MP welcomes RTÉ showing news bulletins after Olympic blackout
Sinn Féin’s Newry & Armagh MP has welcomed a decision by RTÉ to resume broadcasting its news bulletins to viewers in the north.
Last week there was controversy when the broadcaster said on Thursday that it would not air any live news bulletins on TV which contain Olympic Games footage due to licensing rights.
The broadcaster had explained that it has the rights to broadcast the 2024 Olympics Games “in the Republic of Ireland only”. The BBC hold the rights for the UK.
But later that day RTÉ said it would "resume broadcast of its news bulletins in Northern Ireland, including news from the 2024 Olympics Games".
Dáire Hughes MP said: “This is the right and sensible decision by RTÉ to reverse the geo-blocking of news broadcasts, which locked out hundreds of thousands of viewers from the north.
“This will ensure citizens here can continue to stay up to date with political, economic and social developments happening throughout Ireland.
“Despite this, the question must be asked - why were northern viewers blocked in the first instance?
“It’s important that as a national broadcaster, RTÉ is accessible to all across the entire island.
“It’s simply not good enough that RTÉ will continue to geo-block coverage of Team Ireland competing in the Olympic Games despite more than 30 northerners representing the national team.
“RTÉ is a publicly funded body and I will be seeking a meeting with the Minster for Media and the RTÉ Director General to discuss bringing the insidious practice of geo-blocking northern citizens to an end.”