September 2019 News

Dundalk FM’s upcoming Outside Broadcast, Training and Information Evening Schedule.

Aug	30	Last day for Dundalk FM 2009 – 2019 Broadcast Licence
Sept	1	First day for Dundalk FM 2019 – 2029 – Irish Music per day is UP FROM 25% TO 30%
	12	7.00 pm Information Evening for New Volunteers
	16	7.15 pm Dundalk Media Centre CLG Annual General Meeting
	25	7.00 pm Documentary Making Workshop
	26	OB Town Talk Louth Volunteer Centre
	28	OB Brunch/Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen
	30	7.00 pm Sound Desk Training
Oct	5 & 12	2-day Radio Course for New Presenters. 9.30 am – 3.30 pm. Cost €95.00
	23	3.00 pm Outside Broadcast Technical Training
Nov	14	7.00 pm Information Evening for New Volunteers
Dec	2	7.00 pm Sound Desk Training
	20	Christmas Fundraiser, Lisdoo

Programming News

• Our Dundalk FC match commentary team are just back from commentating on FC Riga, Qarabag and Slovan Bratislava and are looking forward to broadcasting from the Unite the Union Champions Cup, a two-legged play off (home and away) between the winners of the Northern Ireland Football League and the League of Ireland in November. Thanks to the presenters for their understanding for programmes that are cancelled due to soccer matches especially Heart of the Matter, Rock Steady Rhythms and An Alternative Ireland. Build up with Bellew is the new pre match show and thanks to Orla Crilly, Ciaran Callan and Neil McArdle (Bratislava) for sending us interviews and for speaking to us live on air. A first for Dundalk FM – we took a live feed from Derry’s Community Radio Station – Drive 105 – for the Derry v Dundalk match from the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on 5^th July. For the FAI Cup match on August 23^rd we will do the same. Many thanks to Kevin Moore, Dee Curran, Colin Greene and Eddie Seydak from Drive 105 for organising this for us.
• During the summer time we had OB’s from the Quay Celtic Pitch for the Motor Neuron Disease Fundraiser, we had a wonderful music team at Vantastival and we did our annual OBs from Dundalk Pride and the Rehab Hub Coffee Morning.
• Welcome back after the summer break to Dundalk Lions Club – at your service, Conversations with Dundalk Toastmasters and the Health and Well Being show.
• Welcome to our new Drive Time presenters – John Englishby and Cathal McCooey.
• Recently introduced Shows: Saturday Night 80’s (Andy McKenna), Automatic Pilot (International Poetry show with Alan Byrne), Roots and Boots (Kerry Fearon), Saturday Night (David Larkin), Ready, Steady…Go! Series II (Marissa Lucchesi) and ABC of Music with Philip O’Brien.
• New Spotlight Shows aired were by Sandra de la Cruz (Saber), Anita Guest (One Direction) and Alan Byrne (Buddy Rich).
• 27 members are taking part in the new Alpha Beats Series I. 1 x presenter – 1 x letter – 1 x hour. Show are on at 3pm and 4pm each Sunday. To see the schedule of presenters, listen again to shows and to check their running orders see www.dundalkfm.com/listen-again-on-dundalk-fm/. The draw for the second series will take place on Friday 25^th October during Drive Time. We are looking for all new presenters for this round and then for Series III starting in February 2020 – all presenters can put their names into the hat!
• Programme and Technical Meetings are on the first Tuesday at 4.30pm and we welcome new programme proposals which are accompanied by a 5 minute demo.

Volunteer Involvement and Training

• The next Information Evening will be on Thursday 12^th September at 7pm. Please pass on this invite to anyone who would like find out how to join us.
• The closing date for the next round of Sound and Vision is November 8^th. There will be a Radio Documentary Workshop on Wednesday 25^th September 2019 at 7.15 pm.
• If you want to brush up on your Sound Desk and Audio Editing Skills then we have training on Monday 30^th September and Monday 2^nd December at 7pm.
• There were 5 people at the OB Training on Wednesday 19^th June, so we will run another workshop on Wednesday 23^rd October at 3.00 pm.
• This year the Craol Training Féile will take place on Friday 18^th and Saturday 19^th October in the Springfield Hotel, Leixlip. I will send out a text closer to the time about attendance at the event.
• Pat Hamilton and Pat Byrne attended a CRAOL QQI CPD Training event in August.
• Craol are collecting stories that best illustrate the social benefit that community radio stations generate. At Dundalk FM, we have great stories to tell and if you would like to share your story with other Craol stations, please let me know so we can document and record this important piece of modern CR History.
• We will shortly be rolling out a Department of Justice funded Training Project with the aim of promoting diversity on air and off air.

Station News

• VACANCY – we will be sending out notice for a full time position with the station during the next week.
• Our Flag Day on August 8^th raised €204.00 Thank you to the members who gave their time to collect donations on the streets.
• Equipment – Louth County Council have awarded the station €1,695 as part of the Community Enhancement Programme. This will go towards IT and Studio Equipment. We are finalising the purchase of new digital broadcast equipment and installation will take place in September/October.
• June, July and August photo additions to the History of Community Radio webpage can be found here https://www.dundalkfm.com/about-us/dundalks-community-radio-history-book/
• Don’t forget about our Suggestion Box and Volunteer of the Month Nomination Forms.
• News is played on the hour during the week. Community Notices are played on the hour at the weekend. After 6pm the news is 2 minutes in duration.
• If a song finishes before the news then you can play out a range of show promos. They are in the Timed Promos in Today’s Ad’s Folder.

If you have suggestions for station or would like to get more involved in OB’s, training or fundraising please let me know. The next update will be circulated in December 2019.

Finally, we are collecting Membership for 2019/2020 at present. The fee is €30 and members who pay on or before September 1^st are entitled to vote at the AGM.

Alan