In the spirit of the recent and highly learned Irish Times leader about the difference between “uncertainty” and “risk”, I will admit that I am “uncertain” about addressing the media coverage of the August stock-market volatility due to the “risk” that the crisis will have passed by the time you read this.
Tony O'Reilly remains a legitimate target of enquire because of his track record and his vast range of corporate interests. Now a section of the Irish media establishment has coalesced to deter inquiry and reward the defenders of privilege.
The future of internet radio hangs in the balance in the US as regulators temporarily postpone a ruling that could shut down many small-scale stations.
With summer blockbuster season in high swing, websites devoted to movies can be a necessary decision-making tool, as well as a delightful distraction
In July, Denis O'Brien's Communicorp added Today FM, FM 104 and Donegal based, Highland radio, to its existing stable which includes Newstalk, 98FM and Spin 103. The deal will give O'Brien dominance of national commercial radio and an even greater dominance in Dublin, where he would gain an 83.75 per cent share of the commercial market, and 46.4 per cent of the total market. That's three per cent ahead of RTE.
Notwithstanding the fact that he comes bearing the great gift to popular culture that is The Simpsons, Rupert Murdoch is such an obvious villain that he may distort the arguments about the effects of concentrated ownership on the media. In fact, the academics who study this stuff are by no means agreed on the malign influence of bigger and bigger media companies: some of them, for example, reckon only big multimedia players will be able to rescue journalism from the predicted collapse of print newspapers.
Most Village readers, especially those who notice the business pages, will be aware that Rupert Murdoch is taking over the Wall Street Journal.