OVER 30 years ago Cardinal D'Alton launched RTE television. Yesterday an actor from Macnas, dressed as St Patrick, launched Radio Ireland.
Radio Ireland, the new national radio station, was launched at the Jervis Centre, beside Radio Ireland's studios. It broadcasts between 100 and 102 FM, about half way along the radio dial. Prior to going on air Macnas did what Macnas does at openings and launches everywhere. Strange beasts beat other strange beasts in a pageant that was probably full of post modern significance.
At midnight some of the Macnas troupe, those dressed as monks, pulled a green cover from a glass outside the broadcast studio in the middle of the shopping centre. It looked for all the world as if we were watching the unveiling of a conservatory. Inside were a number of Radio Ireland presenters, who rather sheepishly walked outside and were handed bottles of Champagne to toast the new station.
The President, Mrs Robinson, was heard wishing the station well. The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, did likewise. Then the presenters went back inside the conservatory studio to talk with Emily O'Reilly about their programmes.
At 1 a.m. Ruth McDonald read the first news bulletin on independent national radio since 1991, when Century Radio collapsed. The first bulletin led with the launch of Radio Ireland.
Well over 1,000 people attended the launch party. It seemed to be dominated by politicians and public relations people and people from RTE. One politician was seen giving her home phone number to a producer of Daybreak, the news and current affairs programme, that will be going out between 7.00 and 9.30. This is an election year, so the chance to be on radio, however early in the morning, is only to be welcomed.
The chairman of Radio Ireland Mr John McColgan, said that the final part of the puzzle was now in place, the audience. Everything was ready to go on air, but now it was up to that dynamic, the relationship with the audience.
Everything had come together in the past week, he said.
The station planned to take 10 per cent of the audience in Year One. He did not expect the station to be in profit until Year Three.
Among those from RTE was its director of production facilities and engineering, Mr Peter Branagan. Mr Branagan's department put in place Radio Ireland's transmission system. It covered 96 per cent of the country, he said, and was in place within deadline and budget.
RTE's director of radio, Mr Kevin Healy, also attended the party. He wished it well and suggested that it would be good for RTE Radio, by keeping it on its toes. This morning Morning Ireland was broadcast for the first time on a bank holiday.