Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.
Here’s What Happened
A radio station in Galway produced a radio play about a radio station in Galway, and it’s really good.
One Day gives us a glimpse behind the scenes at Soft FM, a radio station which we’re told has lots of listeners in its franchise area. Narrated by the stations former CEO, we get fascinating insights into all aspects of the stations operations.
From a journalism student reading her first bulletin to a late night shows bid to give away tickets to a Saw Doctors tribute band, this play really has it all.
One Day features 36 different Galway Bay FM staff members, and really does a brilliant job of telling a fun and entertaining story. The play is written by Ollie Turner and produced by Matthew Lyons.
You can listen to the play for free on the Galway Bay FM website, which I’d highly recommend. Well done to all involved in creating this fantastic piece of radio.
RTE has been directed by The Information Commissioner to release findings of a workplace audit at its current affairs department. RTE previously resisted the release, as they argued that it contained “the views and opinions of others about certain individuals” which were “akin to performance appraisals”
RTE has been instructed to release the findings, but some details can be redacted. RTE have told staff they don’t intend to appeal, so the report will likely be released to the National Union of Journalists current affairs branch who originally requested it under Freedom of Information.
comments on the “communication style, editorial direction and people management skills of identifiable individuals can be redacted, however,generalised comments about gender equality, “fairness in promotional opportunities”, problem resolution and dignity and respect standards in RTÉ, as well as the consultant’s recommendations, should all be released.
Who knows if the report will ever make it to the public domain, but either way at least the staff will get access to it. It would be interesting to know how people find working in Irish media. Are the managers good? Do people feel respected? These questions are important in any workplace, so it would be good to know.
Head over to our Twitter now and tell us, do you feel respected by your employer? Hopefully more radio stations are asking these questions and paying atention to the result.
There’s a great article on this story from the Irish times, so if your interested check it out below.
Brands who want to go all in on sport over the summer now have the perfect sponsor opportunity.
RTE are bundling a number of sports sponsorships together in order to give brands the ability to be associated with all RTEs sports offerings.
The offer consists of 7 day sports updates for both Radio 1 and 2FM, as well as sponsorship of 2FM’s evening sports show Game On. Even though RTÉ is bundling these together, it could still be bought by an agency who choose to split it for 3 brands.
The overall cost of the bundle is €140,000. It’s certainly expensive, but it could be worth it to a brand who are in the sports field.
I do think RTÉ should consider offering a digital ad on with sponsorships of their sports podcasts and sports updates on RTÉ Gold, as that would be a good way to increase revenue for the broadcaster. It’s certainly good to see RTÉ offering competitive sponsorships though, and it will be interesting to see who picks up the package.
Quick Bits
This years Giving for Living Radiothon has raised €429,597
98FM presenter Suzanne Kane has spoken about her experience spending time in hospital
Evelyn Cusack retired this week
Mise Sessions is a new series coming to Radio 1 from Monday
And that’s the summary for this week. Come back to radio land next week for more radio news📻 and be sure to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for more fun from the world of radio.