TV service for emigrants named RTE International
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008RTE’s new television service aimed at the Irish in Britain will be named RTE International, not Diaspora TV as previously announced. RTE is currently recruiting for the new service, which may launch before its previously announced target date of St Patrick’s Day. The new channel will feature programmes from RTE One, RTE Two, and TG4, with some news bulletins carried live. The channel will be broadcast free-to-air on digital satellite.
Calls for RTE to boost power to reach Irish abroad
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008The Irish Times has reported on a call for the Broadcasting Bill to be amended to require RTE to operate its long-wave radio transmitter at full capacity. Campaigners say that RTE’s current practice of transmitting its long-wave service at about half-power means that the broadcaster is not giving adequate service to the Irish abroad.
The newspaper says,
Kevin J O’Connell, a former director of engineering at RTE, said the broadcaster is not living up to its obligation to serve the public because the long-wave transmitter is operating at just over half its capacity.
RTE says, however, that “It is satisfied its long-wave signal ‘is sufficient to reach customers across Ireland and the UK’.”
The amendment was recently the subject of discussion in the Seanad. See the transcript.
Emigration returns as headline news
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008Net emigration will return in 2009, predicts the Economic and Social Research Institute.
The ESRI says that we will have our first period of recession since 1983 this year, as our economy contracts by 0.4%, a reversal of a growth rate of 4.5% this year. Although it is predicting the resumption of growth next year, at a rate of 1.9%, it says that there will be a level of net emigration not seen since 1990.
While 40,000 are predicted to arrive in Ireland in 2009, 60,000 will leave. The ESRI notes that it is impossible to predict how many of those comprising the outflow will be immigrants leaving for their homelands or a third country.
The outward migration will be fueled by a predicted 60% increase in unemployment between 2007 and 2009. The unemployment rate is predicted to rise from 4.5% last year to 7.1% in 2009.
The ESRI’s predictions are attracting strong media comment. The front cover of today’s Irish Times says, “ESRI warns of recession, job losses and renewed emigration”. The Irish Independent says “Emigration spectre back to haunt after 20 years”.
Emigrant returns for visit – with 29 grandchildren
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008The Irish Independent is featuring the story of one emigrant’s return visit to Ireland. Fifty years after unemployed mechanic Sean Flanagan and his then-girlfriend Margie left to Dublin to seek new lives in America, the New Jersey couple have brought along their six children and 29 grandchildren to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. Sean and Margie were married and raised their family in New Jersey, where Sean Flanagan has been running a successful car dealership.
The 74-year-old businessman says Dublin has changed: “There’s less visible poverty. There’s a lot more haves than have-nots, which is very good – but there’s also a greater cynicism about religion. “
See the full story at the Irish Independent website.
Campaigners call for RTE to operate long wave transmitter at full capacity
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008The following is a press release calling for an amendment to the Broadcasting Bill that would ensure that RTE would be required to operate its long wave transmitter at full licenced capacity. Ean is supporting an amendment that would require this because of our concern that the long wave service is being broadcast at less power than that which was previously required by Longwave 252.
Campaigners have called for an amendment to the Broadcasting Bill, currently being debated in the Seanad, that would require RTE to operate its longwave transmitter at full licensed capacity. They say that the current situation, in which RTE is operating at reduced power, means that RTE is not living up to its public service remit.
Kevin J. O’Connell, a former director of engineering at RTE, says that the long wave transmitter has been downgraded, and it now transmits at about half-power. “When Atlantic 252 was transmitting on the same wavelength to reach teenagers in Britain, it was broadcasting at 500 kW. Now it’s only broadcasting at 300 kW – and the need for power has actually increased, not decreased, in recent decades due to a proliferation of mass-produced electronic devices that pollute the spectrum.”
O’Connell continued, “With the reduction of power comes a reduction in service. The move has had a detrimental effect on broadcasting to emigrants and those in the North. It also presents a serious problem regarding national safety in the event of an emergency.�
The issue has emerged with new importance since the closure of medium wave, leaving the long wave service as the only radio alternative to FM.
The power reduction has implications for emergency preparedness, says Enda O’Kane, retired RTE engineer. The Government’s recently distributed book, “Preparing for Major Emergencies”, calls for keeping a battery-powered radio on hand for emergencies. And in an emergency, people may be taking shelter in buildings where foil insulation or mountainous terrain weaken radio signals. “In an emergency”, says O’Kane, “RTE would be obliged to broadcast at full power to ensure the best possible access to information – but the long wave transmitter is not being managed and maintained with this in mind”.
Modern technologies have actually made it more vital for transmission at maximum power. Thanks to the increased use of new forms of lighting, switches and other electronic devices added to by a more relaxed regulatory system electromagnetic pollution levels have risen – with this comes a need for increased power to fight the effects of the increased electrical interference.
The reduction in power hurts the Irish in Britain, who are suffering from poor long wave reception – their only radio option since the shutdown of medium wave. Éan, the Emigrant Advice Network, is also calling for the resumption of long wave broadcasting at full power.
Éan director Noreen Bowden says, “Broadcasting to emigrants is part of RTE’s public service remit, and legislation passed last year provided for RTE to provide radio as well as television broadcasting to Irish overseas communities. RTE is making welcome progress in working on its television service to emigrants in Britain, but we are concerned that the current long wave service is less than adequate. A restoration of the long wave transmitter to full power would be an important step.�
“RTE must keep in mind its public service remit”, says Mr O’Kane. “They have an obligation to ensure our safety and to broadcast to the Irish overseas”.
For more information:
Contact Enda O’Kane 086 1719886 or Noreen Bowden at 0872111397.
Galway book features tales of returnees and newcomers
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008A book published in Galway features the stories of returned emigrants and newcomers to the city. “Galway – City of Strangers” has been edited by Poet-in-Residence Michael O’Loughlin. The book was developed out of a series of workshops by O’Loughlin, and features individuals who returned to Galway years after emigrating, as well as people from such places as the US, France, Poland, Hungary, Nigeria, and Russia.
See a Galway Advertiser article about the book.
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