THE British and Irish Governments have been urged to address the blocking of Irish state broadcasters in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has petitioned both governments to “find a solution” to Irish television content being blocked for residents in the North.
“The geo-blocking of RTE content in the north is completely unacceptable and must be brought to an end,” Minister Archbald said.
“I have written again to the British and Irish governments to seek their engagement and cooperation on resolving this issue once and for all,” she added.
The Minister has taken her case to the British and Irish governments after asking Ofcom to carry out an analysis on the issue and assess potential solutions.
Ofcom’s report found that there is an increased risk of geo-blocking in Northern Ireland as television viewing continues to migrate from terrestrial broadcasting towards online and streaming.
“As a first step, I have asked the governments to review the objectives of the 2010 Memorandum of Understanding on digital television services and for their further engagement on the issue,” Minister Archibald explained.
The Minister also met with the newly appointed Chair of the Ofcom Board, Sir Ian Cheshire in Belfast recently where she pressed for continued engagement on the matter.
“It is unacceptable that there is a risk of increased geo-blocking for the north as viewing habits evolve.
“This is a deeply unfair practice that detrimentally impacts audiences here. It is time to end geo-blocking for residents in the north.”
Sinn Fein MLA Emma Sheerin has backed the call for action, stating: “The Assembly has today backed calls to end the geo-blocking of RTÉ and TG4.
“North and south, Sinn Féin is pushing to bin this unfair practice once and for all.
People across Ireland should be able to watch our national broadcasters, no matter where they live.”
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