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Monday, March 10th, 2008The Irish Times has carried a letter from Éan on the issue of RTÉ’s medium-wave shutdown. Here is the text:
Madam, – Your report on the launch of RTÉ’s upcoming television documentary series, “The Importance of Being Irish”, is not without irony. As RTÉ television celebrates the diaspora, RTÉ radio is turning its back on listeners overseas. On March 24th, RTÉ will shut down its medium wave broadcast of Radio 1; RTÉ says the Irish abroad who want to continue listening can switch to longwave, satellite or the internet – inadequate solutions for the oldest and most vulnerable listeners, who are the ones most likely to cherish this vital link with home.
Neither medium-wave nor long-wave are perfect solutions for the Irish radio listener abroad – they each have their limitations, but together they allow for reasonably good penetration throughout Britain and into near Europe. Medium wave is the simplest solution for most of those living outside of London, because it provides a clear signal on an easily accessible format. Longwave on its own is inadequate: RTÉ acknowledges that long-wave is unavailable to most people abroad at night, due to significant interference from other stations.
We believe the long-term solution lies in digital radio – specifically the long-range DRM format, which RTÉ has already begun testing. Cutting off medium wave before this solution is available is premature.
RTÉ, which says it will save one million euro with this move, claims it does not have the resources to assist even the most vulnerable elderly among the Irish abroad in making the transition to longwave, as it is doing in the Republic.
Since the publication of the Task Force Report on Emigration in 2002, Ireland has made tremendous strides in its relationship with the Irish abroad. The report recognised radio as a crucial link with home for the Irish abroad, and just last year, legislation was passed allowing for license fees to be spent on broadcasting radio to the Irish abroad. RTÉ’s actions are contradictory to both the spirit of that legislation and government efforts to enhance our relationship with our overseas citizens.
RTÉ can do more than just celebrate our diaspora. It has the power to strengthen our links with the Irish abroad. Instead, it is severing them, and in so doing cutting off the generation to which Ireland owes a tremendous debt.
Yours etc,
NOREEN BOWDEN,
Director – Emigrant Advice Network,
North Brunswick St,
Dublin 7.
See the letter on the site at www.ireland.com.
Website collects Irish-American stories
Thursday, March 6th, 2008The stories of Irish-Americans are being collected online in an innovative project set up by a Dublin man who formerly lived in New York.
Brian Reynolds says he set up Irishamericanstoryproject.com to preserve the experiences of the last 150 years of Irish emigration to America. He told the Irish Voice that it was when he was living in New York that he first began to appreciate the power of stories among the Irish-Americans there.
He is welcoming stories about any aspect of the Irish-American experience – and will accept stories by post, so the project is not confined to those who can use the Internet.
Visit the website at www.irishamericanstoryproject.com.
 See the story in the Irish Voice.
Medium-wave shutdown is a step backward
Thursday, March 6th, 2008Ean has released the following statement on RTE’s medium-wave shutdown.
Statement on RTE’s intended shutdown of medium wave
Éan – the Emigrant Advice Network
Éan is an organization that represents the interests of the Irish abroad; we are a network comprised of those working with emigrants, as well as academics and interested individuals. Our work is aimed at improving the emigrant experience.
The Task Force on Policy Regarding Emigrants specifically mentions radio as being crucial for communications with the Irish abroad, and provision for radio broadcasting to Irish communities outside the island of Ireland was included in last year’s broadcasting bill.
Éan believes the shutdown of medium wave should be postponed until there is a long-term solution in place.
1) The shutdown is a reversal of recent trends in which Ireland has acknowledged its debt to the Irish abroad, and the need for maintaining strong links.
2) Medium wave and long-wave are complementary solutions for the Irish abroad – longwave on its own is inadequate and presents problems for the future.
3) The move is premature – it will make the transition to digital more difficult.
1. Dropping medium wave is a step backward in our relationship with the Irish abroad.
In recent years, Ireland has made enormous progress in recognizing the importance of its relationship with the Irish abroad. The 2002 report of the Task Force on Policy Regarding Emigrants – which stated explicitly, “We owe much to our emigrants� – has provided the foundation for improving the links between Ireland and the Irish abroad.
In that report, radio was recognized as being ‘of critical importance� in providing “access to news and information about Ireland (as an) important means of retaining links and cultural identity for the Irish abroad�.
Last year’s broadcasting legislation allowed for license money to be spent on radio broadcasting for the Irish abroad.
The shutdown of a service valued by the Irish abroad, and RTE’s refusal to help older Irish emigrants with a voucher scheme similar to the one it says it will adopt for older people here, seems contradictory to the spirit of last year’s legislation.
Recent trends in our relationship with the Irish abroad would suggest that RTE should be working to improve access to its services by the Irish abroad – particularly the most vulnerable, who are most likely to experience difficulty making the transition from medium wave to any other format.
RTÉ is not acknowledging its listenership abroad. It says that fewer than 10% of its listeners tune in on medium wave – but this figure is solely for the Irish in the Republic, and does not take into account listeners in regions where FM is not an option, including the North (where FM is available in only some areas), Britain, and Northern Europe.
Listeners can switch to the internet or cable systems, but this is not a good enough solution for the vulnerable elderly among the Irish abroad, who may not be able to access or afford such services. This move is a serious setback to the tremendous progress made by the Government in reaching out to our older emigrants.
2. There are significant problems with the long-wave alternative.
Neither long wave nor medium wave alone is an ideal solution for Irish listeners abroad – but the combination of the two is a far better solution than long wave alone. While most people in London cannot get medium wave, there are large parts of the UK where they can, and people who live in areas like Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds should be allowed to continue to listen to the service that has existed for decades. Additionally, the medium wave signal reaches many places throughout near Europe, including Brussels.
Longwave is an unsuitable solution for the Irish abroad, as it is not available at night to most people due to the interference from a competing station. RTÉ has acknowledged this problem; an RTÉ spokesperson is quoted in this week’s Irish Post as saying
“we are currently pursuing this issue with specific broadcasters and hope that this might improve the reception of LW 252 in the eveningâ€? (emphasis added).
We believe it would be better to resolve the problem before cutting off the alternative – what incentive will there be for RTE to resolve the difficulties after the switchover date?
Another problem is the fact that long wave is declining in popularity in the UK, and receivers will become increasingly hard to find. Long wave is already being phased out as standard equipment in cars. While some years ago most cars had long wave, many of the leading manufacturers have stopped supplying long wave radios as standard equipment in the UK.
Vauxhall, Renault, Toyota and BMW have all phased out long wave in recent years, and the trend is likely to continue. This will be an additional burden on those who would like to listen to longwave in their cars, as people will need to replace their radios.
We believe that long wave still has an important role to play for Irish radio listeners abroad but it is inadequate on its own. For those who can recieve it in Britain and in near Europe, medium wave still has a vital role to play. It is not true that long wave is a better alternative.
3. RTÉ’s move is premature.
Ultimately, a switchover to digital broadcasting (specifically, DRM) will have enormous benefits for the Irish abroad. RTÉ has invested in a DRM-capable longwave transmitter and has initiated testing DRM (with tests performed last August). We welcome this move – but the transition would be more easily accomplished if RTE maintains its current services. Medium wave can be used as the fallback during the testing phases, and when the time comes to make the switchover, there can be an appropriate information campaign aimed at assisting the Irish abroad in making the move. It makes more sense to delay the switchover until there is a solution that will adequately address the needs of the listenership abroad.
Within a few years, there is likely to be a permanent, technologically superior solution in digital radio – keeping medium wave until that solution is ready will make the switchover easier, and prevent people from having to make two switches – the first to a longwave service that is frequently not available, and the second to a digital service that will genuinely meet the needs of the Irish abroad.
5 March 2008
For further information contact:
Noreen Bowden, Director, Éan.
noreen@ean.ie www.ean.ie 087 2111397
State checking on pensioners abroad
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008The Department of Social and Family Affairs is contacting 8,000 pensioners abroad to ensure they are still alive, the Irish Times reports today.
There are 35,000 people living outside of Ireland who receive the contributory pension, according to the paper; the contributory pension is made to eligible people 66 or over who have paid social insurance PSRI contributions. The pension amounts to €223 per week, with more if the recipient has an adult dependent.
There are a total of 237,000 recipients of this pension, with 14% of them living abroad. Most of those recipients abroad live in the UK, the US, and Canada. As these countries do not automatically alert Irish authorities when an Irish citizen dies, the Department is concerned that welfare payments may be made to people who have died. Officials are contacting 8,000 recipients they feel may have passed away or who no longer have an adult dependent.
One thousand circulars were distributed last month, for the first phase of the “life certification project”. If there is no response within a period of time, the payments will be stopped; they will be reinstated, however, if someone is taken off the list but is still alive.
Read the full story (registration required).
Latest Ean newsletter published
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008The latest edition of the Ean newsletter was published last week. In this issue, we look at RTE’s imminent medium wave shutdown, issues facing adoptive parents who are resident abroad, emigrant political participation, plus the usual roundup of events and news.
See the archive in our publications section.
Around Europe with RTE medium wave: listener feedback
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008The following comments are among those Ean has received regarding medium wave reception in the UK and Europe. RTE’s Radio 1 is available throughout the UK and as far away as Belgium.
Sincere thanks for sending me the latest news on the proposed withdrawal by RTE of the medium wave radio service which is still the only way a huge number of people living Northern Ireland, the UK and the near Continent have of tuning in to RTE radio.
I had first hand experience of the problem just last week when I was away in London and Louvain (Belgium). In both locations the only way I could access RTE.1 was on 565KHz Medium wave. 252KHz Long wave was impossible to hear in both places,nothing but a loud buzz of interference. And I always carry with me when I go to the UK or the Low Countries a small but powerful SONY Receiver.John Connors, MCC
On Saturday night, 23 February, I had cause to visit Ballymena in Co Antrim. I was tuned to RTE Radio One on FM on the way north from Mayo. It was okay to Omagh but coming close to Cookstown, the signal began to break-up. I tried the usual range but to no effect.
I then decided to switch over to 567 kHz for the rest of the journey through Moneymore, Maherafelt, Toome and on to Ballymena. I don’t have longwave on the car radio so the mediumwave was the only way I could access RTE in that region. Reception was very good.
I have found RTE mediumwave to be very handy for its separate sports coverage on Saturday evenings and this service will be lost to many people who travel by cars in all parts of the country, and across the Irish Sea in the UK, if the mediumwave transmitter is shut down. It is a very regrettable decision and one that I hope is reversed as soon as possible so that commonsense can prevail.
Michael Commins, Mayo News and Mid West Radio.
I can comfirm that at 10.00pm this evening (18 February 2008) the signal here in Fareham Hampshire on 567 was solid, no interferance or noise, and at the same volume control setting twice as loud as 252 the latter was also very noisy.
Keith Randall
« Previous Entries Next Entries »I’m listening right now to Lillian playing some great oldies on RTE 1 on both 567 and 252 … the 252 audio is a second or so behind the 567 audio.
I’m in Gerrards Cross in south Bucks, which is just west of London.
The 567 signal is slightly stronger than the 252 signal, but both are very adequate. The signal strength meter on the radio says 567 is stronger, but you don’t hear the difference.
Both channels have some other stations co-channel, but neither has any great problem. My aerial is beaming west at about 290 degrees from here so anything to the south east is at a disadvantage anyway.
The biggest difference though is the quality of the audio. 567 sounds a lot better than 252. There must be some different audio processing going on. 567 has a better audio range, less bass, more mid-range and top end. 252 sounds almost clipped, a lot of bass and quite harsh.
So I reckon 567 is by far the nicer to listen to.
Mark Hattam
http://www.dxradio.co.ukI am the author of the Euro-African Medium Wave Guide (www.emwg.info) and I am an occasional listener of RTE.
When I want to listen to RTE Radio 1 after sunset here in Flanders, it is impossible to do so on 252 kHz as the Algerian transmitter on the same frequency is dominant.
567 kHz is a good alternative on which RTE is the dominant station. Although reception is not free of interference, the programmes are well audible on the medium wave frequency.Herman Boell