The Green Party has delivered on a 2007 pledge for free-to-air TV services across the island

The Green Party’s representative in East Antrim, Mark Bailey has welcomed the news that Irish Communications Minister Eamon Ryan (a Green Party TD) was able to reach agreement with his British counterpart Ben Bradshaw on key aspects of the digital TV future for the island of Ireland.

Mark Bailey said: “The deal reached this week will provide free BBC and RTE digital TV services to households across the island, following the switchover to digital television. This will benefit hundreds of thousands of people - especially those without access to paid-for cable and satellite services.”

“Whether people are interested in sport, drama, history or culture, both BBC and RTE offer a wide range of compelling programming and I am delighted that households in County Antrim will be able to access all of these programmes after the analogue TV signals are switched off in the years ahead.”

“In recent weeks we have seen evidence of the gulf that still exists between communities within Northern Ireland. It is also clear that there is a lack of understanding between people living in the north and south of the island. So it is very much in the interest of fostering cultural understanding and development between all communities that these channels should be freely accessibly across the island. The Good Friday Agreement and St Andrews Agreement recognise the importance of the unique cultural and linguistic diversities that exist on the island of Ireland, and this will help to promote and protect those diversities.”

“The Green Party first called for there to be an all-island digital ‘free to air’ broadcasting service carrying RTE and BBC channels back in 2007, before entering Government in the Republic of Ireland. It is fantastic to see this commitment becoming a reality,” Mark Bailey concluded.

(more…)