The advent of local commercial and community radio stations has changed the face of broadcasting throughout the State. In addition to demystifying the medium of radio, many of these stations have facilitated indepth discussions on important issues affecting local communities.
In the west, a range of publicly and commercially-funded initiatives has nurtured local participation in broadcasting, and there has been a special emphasis on providing equal advantages for women employed in local and community radio.
One of Ireland's broadcasting successes is the small Connemara Community Station based in Letterfrack, north Connemara. It has overcome financial difficulties to provide local people with seven hours' daily broadcasting, made up of music, discussion, documentaries and news. This station focuses on stories with a local slant, but these cannot be parochial, stresses station manager Ms Mary Ruddy.
Despite having just two full-time staff, Connemara Community Radio produces consistently high-quality programmes and recently won a major IRTC award for Captains of the Men of Death, a documentary on the devastating effects of tuberculosis on Connemara.
This station's origins date to 1987 when a pirate station was launched by a local community development group. "We had problems disseminating information and we also needed to create debate about important local issues," says Ms Ruddy. "We did use print media but found it easier to generate discussion on radio. In 1988 we went off air because of new broadcasting legislation proposing severe penalties for pirates. Basically we were told to make a submission for licence to broadcast".
That was granted in 1995. Then, as now, Connemara Community Radio depended totally on volunteers for programme-making and Ms Ruddy worried that, when the initial honeymoon period wore off, they would lose interest. This has not happened. The numbers have grown, although volunteers do not even get expenses because of the tight budget.
Running costs are about £80,000 a year, says Ms Ruddy, and are met by advertising and commercial sponsorship, fundraising drives and grants.
Although there are no official listenership figures, she estimates these at around 45,000 on the basis of the station's own research.
Connemara Community Radio is also involved in a unique project aimed at providing equality of opportunity for women in broadcasting. While this project, known as Women on Air, is based in Galway city, it benefits women in independent radio all over the State.
Women on Air, funded by the European Employment Now scheme, has trained almost 100 women in local radio since being established over two years ago as a consortium between the IRTC, NUI Galway and Connemara Community Radio.
"We work closely with stations in the west and the training we provide depends very much on their needs", says Women on Air's director, Ms Mary Owens. Training has included several three- month foundation courses held in Connemara Community Radio, Near FM/West Dublin Community Radio and Radio Kerry, providing women with basic radio skills. The group also ran a year-long diploma in applied communications for radio in NUIG.
Women on Air also provides shorter courses, giving management training for female heads of news and training for women wanting to improve their technical skills. The organisation also works with stations to maximise equal opportunities for women and has carried out research on the role of women in independent radio.
The under-representation of women in this sector was previously highlighted in a report commissioned by the Women on Air project in 1997. But radio is a fast-changing business and a survey today would yield different results, notes Ms Owens.
"For instance, while Today FM started off with several women broadcasters, it now has none except for stand-in DJs and newscasters. But there are a number of high-profile women in radio in the west such as Galway Bay FM's head of news, Ms Bernadette Prendergast, Ms Ann Norris, head of news with Northern Sound, and Ms Teresa O'Malley, who is Mid-West Radio's head of news." The programme, designed as a three-year project, will end next year.
However, Ms Owens observes that there does seem to be a limit on how far women can progress in independent commercial stations. Unlike community stations, these currently have no female managers.
Meanwhile, the west's longest-established radio station, Raidio na Gaeltachta, also makes a point of catering for local listenership. In addition to its regional news, a new magazine programme dealing with issues in the Galway and Mayo Gaeltacht and in Co Meath was launched last November and, says producer Ms Bernie Ni Chuinn, there is no shortage of either stories or interest.