Africa’s Community Radio President praises community radio in Ireland

national | sci-tech | press release Thursday November 04, 2004 01:23 by Community Radio

at The Craol Community Radio Training Feile

From Cork to Dundalk, and from Inishowen to Ballyroan, over twenty
community radio stations from all over the country will gather in Dublin for the fourth Craol Community Radio Training Feile. The Féile will host over thirty workshops and all the expertise will be drawn from the community radio sector.

This years Féile will have an international element, as the community radio sector in Ireland welcomes L. Muthoni Wanyeki, Deputy President of AMARC International, who is coming from Kenya to deliver the keynote address to delegates. In her keynote speech she will acknowledge the achievements of the Community Radio Sector in Ireland over the last year, in particular the development of a new FETAC accredited training module and lobbying work on the new Public Service Broadcasting Fund. She will also participate in this years radio panel discussion ‘Community Radio, A Voice for the Voiceless’, which takes place at Clontarf Castle on Sunday November 7th.

The Féile is an initiative of Craol, the Community Radio Forum of Ireland, which has worked in partnership with NEAR fm, this years host station, to develop the schedule for the weekend. It is supported by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland through the Community Radio Support Scheme. According to the Chairperson of the BCI, who will officially launch the event on Friday, “The Craol Community Radio Training Féile is an important forum for the Community Radio sector and the BCI is proud of our association with this event. We believe that Craol plays a vital role in promoting the ethos of community radio among community services licensed by the Commission, not alone in developing the movement but also in encouraging the development of those people who participate in it. In this sense they contribute significantly in providing a real voice for the voiceless in Irish society”.

The launch takes place at Clontarf Castle at 6.30pm on Friday November 5th, and will also be broadcast on NEAR fm 101.6.
For further information, please contact
Jack Byrne (Chairperson, The Media Co-op) 01 8671016
Sally Galliana ( Station Manager, NEAR fm101.6) 018671016
After 6pm on Friday contact Clontarf Castle 01 8332321