IBI Chairman John Purcell has urged Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte to seriously consider the listening habits of the audience as he contemplates the introduction of the new Public Service Broadcasting Charge. Mr Purcell was speaking as the latest JNLR listenership figures released today show that independent radio stations have a combined strength of 67% share of the market in comparison to 33% for RTÉ Radio.
“Minister Rabbitte will shortly begin examining the results of his recent consultation on the introduction of the new charge which will replace the television licence fee. The JNLR results need to form part of his considerations as they are the clearest indication of what the audience are actually listening to” said Mr Purcell
“The Minister cannot afford to ignore the radio choice of 2.45 million Irish people who tune into independent radio stations every day. Such consistently high levels of listenership prove that Ireland’s independent radio stations are providing a service to the public that is widely used, performs an invaluable role in society and has become an integral part of our Irish identity in every county in the country”.
The latest JNLR figures released today confirm the popularity of the independent radio stations in Ireland with 67% of the population tuning into independent radio. This translates into weekday figures of 2.45 million listeners.
