COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 13, 2014

QUESTION NO 2.

QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney

To ask the Manager what supports are given to community radio operating in the South Dublin County area, to report on engagement between the Council and community radio stations, and to make a statement on the matter?

REPLY:

Community Radio is recognised as a rapidly growing broadcasting sector and a force for community development, identity, and expression. When operated well it can be a platform and opportunity to facilitate individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own diverse stories, to share experiences, and in a media rich world to become active creators and contributors of media, rather than passive consumers.

The Council has supported Liffey Sound FM based at Ballyowen Castle Community Centre with a number of grants under the Councils Community Grant Scheme over the years.Liffey Sound FM is a not-for-profit Community Radio service run by volunteers which was granted a five year license in 2006 to serve the Community of Lucan and its environs and has a current 3 year extension to that licence.

The Council has also supported Curious Broadcast Tallaght based in RUA RED Civic Arts Centre. Curious Broadcast is a radio studio that creates a space for innovation and cultural experimentation across sectors. It enables communities, artists, the third sector and individuals to tell stories that challenge, inspire, inform, interfere and generate curiosity about each other and the world we live in. It is a radio / broadcast service dedicated to creating high quality audio programmes and audio broadcasts while working collaboratively with the arts, community & NGO sectors through the medium of FM Radio, Web Radio and Podcasts. It was set up by individuals working within broadcasting and arts and arts communities in Ireland.

West Dublin Access Radio covers parts of Clondalkin and Palmerstown and are based at the Ballyfermot Civic Centre, Ballyfermot Road,Dublin 10.

Initially 100 day broadcasting licences are secured from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and as a track record is built with regards to programming, operations, and community involvement, a multi-year licence becomes available normally 5/7 years.

To operate full licences, groups constitute themselves as cooperatives or limited companies with no share capital, and a board is elected from the community to manage the station transparently and with accountability in the interests of all. It is of course important to establish a sound realistic business case from the start with a strong sustainable financial case to support it.