Politicians remain stuck in the middle ages when it comes to electioneering and communicating their policies with the local electorate, according to Willie O’Reilly, Chairman of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland.
“It amuses me greatly that politicians still think that by sticking their face on every other lamp post that this is an effective way of securing votes. The electorate are increasingly sophisticated and are driven by issues when it comes to choosing their public representatives. The era of voting for a particular party because that is what your parents and grandparents did is well and truly over and modern politicians need to use more effective means of letting people know what they stand for and how they are responding to the issues and concerns of the people”, he said.
Mr O’Reilly was speaking after the latest Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) which shows that 63.3% of the listening population (2.393 million people) continue to tune in to independent radio on a daily basis.
“Independent local radio is the voice of the community. It has its finger on the pulse of local issues and attracts a huge local listenership. It seems to me that politicians and those running for election are not moving with the times and taking advantage of this powerful communications medium – which allows them to advertise their policies in a cost effective and efficient way. It is also more beneficial to the environment saving on the printing of posters and leaflets”, said O’Reilly.
“The JNLR figures published today continue to show that independent radio has a significant share of the listening market in the key 7am to 7pm slot compared to the state-funded stations. Any politician serious about communicating with their constituents should be advertising on lrish radio,” said Mr O’Reilly.
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Further information:
Lisa Ni Choisdealbha, Independent Broadcasters of Ireland: 087-2038956
Laurie Mannix MKC Communications: (01) 7038600
About the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland
The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) is the representative body for Ireland’s independent commercial radio broadcasters. The mission of the IBI is to champion the agenda of independent broadcasters in Ireland and to be a distinct and coherent national voice in the ongoing campaign for competitive equality across the sector.
The independent voice of Ireland, 63.3% of the population tune into independent radio on a daily basis. This translates into weekday figures of 2.393 million listeners. With more than 1500 people employed in the sector, independent broadcasters make a significant economic, social and cultural contribution to the Irish economy. The IBI represents 2 national radio stations, 4 regional radio stations and 27 local radio stations. For more information please visit: www.ibireland.ie
