Meetings of the newly established Forum on Broadcasting, which will make recommendations on how public service broadcasting should be delivered, will be held both in public and private, it was decided yesterday.
The decision was taken at the inaugural meeting of the forum, which is chaired by the former Central Bank governor, Mr Maurice O'Connell.
The forum was established last month by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera. In accordance with its terms of reference, it will report on the role of public and commercial/independent broadcasting services in the State and the role of the independent audio-visual production sector. It has to report to the Minister by July 31st.
Its first meeting, which took place at the Minister's Department, was described by those in attendance as "mainly procedural" with members agreeing dates of future meetings, procedures to be adopted and documentation which should be reviewed.
It was also agreed that the forum should seek public submissions in the near future, all of which would be published on its website.
Its deliberations will be closely observed by the national broadcaster RTÉ, of which a major reappraisal is now under way. The forum has six other members: Budget Travel founder Ms Gillian Bowler; Waterford Crystal marketing director Ms Jean Callanan; DCU professor of journalism Prof John Horgan; former RTÉ political editor Mr Donal Kelly; UCD English professor Prof Declan Kiberd, and the director of the Arts Council, Ms Patricia Quinn.
They will meet again at the end of this month and are understood to be anxious to hold their next meeting at a venue outside the Department.