BCI response to Dublin College Radio

PlanetPob

BCI / DCRC Meeting 10th March 2005


BCI – Dublin College Radio Forum
Notes of Meeting 10th March 2005


Dublin College Radio Co-Op. Attendees (DCRC):- Paul McAvinchey – UCD,
Christine Bowen – TCD,
Sarah Dunne – DCU,
Pat Proctor – Griffith College.

Apologies- Pat Hannon – DIT

BCI Attendees:- Joe Lynch,
Declan McLoughlin,
Patricia Kelly.

Purpose of Meeting:

The meeting was set-up to establish formal contact between the BCI and the Dublin College Radio Co-operative (DCRC).

Dublin College Radio Proposal:

A brief overview of Dublin College Radio and DCRC was presented. A number of key issues were identified including:

1. Improved broadcasting coverage quality and area for college stations.
2. The possibility of common branding of both frequency and student radio in general.
3. Training and development input from the BCI to improve temporary license applications and processes.

BCI Response to Proposal:

1. The BCI could in theory allocate the same frequency to all student stations if there was co-ordination between the stations regarding on-air dates and there was a sufficient lead in time to all applications.

The BCI proposed that the out-going station manager from each service could submit the temporary application for the next years broadcast and work to co-ordinate broadcast dates in this manner.

However, it should be noted that no station is guaranteed any frequency and frequencies are subject to change depending on the demand at a given time. Consideration of the need to provide for diversity for listeners will also impact on frequency use and allocation.

The locations of the current transmitter stations are the limiting factor on the current coverage levels for most stations. A potential solution to this problem would involve each station agreeing to locate a single transmitter station at the foothills or the top of Three Rock Mountain, together with the appropriate linking mechanism.

DCRC could function to ensure that all its members get similar coverage by sharing linking infrastructure with this transmitter site An example of using the UCD water tower as the primary linking location was suggested. Alternatively, stations could individually work to submit their own linking mechanisms to improved sites not confined in dense urban areas in the city centre.

2. The BCI stressed the limits of Section 8.1 temporary sound broadcasting contracts. While co-operation between colleges was seen as a welcome development, the branding of the individual college services under one identity e.g. Dublin College Radio would effectively amount to full-time broadcasting by default. As this would not be in the spirit of the intended purpose of Section 8.1 licensing, the Commission could not accept such a proposal.

The Commission representatives noted that a full-time broadcasting license may be the best means to achieving the aims of the DCRC. The Commission has already granted three colleges community of interest licences (Cork, Limerick, Galway). The DCRC and concept of ‘Dublin College Radio’ could be used to promote college radio across the different educational institutes and in other media outlets and would be a useful vehicle for developing the wider concept of a college radio service for Dublin city.

The licensing process for community services was explained:- The BCI invites Expressions of Interest through the print media. Depending on the response to the Expressions of Interest, an advertisement for a full time licence may be placed in the print media. Any interested groups may apply at this stage irrespective of whether they submitted earlier interest.

3. Currently, the BCI does not provide training and development for temporary services. CRAOL (the Community Radio Network) receives funding from the BCI for the training and development of community radio services. CRAOL plays a role in fostering and developing aspirant community radio services and the Commission recommended that DCRC contact CRAOL as a relationship between the two organisations would be beneficial.

No additional meetings were proposed but the BCI extended their offer to assist DCRC where possible within the current legislative framework. Commission representatives agreed to forward contact details for CRAOL.

flogen

The idea you have seems to be a single frequency that would be used by all colleges at different times during the year. It would be a start alright, but I'd love to see a true co-operative station that included all third level colleges (especially ones with media/communications courses).
What I mean by that is an all year station that has a consistent output; featuring students from all colleges/universities at different times during the week. So rather than having 2 months for DCU, 2 for UCD etc., you could have an planned schedual which repeated each week (and had consistency), with students from each college presenting and producing shows which ran after one another. So an all college station, not segregated.
Imagine it like this, a series of shows are chosen by a board of directors (made up of one rep from each college involved), a format for each show is devised (length, remit, jingles) and then a timetable is drawn up so each college has to produce the show once per cycle. A cycle could consist of x amount of colleges, so DCU, UCD, TCD, DIT, etc. until it goes back to DCU again.
This would mean that listeners would have a set timetable to follow, but the variety would be in the presentation and perhaps some of the topics covered. A current affairs show could have UCD issues one week, and DCU issues the next, but would also cover general student issues so that students from other colleges are not alienated.
Given modern technology there would be very little need for a centralised station HQ, and existing college studios could be used for production. Most shows could be prerecorded and sent online to broadcast or even be brought manually on MD etc. Studios across colleges could be linked up so that live broadcasts could cross over, with UCD handing broadcast over to TCD at the end of their show.
I know I'm not explaining this brilliantly but I hope you're getting the jist.
What I think such a system could create is a consistent and reliable radio station that would interest all students, and non-students too. It would also create some level of competition for colleges as they try to better each previous broadcast, which is good for the station as a whole. Also students working on shows would have more time and flexibility to work on shows as they would only have to work on a show a month (or more) if they were involved in just one. This would mean course work would be unaffected.

One thing I think you should do no matter what is contact PLC courses too, such as Colaiste Dhulaigh in Coolock, which runs a Journalism course amongst many media courses. They broadcast weekly on Near FM and have heavy links with the local station. If you want to PM me I could get you in touch with someone there, or even just point you in the right direction

PlanetPob

Hi there

We actually discussed a format like this last year. What we found that in order to operate such a service, there would have to be very accurate and functional cooperation between the colleges.
Around 8 years ago, UCD, Trinity and maybe some other college applied for a Dublin licence. They were fully supported by the colleges. However, when it actually came round to organising it, it fell flat on its face. The managements at the time just lost steam, and the application was ruined. I have been told that the colleges lost money from this and are not so keen on doing this again.
The thing is, I do believe that it is young students who are capable of putting a lot of energy into such a venture. The problem is, is that students are in only in college a number of years, on the way to something else. Students cannot reliably set up a service that requires a massive amount of cooperation between the administrations of their respective colleges. They are the people, after all, paying the big operational and insurance costs.
If you were to set up a Dublin College Radio, with one full licence, it would need the administrations of the respective colleges to meet and put together. I know that UCD have no interest at the moment in supplying a radio service to the greater dublin area, and want to concentrate solely on campus.
What I was pushing for last year depended on the resources that are already available. Dublin College Radio would function as before, but with the benefit of a far bigger broadcast area and the quality improvement brought about by cooperation and competition. As you can see from the BCI response they have no problem with us having the strength to broadcast across Dublin.
Again, all it needs is an independent group to supply (at a profit or not) the technology to beam our broadcasts over the city via Three Rock, and enforce the cooperation by bringing the colleges and new managements together every year.