The Independent Radio and Television Commission has announced an £80,000 scheme to support community radio. The money will being made available to 13 stations over a five-year licensing period up to 2003, to assist with "station evaluation and development".
Meanwhile, the IRTC has received 42 applications from independent radio stations for funding under its £60,000 Scheme for Pilot Programme Initiatives. This is the second such scheme organised by the commission to encourage the State's 33 independent stations to provide original programming. Under the first scheme, 14 pilot programmes were part-funded and produced in 1998.