Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.
Here’s what Happened
A new website has been launched to track who owns what in Irish media.
The project is a partnership between DCU, Coimisiún na Meán and some international partners. The site has an incredible amount of detail and covers wider context on the background and other interests of media owners.
The site covers radio, television, print and digital media, and dives deep into the individuals and companies that own and control Irish media outlets.
You’d honestly be very surprised by what you’d find in some ways. as even on the radio side there are a lot of individuals holding significant amounts of control..
the media ownership monitor Ireland site will be updated for at least the next three years and I’d highly recommend checking it out. Well done to everyone involved, a fantastic resource.
RTE were back in front of the media committee this week for another grilling. Targets this time were the director of HR who got strongly criticised for signing off on an exit package that former director general Dee Forbes agreed with the broadcasters former CFO.
Meanwhile Kevin Bakhurst was challenged on the value of the Callan’s Kicks contract. Callan’s Kicks is made by a production company unlike most other shows on Radio 1. While it is true that some presenters have their own production companies, the shows on the prime time schedule are still made by RTE. As far as I can tell this isn’t the case with Callan’s Kicks. This means the fee for the show would also include all voice actor pay etc.
Other criticisms were aimed at Bakhurst too, such as those related to his decision to pause licence fee ads on other broadcasters. Kevin says this was done as it felt inappropriate to ask for payment at that point in time, and he also wanted to pause discretionary spending.
I’d be interested to know. Do you think Kevin Bakhurst was right to pause spending on Licence fee ads during the RTE crisis? Let us know your thoughts on our Instagram story.
Finally for now there was an interesting article about an Irish American radio Show published this week.
The Irish hour has been a family run radio show airing in Chicago for more than 70 years. It’s played a massive part in the lives of the family and the Irish community alike.
It’s incredible to see the longevity of some of these Irish American shows, especially considering they’re not heard much over here. If you’re looking for an interesting read check out the article linked below.
Quick Bits
A pub in Croke Park wants a radio station to broadcast live from their bar
Coimisiún na Meán take on their new role as an online safety regulator as of today
Podcast series runaway Joe has been topping the charts
World radio day took place this week
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.