Tuesday, 24 October 2017

New Sound and Vision Awards 2017 -WHY?

The BAI announced to the new awards under the Sound and Vision scheme for radio and television productions. There were some eye openers. Firstly the business to be in is animation. Over three quarters of a million euro awarded to animation projects including the 5% support of the Channel 4 (a UK channel that has an advertising opt-out to take ad revenue from the domestic channels all licensed by the BAI) production 'Oops The Adventure Continues' for €100,000. Also the Cartoon Saloon's feature film 'Wolfwalkers' received 2% funding at the cost of €200,000.

But perhaps the eye opening awards were for Oireachtas TV, the channel that broadcasts proceedings from Dail Eireann who are now producing programmes. The main question is WHY? The channel has such low viewing figures, was set up to broadcast proceedings from the houses of the Oireachtas and committee proceedings. There is no EPG and therefore no one will know when 'extra' historical programming will be broadcast and surely any extra programming should be sponsored by the Oireachtas itself.

The two awards, with Dublin Community TV receiving none, were €125,000 to Yellow Asylum Films for 85% of the production costs of a single episode titled 'In Their Words' and €70,000 to PaperOwl Films for a 11 part animated series 'The Future is You', earning them 65% of the production costs. This seems to a pointless award when there were other worthy projects denied access to funding under Sound and Vision. The excellent work of these companies is not in doubt but both the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and Oireachtas TV need to explain in more detail these awards, their benefits and oversight of the money awarded.  

 http://www.bai.ie/en/bai-allocates-almost-e5-8m-120-projects-sound-vision-scheme/


Saturday, 7 October 2017

Alternative IMRO Awards



In October 2017, the great and the good of Irish Radio attended a gala at Lyrath House, Kilkenny to reward those who have in the previous year contributed to the multi layered tapestry that is Irish Radio . But these awards recognise the contribution of stations, shows and presenters in a commercial industry where an award helps to bolster advertising revenue and increased contracts. But there is more to Irish radio than commercial broadcasting and to try and balance this up the Irish Broadcasting Hall of Fame has created a number of new awards and winners. 

Irish Community (non commercial) Radio Station of the Year
GOLD          NEAR FM
SILVER                  COMMUNITY RADIO YOUGHAL
BRONZE               RAIDIO NA LIFE

Irish College Radio Station of the Year

GOLD       FLIRT FM (Galway)
SILVER                  CORK CAMPUS RADIO
BRONZE              WIRED FM

Irish Temporary Rado Licence of the Year

GOLD       XMAS FM
SILVER                  WIMS (WALK IN MY SHOES)
BRONZE               8 RADIO

Community Radio Programme of the Year

GOLD       LIVE DRIVE (Dublin City FM)
SILVER                 THE WIRELESS (Flirt FM)
BRONZE              THE HISTORY OF MARATHON RUNNING (Near FM)

Irish Pirate Station of the Year

GOLD       PHEVER FM (Dublin)
SILVER                 OPEN TEMPO (Waterford)
BRONZE              ENERGY AM (Dublin)

Irish Pirate Radio DJ of the Year

GOLD       RONAN O'SHEA (Phever FM)
SILVER                  MARK SHEVLIN (Trax FM)
BRONZE              ANDI DURRANT (True Radio Cork)

Irish Community Radio Presenter of the Year

GOLD      PAM DUGGAN (Live Drive Dublin City FM)
SILVER                MARTIN CONROY (Connemara Community Radio)
BRONZE            JOHN WALSH (Flirt FM)

Irish Language Station of the Year

GOLD      RAIDIO FEIRISTE
SILVER                RAIDIO NA LIFE
BRONZE            RAIDIO MHACHA

Online Irish Radio Station of the Year

GOLD      PLAY FM
SILVER                RADIO MARIA
BRONZE            BIRDHILL RADIO

Tunein Irish Radio Station of the Year

GOLD      IRISH RADIO CANADA
SILVER                LOUTH INTERNET RADIO
BRONZE            IRISH COUNTRY MUSIC RADIO

Irish Hospital Radio Station of the Year

GOLD      REGIONAL HOSPITAL RADIO LIMERICK
SILVER                ST. ITA'S HOSPITAL RADIO
BRONZE             SOUTH TIPPERARY GENERAL HOSPITAL

Brexit Irish Radio Station of the Year (on the border)
GOLD      Q 101.2
SILVER                RADIO NORTH 846 AM
BRONZE            RADIO STAR COUNTRY 981 AM

Online Irish Radio Presenter of the Year
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