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Local Radio

  • 04-03-2019 5:53pm
    #1
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭


    As a matter of interest has anyone worked in radio programmes independently of the local broadcaster, that airs on the broadcaster?

    Any views on local radio?

    Excluding Dublin:)


Comments

  • #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    What do you think of local radio Elmo? What station would be local to you?
    If you gave us some opinion,we could debate:D


  • #3
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    What do you think of local radio Elmo? What station would be local to you?
    If you gave us some opinion,we could debate:D

    Ah that’s my problem being from Dublin most of my local radio is pop and shock jocks.

    My little knowledge of local radio is Kfm wlrfm and east coast radio.

    What’s it like to work in a local radio and do the pay for content independently produced. What kind of programming do they offer.


  • #4
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    What do you think of local radio Elmo? What station would be local to you?
    If you gave us some opinion,we could debate:D

    Oh maybe everyone on boards is like me, we don’t listen to local radio!


  • #5
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    So trying to gauge peoples views on local radio, for example I thought this was very one sided

    https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/between-the-lines-with-andrea-gilligan/future-local-media-public-service-broadcasting

    And a quick scan of this thread, shows its heavily Dublin based (well a few threads on Spin and Nova and one for the Multicity Classic Hits).

    This was the latest thread on local radio https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057716009 but like this one general and not about a single local station.


  • #6
    Radio5
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,977 ✭✭✭Radio5


    On Radio Kerry, the vast bulk of their content is produced in - house. They have documentaries from independent producers, usually Sound and Vision funded. These are normally used as fillers say on a Monday bank holiday or during Christmas, when the morning current affairs show or other regular shows aren't on. Not sure if they pay for them or the producer just relies on S & V completely.

    They used to do more radio plays or history documentaries with drama in them but not as much now.


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  • #7
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Radio5 wrote: »
    They used to do more radio plays or history documentaries with drama in them but not as much now.

    Do you think this is down to the recession or just due to a change in programme policy. When did they start to reduced that type of content.


  • #8
    Radio5
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,977 ✭✭✭Radio5


    I could not honestly put a date on it but it was later than the main recession time (which I put as from 2009 onwards). Some of it may be a change in programme policy, but also producers moving on. For example, Daithi McMahon did a lot of excellent docs for Radio Kerry but I presume he moved away or on to other types of work.


  • #9
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    So listening to LMFM, KFM & Eastcoast radio I see little difference in their out put to their Dublin counterparts, perhaps a bit older in terms of music (have only listened in mornings evenings & weekends).

    Morning shows on each a music based show (I am calling out LMFM as not very good).

    News on those mornings didn’t really reflect the locality, national news with local interest e.g. I think all 3 reported about the changes to local Garda stations and attached their own local Garda changes to the report, same for some HSE story, local crime was reported nationally AFAIK. Nothing genuinely local, sport was a bit better but seemed they had 4 sports of which one was local, 2 nation and 1 slight more national than local.

    The evening shows were similar.

    It seems the only local aspect was the death notice, advertising(lots of ads) and requests.

    I didn’t get to listen to their local chat shows. Airing around 9pm.

    Am I missing something?


  • #10
    craoltoir
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 781 ✭✭✭craoltoir


    In the Dublin area you also have a number of community stations which play special interest programmes, music and local information. These stations are NearFM (90.3) - North East Dublin, Phoenix (92.5) - Blanchardstown, DSFM (93.9) - Dundrum and the Irish language station Raidió na Life (106.4)


  • #11
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    craoltoir wrote: »
    In the Dublin area you also have a number of community stations which play special interest programmes, music and local information. These stations are NearFM (90.3) - North East Dublin, Phoenix (92.5) - Blanchardstown, DSFM (93.9) - Dundrum and the Irish language station Raidió na Life (106.4)

    I know, but I am purely talking about Non-Dublin local commercial radio stations.


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  • #12
    craoltoir
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 781 ✭✭✭craoltoir


    The local commercial stations around the country generally have a high listenership so the locals must like them. The difference with the Dublin commercial stations would be that they play country and Irish music as well as pop music. They would also have local news and information.


  • #13
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    craoltoir wrote: »
    The local commercial stations around the country generally have a high listenership so the locals must like them. The difference with the Dublin commercial stations would be that they play country and Irish music as well as pop music. They would also have local news and information.

    Generally they are the only local radio station (bar the youth regional radio stations).

    I assumed Country music also but on the days that I was listening none play any country, lot of 80s, 90s and 2000s pop.

    Local news consisted as I say with a local news report, followed by national news with local interested *2, followed by international news report. (Final 3 reports replicated across all 3 stations.)

    Information wise in fairness EastCoast there Sunday Sports programme following the news from Dublin, which was simulcast across the 3 local radio stations and a number of Dublin stations. (I believe from Newstalk/Communicorp).

    Advertising wise it was local, some government announcements and some national.

    Oh and of course the Death Notices.


  • #14
    Howitzer the 5th
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭Howitzer the 5th


    Clare FM for example was defined by its magnificent depth of coverage of the Brendan O'Donnell murders in east Clare in 1994 that paralysed the area as well as south Galway and left the nation agog. Hungry dynamic young journalists working around the clock to provide in depth coverage of a harrowing set of tragedies. This was in advance of the world wide web and the push button world of today. Sadly 25 years on this once vibrant station is but a mere shell of itself and ultimately irrelevant to many local people. Local radio stations west of the n7 have seen a steady decline for decades where now one is indistinguishable from another. 'Zany' guy/crew first thing followed by pothole talk for two hours followed by yawn. Live GAA coverage and intermittent grant aided specialities help to deviate from the daily stupor. It's a bleak vista.


  • #15
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Howitzer the 5th wrote: »
    Clare FM .....

    When did the decline happen? And is it not across the board not just the stations in the west.

    6 - 10 Music Breckfast
    10 - 12 Pothole/Liveline type show
    12 - 3 Music Lunch
    3 - 6 Drive Music
    6 - 7 Local
    7 - 10 Music
    10 - 12 Late Music
    12 - 2 Repeat Pothole/Liveline type show
    2 - 6 Music


  • #16
    dxhound2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,402 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    Howitzer the 5th wrote: »
    Clare FM for example was defined by its magnificent depth of coverage of the Brendan O'Donnell murders in east Clare in 1994 that paralysed the area as well as south Galway and left the nation agog. Hungry dynamic young journalists working around the clock to provide in depth coverage of a harrowing set of tragedies. This was in advance of the world wide web and the push button world of today. Sadly 25 years on this once vibrant station is but a mere shell of itself and ultimately irrelevant to many local people. Local radio stations west of the n7 have seen a steady decline for decades where now one is indistinguishable from another. 'Zany' guy/crew first thing followed by pothole talk for two hours followed by yawn. Live GAA coverage and intermittent grant aided specialities help to deviate from the daily stupor. It's a bleak vista.

    Pothole talk is about local issues, which also feature in local newspapers. It is obviously not yawn/bleak/stupor enough to stop you listening anyway.


  • #17
    Howitzer the 5th
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭Howitzer the 5th


    dxhound2005 wrote: »
    Pothole talk is about local issues, which also feature in local newspapers. It is obviously not yawn/bleak/stupor enough to stop you listening anyway.

    The clue is in the term 'pothole. Euphemistically speaking it relates to local issues as it clearly suggests which you clearly missed.

    Radio schedules have hardly changed or fragmented since the local licences were issued in 1989 and so in 30 years I have occasionally tuned in to local radio.

    So essentially listening periodically over a 30 year period, I've seen very very little in the way of change. So is that ok? Thought so. Thanks.


  • #18
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Howitzer the 5th wrote: »

    So essentially listening periodically over a 30 year period, I've seen very very little in the way of change.

    So how is local radio really providing a full public service? Radio Kerry seems to have a wide schedule, there could be others.


  • #19
    dxhound2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,402 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    Howitzer the 5th wrote: »
    The clue is in the term 'pothole. Euphemistically speaking it relates to local issues as it clearly suggests which you clearly missed.

    Radio schedules have hardly changed or fragmented since the local licences were issued in 1989 and so in 30 years I have occasionally tuned in to local radio.

    So essentially listening periodically over a 30 year period, I've seen very very little in the way of change. So is that ok? Thought so. Thanks.

    If you had said local issues instead of pothole talk, I would have known that you did not mean to derogatory, and I would not have responded. I don't understand how you can say that there is two hours daily of discussion about local issues, and in the same post that the stations are ultimately irrelevant to many local people.

    Is the live GAA coverage irrelevant as well?


  • #20
    Howitzer the 5th
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭Howitzer the 5th


    dxhound2005 wrote: »
    If you had said local issues instead of pothole talk, I would have known that you did not mean to derogatory, and I would not have responded. I don't understand how you can say that there is two hours daily of discussion about local issues, and in the same post that the stations are ultimately irrelevant to many local people.

    Is the live GAA coverage irrelevant as well?

    Does it matter? Do people tune into their local station to hear about what's happening or going on? It's debateable. Its a moot point. You cannot ascertain which or whether. Frugality in the sector means local papers are going to the wall, while local radio survives on good will and voluteerism and hasn't evolved in an era when there is super fast updated news services online. Yes it may be local but that doesnt neccesarily mean people local to the station care or listen.

    Anecdotally at least, as facts cannot be established bar the unscientific nonsense that is the jnlr, my experience of people in what may be referred to as rural counties have but the merest fleeing interest in their local radio output. Notable exceptions may exist and it doen't mean there isn't quality output.

    Yes a live match on a Sunday and/or a programme properly relaying scores and updates in sport can be popular because many care about local gaa. Unless it goes to the very core of a community's soul like job losses on a grand scale then most people remain totally indifferent and unaware even of its existence I would hasten to add.


  • #21
    dxhound2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,402 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    Howitzer the 5th wrote: »
    Does it matter? Do people tune into their local station to hear about what's happening or going on? It's debateable. Its a moot point. You cannot ascertain which or whether.

    You managed to ascertain a lot. I can hear two local stations where I am. I would not use what I hear on them, to assume that the ones I can't hear are the same.


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  • #22
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    dxhound2005 wrote: »
    You managed to ascertain a lot. I can hear two local stations where I am. I would not use what I hear on them, to assume that the ones I can't hear are the same.

    Indeed and this is what I want to gather.

    I am trying to ascertain weather or not Local Radio stations are providing locally produced content for their audience.

    I understand that Local Radio is going to be limited as to what it does, due to the area and population that it covers.

    Listening to what would be considered 3 of the larger Local Commercial Radio Regions of Kildare, Wicklow and Louth/Meath I cannot to say they are providing anything outside of what RTÉ and Communicorp are providing.

    How many journalists do they employ to gather news. It seems to me that all 3 rely on heavily on Music. With local content really only coming the the form of a 2 hour phone in show and Sports. Their hourly news bulletins having only a little in terms of local news, and nightly no local news as it comes from Dublin.


  • #23
    Howitzer the 5th
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭Howitzer the 5th


    Elmo wrote: »
    Indeed and this is what I want to gather.

    I am trying to ascertain weather or not Local Radio stations are providing locally produced content for their audience.

    I understand that Local Radio is going to be limited as to what it does, due to the area and population that it covers.

    Listening to what would be considered 3 of the larger Local Commercial Radio Regions of Kildare, Wicklow and Louth/Meath I cannot to say they are providing anything outside of what RTÉ and Communicorp are providing.

    How many journalists do they employ to gather news. It seems to me that all 3 rely on heavily on Music. With local content really only coming the the form of a 2 hour phone in show and Sports. Their hourly news bulletins having only a little in terms of local news, and nightly no local news as it comes from Dublin.

    Why don't you contact local radio stations? Seems obvious to me. An internet forum doesn't seem quite so obvious in finding out that information accurately.


  • #24
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Howitzer the 5th wrote: »
    Why don't you contact local radio stations? Seems obvious to me. An internet forum doesn't seem quite so obvious in finding out that information accurately.

    I think they would say they are. I wanted to also hear people's opinions on Local Commercial Radio.


  • #25
    Imreoir2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭Imreoir2


    Elmo wrote: »
    Indeed and this is what I want to gather.

    I am trying to ascertain weather or not Local Radio stations are providing locally produced content for their audience.

    I understand that Local Radio is going to be limited as to what it does, due to the area and population that it covers.

    Listening to what would be considered 3 of the larger Local Commercial Radio Regions of Kildare, Wicklow and Louth/Meath I cannot to say they are providing anything outside of what RTÉ and Communicorp are providing.

    How many journalists do they employ to gather news. It seems to me that all 3 rely on heavily on Music. With local content really only coming the the form of a 2 hour phone in show and Sports. Their hourly news bulletins having only a little in terms of local news, and nightly no local news as it comes from Dublin.

    The local radio stations have a deal with Newstalk where they get national news items from them. They add relevant local stories to their coverage in-house and when an issue of national importance happens in their area they cover it in-house and provide the content back up the chain for use by Newstalk and their affiliates in other areas.


  • #26
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Imreoir2 wrote: »
    The local radio stations have a deal with Newstalk where they get national news items from them. They add relevant local stories to their coverage in-house and when an issue of national importance happens in their area they cover it in-house and provide the content back up the chain for use by Newstalk and their affiliates in other areas.

    It’s very limited local news. Even during the day, seems during the day it’s a local opt-out and at night it’s a national news, would I be wrong to suggest that the hourly nightly news is prerecorded.


  • #27
    Imreoir2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭Imreoir2


    Elmo wrote: »
    It’s very limited local news. Even during the day, seems during the day it’s a local opt-out and at night it’s a national news, would I be wrong to suggest that the hourly nightly news is prerecorded.

    Nightly news is provided centrally because it is not possible to have a news team on hand to produce the news 24/7. During the day you should have a mix of local and national news. Most news bullitins will only have five or six stories and usually two or three will be local.

    If you're interested in this stuff, some of the local radio stations do a radio course at night which covers how it all works.


  • #28
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Imreoir2 wrote: »
    Nightly news is provided centrally because it is not possible to have a news team on hand to produce the news 24/7. During the day you should have a mix of local and national news. Most news bullitins will only have five or six stories and usually two or three will be local.

    So nightly news is not pre-recorded?

    We did point out what the daytime news was in previous posts.

    I am not convinced local commercial radio stations are providing a public service. Or that doing a course with them would prove this.


  • #29
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Imreoir2 wrote: »
    During the day you should have a mix of local and national news. Most news bullitins will only have five or six stories and usually two or three will be local. .

    Today absolutely no local news in the headlines

    1. Brexit
    2. FF Votegate
    3. Motor Cycle accident (Tipperary)
    4. HEA report (neither even mentioning their own areas)
    5. Northern Ireland laws
    6. An International Story that slips my mind.

    But none of these are local. I assume the same stories will be carried tonight on the national service!


  • #30
    smallfridge
    Registered Users Posts: 81 ✭✭smallfridge


    Elmo wrote: »
    Today absolutely no local news in the headlines

    1. Brexit
    2. FF Votegate
    3. Motor Cycle accident (Tipperary)
    4. HEA report (neither even mentioning their own areas)
    5. Northern Ireland laws
    6. An International Story that slips my mind.

    But none of these are local. I assume the same stories will be carried tonight on the national service!

    Which station was this on? To be fair almost all Local stations cover their area quite well. And certainly most local stories that are big news in the area will be covered on the morning talk show also. (which also in itself can generate more local content for news later in the day)

    As for nightly news, as pointed out above, Newstalk's wire service carry hourly news at night and it isn't pre-recorded, it would be complete madness to record a bulletin should a huge story then happen (also sports news will be live too in order to have up to date results etc..)

    There are one or two local stations with 5 or 6 full time journalists and some stations 2 or 3.


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  • #31
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    smallfridge wrote: »
    Which station was this on? To be fair almost all Local stations cover their area quite well. And certainly most local stories that are big news in the area will be covered on the morning talk show also. (which also in itself can generate more local content for news later in the day)

    Almost exactly them same script on KFM & LMFM slightly different order.


  • #32
    Imreoir2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭Imreoir2


    Elmo wrote: »
    Almost exactly them same script on KFM & LMFM slightly different order.

    Of course they will have the same script, national/international news stories are provided by Newstalk, there is no reason for each station to waste resources rewriting the scripts they receive. Each station is free to choose which stories they run and different stations presumably have different allocations to local news, the local station in my area usually has a good mix of stories and will usually put a local slant on national stories where possible.

    The daytime talk show usually has a good focus on local and regional issues too.


  • #33
    RadioRetro
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,090 ✭✭✭RadioRetro


    As a former radio journo for some 28 years I can avow that Imreoir2 is bang on.

    Newstalk supplies national and international (the latter via Sky's British syndicated radio news service) stories and audio clips for local stations to use as they see fit. Sky's UK service does the same thing over the water.

    Copy is on the computer screen, ally it to any relevant audio clip or clips and away you go. Much simpler than the early days of national/international news stories being supplied by Century then INN when it was literally a rip-n-read service - print the copy from a terminal and transfer audio clips to carts.

    Due to budget restrictions (news comes last when budgets are allocated) local station newsrooms are small, normally between three and six persons, so spreading them out over seven days leaves very little time for chasing local stories but they are followed up on where possible. So don't blame the journos for the lack of local stories.

    And, yes, morning magazine programmes are a great source of local news content, as that's where listeners phone in with stories relevant to the catchment area and also where local politicians battle to get air time to discuss local issues.


  • #34
    Elmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    RadioRetro wrote: »
    So don't blame the journos for the lack of local stories.

    I wasn't, I'd be blaming the station owners.

    I mean I think much of what I said before is correct. Late Night national news service (from Newstalk in most cases) and daytime with local stories fitted into national/international news stories. And a chatshow.

    From how the IBI go on, I expected a more RTÉ Radio 1 schedule on a smaller scale, during the day, more like Today FM drive time or Morning news programme and a Talk Show with the rest music.

    From what I listen to very briefly on the chatshows, it was much more national and international than local.


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