See the flyer below for more details (click to enlarge):

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has today

As part of the roll-out process for this scheme, the BAI has announced closing dates for the next three radio and television funding rounds. The BAI has also set out the maximum amount of funding that will be available for each round. In the case of television the amount is €7m per round and in the case of radio it is €1.5m per round. The closing dates are being published to provide clarity for Broadcasters and Independent Producers in relation to the potential funds available over the next two years. The updated application documentation will be published on the BAI website shortly.

The dates for Radio are as follows:

The three half hour episodes cover topics from how sports projects in inner city primary schools are tackling racism to the sibling competition between two sets of sporting sisters. It it kicks off with a timely feature on the All Ireland Club Championship and the winning hurlers of Portumna in Co Galway, since the All Ireland Club Championship Final takes places on St Patricks Day and Portumna have taken the title for the past two years.

Club Heroes is all about the clash of the ash and the pride of local clubs. It’s been a golden age for Portumna GAA and its legendary hurler – who are hoping for a third title in 2010.

In Sisters Act, we meet two sets of competitive sisters who each have their eyes on one prize, the Olympic Games - but to get there may well mean having to beat their own sister.

Identical twins, Rebecca and Charlotte French O’Carroll both compete in cross country, middle and long distance races and have grown up in their sport together. Sailors Annalise and Claudine Murhpy, whose mother Cathy McAleevy, competed for Ireland in the sport they now follow, the single handed women’s laser, both know that if they are to make the Olympic Games for Ireland that theirs is a sport in which only one woman can be selected - so it may well transpire that they have to compete against each other for that place.

The final programme in the series Count Us In focuses on International Day against Racism, 21^st March and showcases the ways in which sport can unite and cross all boundaries.  The programme tells the story of how a sports initiative in Dublin’s inner city primary schools is not just introducing children to new sports but encouraging and promoting multi-racial play and integration. The Count Us In project is run by Sport Against Racism in Ireland (SARI) with boys and girls in primary schools in Dublin’s Liberties. This radio feature follows the project through its run across Spring 2009.

The word from RTE is that they will be in touch within the next couple of weeks regarding the issuing of outstanding contracts for S&V programmes.

Negotiations on contracts for programmes which will be funded by RTE are due to start within the next couple of weeks and it is hoped that this process will not take nearly as long since we now have a precedent in place.

Lorelei Harris, who will be heading up the Independent Productions Unit in RTE Radio has said that she will be organising an Open Day where members from the independent sector will be invited along to learn more about the tendering process over the coming months. This Open Day looks likely to be held on March 24th. We’ll let you know when that date has been confirmed.

Luc Verling

Following the success of so many AIRPI members at the PPI awards in September, it is good to see that another one of our members, Luc Verling of Earth Productions, has been shortlisted for a Celtic Media Festival award.
Luc’s documentary, An Enigmatic Artist - Seán Ó Riada in Paris which was aired on RTÉ Lyric FM last year and was nominated for a 2009 PPI Award, was also featured in one of our AIRPI online showcases.
For more details on the 2010 Celtia Media Festival which is being held in Newry, check out www.celticmediafestival.co.uk.

In the past, Earth Productions have also produced the Jacob’s Award-winning The Story of the West Clare Railway (Clare FM, 1990), The Belacquiad (RTÉ Radio 1, 2001) audiobooks A Tribute of Jim Kemmy(1999) and The Seafaring Irish - A Life of John de Courcy Ireland (EP, 2004).

Luc would also like to make AIRPI members aware of the National Campaign for the Arts, a lobby group which welcomes participation from creatives in any field of endeavour in Ireland and which would welcome the input of radio creatives.

Julien Clancy

AIRPI Training Co-ordinator Julien Clancy reviews the training events of the past year and gives us a taste of what is to come in 2010:

Last year also featured the highest number of annual training events to date. We’ve had a very exciting and very different training agenda from previous years, covering a wide range of practical and theoretical topics. These events have also provided members with a rare chance to meet, discuss and engage with other independent radio producers.

Back to basics
Beginning back in April, the very first training event was very much a return to basics as we attempted to introduce members into the world of home and field recording. Pat Hannon gave attendees an intensive breakdown of the various types of field recording equipment available, supplemented with very informative handouts while Michael Browne from Big Bear Sound held a 2 hour presentation on setting up your home studio. The day drew to a close with an afternoon presentation from Ronan Kelly from RTE Radio 1, who as well as treating attendees to some of his favourite radio clips, also introduced RTE’s new digital radio station, RTE Choice. The day concluded with Ronan’s ambitious hopes for the new station as well as its future integral role in supporting independent radio productions.

Documentary Masterclass
Working around AIRPI’s annual AGM, was the second training event of the year, a documentary master class with the award winning radio producer Alan Hall. Despite Alan missing his flight the day proved a great success. Attendees gained a valuable insight into Alan’s approach towards radio production from both a technical and theoretical point of view. The day also featured a presentation from Stephanie Comey of the BCI(BAI) who graciously accepted our invitation to speak before our members about the future of the Sound & Vision scheme. As well as hearing how the scheme had developed over the years, Stephanie explained plans to introduce a new programming theme, Global Impact, as well as intentions to work closer with community radio stations through the scheme.

Roger Gregg

A day in sound
Leaving the city behind, our venue for our third training event was the impressive sound stage at Ardmore Studios where the focus of the day was sound. Sound is at the core of what we do as radio producers. We rely almost entirely on our hearing and listening skills to visualise and recreate sounds, scenes, and landscapes through the medium of radio. Beginning with a fun exercise, attendees took part in the recreation of sounds from a scene from the film, Once Upon a Time in the West - one of the first films to properly utilise foley sound. This was followed by a live performance of a specially written audio play by one of the leading figures in Irish radio drama, Roger Gregg. The fantastic live production served as an introduction to radio drama, an area which according to the BAI is one of the least developed areas in Independent radio production. An animated discussion on the history of Irish radio drama followed as well as examining everything from sourcing a good idea to the importance of casting before commencing a production.

Pro-Tools: Making the Switch
Pro Tools as many of us know, is the industry standard editing software, employed by stations across the country. However despite its reputation as an excellent package and better design, there are still a lot of independent radio producers unsure about making the switch. A series of practical training sessions were held in the last quarter of 2009 and were a resounding success from start to finish. Demand was so high for these sessions that in the end, what was originally envisaged as a one off afternoon session, quickly extended into three all-day intensive courses. The sessions were held in the Pro-Tools computer lab of the Sound Training Centre, located in the heart of Dublin’s Temple Bar. The success of the day lay in part to attendees having access to a pro-tools equipped computer as well as the excellent one on one tuition facilitated by Pat Hannon. Armed with this new information, attendees could then go out and purchase the software at a discounted rates from our friends at Big Bear Sound. This sessions proved to be one of the most popular training events of the year and plans are underway to hold another series of Pro-Tools sessions for 2010.

Matt Thompson

The Big One
Our final masterclass for the year was probably one of our most ambitious yet with the event being spread, over two days. This also marked AIRPI’s first event outside Dublin with the event being located in Portlaoise. The award winning radio producer Matt Thompson was invited over to host the event. Matt has an incredible amount of experience as radio producer, having produced over 250 radio programmes and has recently began working in radio drama. Both days were a great mix of interactive exercises, discussions on equipment lists and programming commissions as well as intense listening sessions. A full podcast of the weekend will be available soon.

Finally…
Plans for the coming year are at an early stage with discussions already underway for another series of Pro-Tools practical sessions, a pilot mentoring scheme as well as another round of exciting and invaluable documentary masterclasses. I’d like to to take this opportunity to welcome any suggestions or comments on how AIRPI can improve its training for its members. As the role of the radio producer becomes increasingly diverse, we would be delighted to hear how we can better serve your training needs!

It was great to get to soak up the atmosphere at Ardmore - which is where some of Ireland’s greatest productions have been made, including The Tudors and multiple Oscar-winners My Left Foot and Braveheart. Our Training Co-ordinator, Julien Clancy, also surpassed himself with the packed lunch which was provided and, which, you can see from the pics taken at the event, we ate on-location-crew-style in the grounds of Ardmore

From l-r: Don Swift, Zoe Comyns, Daryl Moorhouse, Lochlainn Harte, Colette Kinsella, Luc Verling, Victoria Enright, Linda Geraghty

The success of five AIRPI members at the recent annual PPI Radio Awards was a major boost not only to the association but also to the entire independent radio sector.

Now in its ninth year, the PPI Radio Awards is generally regarded as the radio industry equivalent of the Oscars and the fact that so many of our members were recognised and celebrated for their work is further evidence of the talent and creativity which exists in the burgeoning independent sector.

The winners were:
GOLD
Music Special:  “Tower Songs”, Athena Media for RTÉ Lyric FM

GOLD
Documentary/Feature: “Through Cairo Airport”, Colette Kinsella for RTÉ Choice

GOLD
Drama: “Another Blooming Day”, Zoe Comyns for Newstalk 106-108fm

BRONZE
Short Feature: “People’s Parks of Dublin”, Don Swift for Country Mix 106-108fm

The awards ceremony took place at Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny on Friday 2nd October and AIRPI Chairman Daryl Moorehouse hosted an AIRPI table:

“People are really beginning to recognise the quality and output of work which is emerging from the independent sector and to have done so well on the night was immensely gratifying. There was a tremendous feeling of goodwill towards AIRPI from all of the stations present and I believe that we can look forward to having an even greater presence at next year’s awards,” Moorehouse remarked.

Gold winner Zoe Comyns

Gold winner Colette Kinsella

Lochlainn Harte, Athena Media

Helen Shaw, Athena Media

AIRPI member and co-author of a new report on digital radio, Helen Shaw, reflects on the future of the medium and what it will mean for independent radio producers.

This is a members only article.  To read the entire article, click here.

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