Sir, – I am glad that James Morrissey, a consultant to Denis O'Brien, found my article on media constraints "most interesting" (April 8th; "Paddy not getting full story due to media constraints", Opinion & Analysis, April 6th). The Irish Times suggested that I write it in respect to a very moderate report about the Irish media undertaken at DCU, one in which I as an emeritus professor had no involvement whatsoever.
In a passage of that report, quoted by me, Mr O’Brien is described as “chairman” of Communicorp. Mr Morrissey correctly points out that Mr O’Brien is not that company’s chairman. The report should have described him, as his company itself describes him, as its “owner and board member”. But does Mr Morrissey think that an “owner” is less influential than a “chairman”?
Mr Morrissey says, "I do not recall Colum ever getting exercised about media ownership when he was a regular columnist at the Sunday Independent."
I cannot answer for Mr Morrissey’s memory. Had he contacted me before writing, I could have reminded him of my many expressions of concern on this topic down the years (presumably a reason why the government appointed me to the Media Mergers Advisory Group).
My concerns were expressed in INM papers and elsewhere. For example, this in the Sunday Independent in 2001: "News that Sir Anthony O'Reilly is involved in a consortium that may acquire Eircom has highlighted the fact that Independent News and Media PLC, of which he is chairman and in which he is a major shareholder, already controls a considerable amount of the Irish media and has a big stake in the communications service provider known as Chorus." I added that Sir Anthony O'Reilly's bid "raises legitimate questions about control because the line between media and telecommunications has increasingly become blurred".
I accept that Mr O’Brien does not control Independent News & Media in law or in terms of stock-market rules, despite owning so many shares in it. I assume that Mr Morrissey accepts that Mr O’Brien controls Communicorp. Some argue that current law on media control is inadequate. The fact that Mr O’Brien is one of the great influential forces in Irish media, along with RTÉ and Rupert Murdoch, can scarcely be denied.
Mr O’Brien has made a considerable contribution to Irish media and it is regrettable that he does not more often address media issues publicly or debate them with others. His consultants or lawyers doing so is not the same thing. – Yours, etc,
COLUM KENNY,
Dublin 9.