE to be involved in Digico, saying that it was not a natural extension of the broadcasting business but in fact a form of distribution, not unlike Cablelink.
RTE last night rejected the idea that the Bill would perpetuate a monopoly.
"The Bill provides each broadcaster in the country with additional capacity, therefore it cannot be a State monopoly on the part of RTE," said a spokeswoman.
