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New Volunteer of the Month Award February 2019

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Volunteer of the Month Awards

In our Engagement Survey last year, many volunteers suggested we introduce a way to recognise exceptional individual volunteer contributions.

We are now delighted to announce the launch of a Volunteer of the Month Award.

Nominations for the award can be made by any two members of Dundalk FM including volunteers and staff. A nomination form is attached and will be available from reception throughout the year. A reminder will go out each month and nominations can be made at any time.

Nominations can be for whatever you feel merits special recognition e.g: listener feedback,outstanding show content, flexibility, support for colleague, advertising referrals, exceptional hours contributed in month, special milestone e.g. 5 year/10 year on air etc.

Awards Judging Panel 2019 will include Chairman (Joe Duffy), Manager (Alan Byrne) and Volunteer Liaison Person (Marian Del Duca). Monthly winners will receive a Certificate and a place on the year’s Roll of Honour 2019. There will be a Perpetual Award at year end for an overall Volunteer of the Year who will be chosen by a vote from all members at year end.

So who would you like to nominate for February 2019 Volunteer of the Month Award?

Kind regards

Joe Duffy

Chairman

Volunteer of the Month Nomination Form 20190218

Thanks to Paul O Neill, Evening Duty Manager.

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Dundalk Lion's Club presentation to Paul O NeillDear Paul,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Dundalk FM, I would like to extend our thanks for all your studio assistance and audio advice during the last three years as Evening Duty Manager.

We hope that you will continue to be involved in music, documentary or other related local community radio activities with us in the future.

I know that all the staff, presenters and presenter teams join with us in wishing you every success with your endeavours.

Kind regards

____________________________________

Joe Duffy

Chairperson

What Dundalk FM means to me – in the presenter’s own words

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16 May 2018 Meeting

The application for a renewal of our community licence was submitted to the BAI at the beginning of August.

I texted our members for some their own words to help with the application and asked them to answer these 3 questions:

1. What does it mean to you to be a member of Dundalk FM 97.7?

2. What is missing from the schedule.

3. What year did you start?

…and here are the replies…

Being a member of Dundalk FM is extremely important to me as it allows me to contribute something to my community and to be a part of making a difference in the lives of local people. There is very little missing from the schedule. Joined in 2005

Kevin Marley, Heart of the Matter

Being a volunteer at Dundalkfm has been an awesome experience. The staff and management have been so friendly and supportive. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. It has been an amazing learning curve. I’m learning new skills that I thought I could never learn, working the desk producing and presenting programs, interviewing guests etc etc. Dundalkfm is the voice of our community.

I feel part of a very useful and necessary community organization. I’m getting great feedback from the people I meet not only about me but the station in general. This station has given me a new lease of life.

Marian Del Duca, Presenter on the Town Talk, Health and Well Being, Conversations with Dundalk Toastmasters and stand in presenter for Lunch Box, Afternoon Show and Drive Time

I feel a member of a really close-knit and vibrant community. Joined in 2010.

Noel Sharkey, Music and Local History Documentary Maker

Being a member opens a whole new world. …ability to broadcast. .meet new people. …try different types of programmes. …and enjoy the journey.

I feel that more educational and local history programming which involves the local schools should be considered I’ve been involved in community radio for about 10/12 years

Alan Bogan, Radio Documentary Producer

1. I am a member of a viable and valuable community entity that affords me the opportunity to forge strong local links and influence positive action in the sector.

2. Female Voices on Air

3. 2015

Marissa Lucchesi, Town Talk and Dundalk FM Board Member

Great to be part of a community based radio station providing a unique service for the town of Dundalk.

Joined in 2002.

Michael Duffy, Town Talk

1. It has opened doors for me in the dj world. Since starting the show. I have done the Dublin, Cork and Belfast ska festivals and next week I do a set at Wexford ska festival. I feel part of something and I have the freedom to express myself on the station.

2. It needs more music shows and younger presenters to tap into the future of our listenership.

3.2015 and please God I have many more years ahead.

Karl Collins, Rocksteady Rhythms

It means the freedom to broadcast a show to my own style with the support of the management and the members. It has also meant the opportunity to develop skills and attributes that have seen me grow as a person and a journalist.

2. What is missing from the schedule? A late night show for the 16-29 demographic

3. What year did you start? 2009

Ciaran Callan, Drive Time

1. Great to be part of such a great resource for the community of Dundalk.

2. Probably room for more Irish language programming.

3. Joined in 2016. Good luck with application.

Pat Byrne, Dundalk Lions’ Club – at your service, Director

Hi Alan

Answer 1. It means a great deal to me being a member of Dundalk fm as being a person with a disability it has giving me an opportunity to for-fill one of my dreams of presenting my own radio show an opportunity I don’t think i would have gotten anywhere else. Also I have received great help support and advise from the staff and fellow members of Dundalk fm.

Answer 2 subject to demand i think more air time needs to be made available for more programs Answer 3 I joined in 2018

Martin Trodden, Classic Love.

Alan, answers as follows:

1. Being a presenter on Dundalk FM, gives me the chance to communicate my passion for music, with the listeners, and hopefully educate, inspire, and ultimately, entertain them at the same time. Being part of the Dundalk FM community gives me a sense of contributing to the local community, with like minded people, who have a similar goal and vision.

2. There should be more live content, especially in the evening, and most especially over the weekend.

3. I joined in 2018.
Hope that helps.

Mike McMahon, Mike’s Music Express

1. To be a member of Dundalk fm97.7 means a lot to me. I’ve upgraded my mass communication and broadened my mind how community based radio runs and the target audience it is transmitting to.

2. To be realistic I don’t see anything missing. I just assume if the volunteers have the ability to bring up new ideas to upgrade for the better of our dear listeners interest.

3. I joined Dundalk FM 2 years ago.

Tony Banda. Music Show

1. Making listeners happy, bringing sport to their homes.

2. Should be more Outside Broadcasts around Dundalk.

3. about 2004

Gussie Hearty, Summer League Focus.

1. What does it mean to you to be a member of Dundalk FM 97.7? As a new resident of the town, being a member of Dundalk FM means I feel a part of the community. There are familiar faces at the station and out and about now that make me feel like less of a stranger in a new place.

2. What is missing from the schedule? From what I’ve seen, the schedule is pretty broad. I’d like to do more to promote the Irish language on the station. My own level of Irish isn’t great, but making the effort might be as useful as already being fluent.

3. What year did you start? February 2018

Paul Donnolly, News and Sport

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Dundalk FM Presenters can enter the Craol Achievement Awards 2017

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,Craol achievement awards header 2017
The 2017 CRAOL achievements awards application process is now open. In 2016 Jacinata Matthews and Tracey Hanby were winners for their programmes The Creative Flow and 100% Irish. The purpose of the CRAOL Achievement Awards is to give community radio stations the opportunity to rise to the challenge of being the best community radio station they can be. The awards give stations an opportunity to showcase their achievements and to be acknowledged by the CRAOL network of Community Radio Stations.
This type of Award will enable us to highlight such endorsements in grant applications, in local publicity etc.

How to enter

Presenters are asked to complete the seven questions below and and return to alanbyrne@dundalkfm.com before midday on Tuesday 9th May. The Programme and Technical Committee will then judge the entries and select two to represent Dundalk FM.

The national award winners will be announced at the Craol Féile on May 26th.
Criteria for selection
1. Innovation 
(doing a programme that is not typically heard on the airwaves and one that the station or particular volunteers/staff had not attempted before, or in a way not done before)
2. Teambuidling 
(getting a group of people to participate in the programme)
(what community group(s) are engaged in the making of these programmes)
(what type of evidence of growing awareness about the relevant topic within your community can you provide – Website posts / Facebook posts / tweets / emails etc)
(demonstrating creativity and commitment to strong production values, information on the process of producing the programme etc)
(indicating volunteer dedication, reliability, growth of competence and confidence, also, inspiration to others)
7. Audio Sample
(submit a 2-7 minute mp3 with highlights of your programme)
Further information on the awards can be found here.
As always, if you have any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Good luck!

Alan Byrne
Manager

Dundalk will miss distinguished community radio broadcaster Vanessa Ryan.

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Paul Sherwood CRAOL - 20th Anniversary. Visit to the Aras by members of CRAOL. Pic Paul Sherwood.
Vanessa was part of a group from Dundalk FM who were hosted by President Michael D Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin to celebrate Community Radio contributions to public discourse. Pictured with Vanessa is Sean Callaghan.
CRAOL – 20th Anniversary. Pic Paul Sherwood.
No fee for repro - please credit Paul Sherwood CRAOL - 20th Anniversary. Visit to the Aras by members of CRAOL.
Pic Paul Sherwood
dundalk-fm-hits-10-years

TRIBUTE VANESSA RYAN DUNDALK F.M.

The sudden death of our esteemed employee and colleague Vanessa Ryan R.I.P came as a great shock to us all when the news broke on Friday morning last. Vanessa joined Dundalk FM as a volunteer in 2003 and presented a weekly programme entitled ‘Time Detectives’ each Saturday lunchtime at 12pm. Vanessa’s background in Archaeology gave her the opportunity to talk to national and international experts and to educate listeners about the wealth and varied history of North County Louth. Vanessa helped to progress the development of local radio documentaries with two successful BAI Sound and Vision applications – ‘Louthiana’ and ‘Geo-Archaeological – Changing Legends to Facts’. Vanessa joined the station as Advertising Manager in June 2015. With Dundalk F.M she demonstrated a wide range of skills and set targets which will be very difficult to follow.

Her excellent written and verbal communication skills , her ability to work independently , her skill at multi-tasking effectively and her pleasant personality made her the ideal “face on the road” for Dundalk F.M. Her ability to communicate effectively with Advertisers saw an increase in Revenue and most of her new business customers continued to advertise with the station. She served diligently as a Member of the Finance Committee on Dundalk F.M.

In the office her honesty and integrity in her financial dealings with Dundalk F.M were exceptional and she presented an engaging presence in following up Advertising arrears. Her value as a friend among her colleagues was obvious to all and the staff were heartbroken when they heard of her unexpected passing. Vanessa had also contributed many hours as a researcher for well documented articles from an early age. Her education shone through like a beacon and any project she was associated with was flawless, indeed such was her professionalism and pursuit of excellence that many projects were enhanced greatly by her contributions as a researcher, producer or presenter. She had an excellent rapport with the many constituents served by Dundalk F.M including clients, Directors, Volunteers other staff members and also with all our listeners.

Her recent decision to follow in her father’s footsteps in local politics had just been announced recently and no doubt Jim would have been delighted to see Vanessa follow his example and serve her local electorate with the same dedication and passion at all times.

While we here in Dundalk F.M will miss her presence terribly her family will have to continue on without that smiling face greeting them on a daily basis. Both her daughters, Isabella and Ayda, her parents Jim and Ann, sister Carol, brothers John and partner Ciara and Stephen and partner Stephanie, husband Florian, mother-in-law Myrian, father-in-law Didier, brother-in-law Stephen, nieces Rosie and Phoebe, aunts, uncles, relatives and friends will find a huge void in their lives following her sudden passing.

The Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers of Dundalk F.M have lost not only an employee but a valued friend and colleague and all connected with Dundalk FM offer sincere condolences to the family. Vanessa’s influence on broadening the diversity of programming available on Dundalk’s community radio service is treasured. She made her father proud with her knowledge and presentation style when she stood in for him as presenter of Classics Sounds. A local history programme about the townlands of County Louth ‘From the Border to the Boyne’ featured an episode in which Vanessa explained the importance of the Knights Templar. Vanessa will remain part of the fabric of Community Radio in the memories of the many friends she had at the station and through the audio archives of her programmes.

May she Rest in Peace.

Dundalk F.M.