Setting up a radio station

Lash FM Radio or T I Campus Radio

Published on June 1, 2004 By Clonmelchat In Music

After spending almost 2 hours at college today, the first step of many was taken. Some months ago the idea of having a college radio station was floating around the corridors and in no time at all that thought has led me here to the first step. I have spent some time checking out broadcasting licences and other required materials needed here in Ireland. The equipement is on campus and the licences and other paper-work is in the pipeline.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland authorise broadcast stations in Ireland. The process is, generally, that they look for Expressions of Interest in certain types of station. You return a relatively short document outlining your area of interest (area, station type), outline financial plans, corporate structure, main people.

The BCI tender for applications to operate a station of the type you suggested, in the relevant geographic area. Anyone can apply, so at this stage you need to put together an application that will persuade the BCI to grant the licence, and to grant the licence to you.
You want fairly detailed financial plans, including guarantees of initial finances, a reasonably detailed programme schedule, some technical information and a detailed management structure.After the application is submitted, the BCI may (and probably will) call for public hearings. The final part of the process is, hopefully, getting word from the BCI that your application has been successful, and entering negotiations regarding the wording of your contract with the BCI.

Under Irish law, stations must produce a minimum of 20% news and current affairs.
This includes music, short feature pieces and culture. This is not a problem as some stations play music during the early hours of the morning which covers this requirement.

The only other problen is funding.
advertising in a good source of income but the time involved in creating the ad and submitting it to the client is time consuming, generating a small income for a lot of work. This is ok in larger stations with a large audience and cost to the client are greater.
A better idea is sponsorship from interested businesses in the area.
I will continue to blog this topic as we encounter other barriers and more important how we overcame them.

If anyone out there has any suggestions please comment.
There is a website set up by a good friend of mine for the station in which a general schedule of programs and news is available

Lash FM Radio

Comments

6969jimbo6969

on Jun 02, 2004

Well, Excellent!

I'm going to have to hope that being kin and in college, your sensibilities are socially progressive, so to say. If you consider yourself more of a conservative bent, you will not find much of what I have to say useful. In any case, however, best of luck in your endeavors.

If you consider yourself socially democratic, more or less, there are TONS of resources that might benefit you here stateside. Pacifica Radio's network includes Free Speech Radio News and other options; "Democracy Now!" with Amy Goodman ties in with all these folks as well. The Grassroots Radio Conference, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, the National Radio Project, and Prometheus Radio are all organizations that might have advice or more which could assist you. This is just the merest icicle protruding above the surface of the sea, a continental iceberg of information and ideas lying beneath the surface.

Also, should your college need a socialistically inclined writing instructor of mostly Irish extraction, I've thought about the old sod as a refuge in my middle years from a continent showing all the signs of self-immolation. I'm a radio producer and could help put it all together. That's mainly a

comment, there, but it's a premise for a tale or two, isn't it?

Again, good luck. Keep us posted.

Jaret Kyine

on Jun 04, 2004

Can't wait to see what happens and please post some photos of the team in action.

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