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Broadcasting Bill would require provision for emigrants

Thursday, January 11th, 2007

The Oireachtas Communications Committee has been holding public hearings over the last two days over the proposed Broadcasting Bill. Of interest to emigrants is the section of the bill that would require RTÉ to provide TV to Irish communities abroad; the legislation allows for the use of license funding for this purpose.

The programming would have to be reflective of RTE One and Two, as well as Irish-language channel TG4.

In announcing the publication of the bill last month, Communications Minister Noel Dempsey Dempsey said:

It is intended that RTÉ will produce a service that reflects and represents the content of the channels currently available in Ireland – RTÉ1, RTÉ2 and TG4 will contribute to this service. This service will now be a fundamental part of RTÉ’s remit. The 2002 Report of the Task Force on policy regarding emigrants noted that the issue of contact with Ireland and the desire for information about contemporary Ireland is very important to Irish communities abroad, particularly the elderly. The Task Force recommend that consideration be given to developing the role of television as a contact point for the Irish abroad and that funding be made available for the provision of such a service.

The webcast meeting archive is online at econsultation.ie.

More information and a link to the public discussion forum are also online at econsultation.ie. The discussion forum will run until January 24.

See the broadcasting bill at Oireachtas.ie. (Section 3 is the one relating to broadcasting to emigrants.)

Can digital radio help emigrants keep in touch?

Monday, November 27th, 2006

Digital Radio Mondiale technology would allow the transmission of RTÉ radio into Britain and through much of Europe. Éan member Enda O’Kane has been working with the research group Irish Overseas Broadcasting as part of his efforts to improve Ireland’s radio links with our emigrants.

Enda says:

Global coverage short wave has always been plagued with fading crackles and pops and was the traditional link with home for many. Digital Radio Mondiale is new, and gives the benefits of FM quality to short, medium and longwave bands.
DRM would allow Ireland, for the first time, to deliver and FM-like sound over the European continent, by bypassing expensive satellite systems.

It will also allow RTE to broadcast Radio 1 in almost-FM quality over most of the UK using Longwave 252 to a new generation of radios now available.

Environmentally friendly DRM uses only half the energy of existing AM transmitters, having a minimum impact on atmospheric pollution.

The UK’s BBC and broadcasters in Germany, Holland, France, Sweden and the Vatican are just some of the DRM stations now beaming across Europe.

DRM is very attractive to small countries such as Ireland. It is cheap, does not need a satellite dish and avoids the control of a satellite “gate keeper”. Motorists and listeners with portables can easily keep in touch with home.

A DRM demonstration was well-received at the recent Over-50s Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin.

Simple-to-use DRM radios are now on the market in Germany from €199 plus shipping to many countries.

These Morphy Richards and Sangean models can be purchased directly over the web:
http://www.radiostore.de
http://www.thiecom.de/shop1/index.html

Here are links to a number of articles about the new technology:

Signalling a new era for Irish radio reception in Europe
RTE’s Digital Radio Scheme: Why it can’t replace FM for special-interest or remote audiences
Digital TV and Radio - an excerpt from a Consumer Choice article by John Cradden
RTE’s Digital Radio, an unworthy successor to FM

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