Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.
Here’s what Happened
A judge in Dublin has ordered the arrest of those who failed to turn up for court dates regarding them not paying the TV Licence.
Judge Anthony Halpin issued bench warrants for the arrest of 35 people who failed to show up, saying the “law is the law and one must have respect for the law, and one must obey the law,”
He criticised RTÉ and its godlike personalities quite strongly earlier in the summer, but despite this he seems to be unhappy with the levels not showing up to court for TV Licence cases.
This is a dramatic escalation as untill now he’s generally just issued a fine, but he said this week that “the patience of the court can be exhausted by those who refuse to buy the licence and seemingly try to justify same so as to ease their conscience,”
It’s a no win situation really. RTE aren’t happy with the licence fee, the public aren’t happy with the licence fee, and across Europe the concept of licence fees is becoming less and less common.
Mary Lou Mcdonald said this week she believes direct exchequer funding has merit, but ultimately it’s a complicated matter. Direct exchequer funding does leave RTÉ open to political interference, but then again so does the licence fee, and direct funding has worked for TG4.
It’s a crazy state of affairs, but hopefully things can regulate a bit in the budget and beyond. Now that theres a hiring freeze at RTÉ we’ll certainly start seeing cuts, which is really bad news.
8Radio.com have called for Coimisiún na Meán to licence local DAB operators, giving niche broadcasters the oppertunity to broadcast on a low cost platform.
DAB never really took off in ireland, despite attempts from both RTÉ and the private sector. RTEs multiplex shut down in recent years leading to the world of DAB becoming a pirate only space.
DAB does have potential though and would hopefully allow smaller stations access a wider audience without massive costs. I’m immediately thinking of services like RiRa, 8Radio and RTÉ Gold, but there are plenty others too.
It’s hard to know if this will have much impact ultimately, but it’s a conversation that keeps rolling on.
Should Ireland have DAB? Vote on our Instagram story now.
Finally this week, the IMRO Radio Awards have inducted four new broadcasters to their hall of fame.
The new inductees are Mary Wilson from RTÉ Radio 1, John Bennett MBE from BBC Radio Ulster, Joe Finnegan from Shannonside Northern Sound, and Paddy Halpenny, formerly of Communicorp.
What’s great about the hall of fame is it often recognises those from smaller stations. Yes it’s recognising the work of those at RTÉ, but it’s also recognising the huge impact of those working for the likes of C103 or Shannonside Northern Sound. It’s fantastic that these people get the credit they so rightly deserve.
Congrats to the new inductees, and well done for your great work in radio. Next stop is the 6th of October for IMRO Awards Night.
Quick Bits
Radio Kerry are hosting ticketed events with the Irish Rambling House
Midlands 103 rebranded as Niall 103 to celebrate Niall Horans birthday
Dave Moore has spoken about hosting without Dermot on Today FM
Maura Derrane started hosting in Tubridy’s slot
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.