The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) will launch a public consultation on proposals for a revised draft Code of Programme Standards that will apply to all Irish broadcasters on Tuesday, 1st July at BAI offices, 2-4 Warrington Place, Dublin 2. A media briefing on the draft code will take place at 10am, and it will be delivered by the Chair of the BAI, Bob Collins and the Chief Executive, Michael O’Keeffe.
The Broadcasting Act 2009 requires the BAI to prepare codes and rules and to review the effect of such codes and rules in accordance with the timeframes specified in the Act. Following a review of the current Code of Programme Standards, which has been in operation since 2007, the BAI has prepared a revised draft Code of Programme Standards and is now seeking the views of the public, broadcasters and interested organisations.
There are seven guiding principles underpinning the draft code: they are respect for community standards; importance of context; protection from harm; protection of children; respect for persons and groups in society; protection of the public interest; and respect for privacy.
Speaking ahead of the launch, the Chair of the BAI, Bob Collins, said: “This code, as the Authority sees it, is a service to broadcasters and audiences alike. It seeks to offer a framework that is set firmly within the statutory context and recognises the important service that broadcasting provides to the public.
“The draft code does not attempt to circumscribe the reasonable editorial freedom of any broadcaster. Rather, it recognises the entitlement of the audience to have its deeply held convictions respected, its complexity and diversity recognised and reflected and those who are vulnerable protected.”
