Community

      We are looking for 97 locations to take part in our Radiothon 2019 Challenge. If you would like to be part please send us a message on Facebook, ring or email us. Open to: Local shops Salons Restaurants All businesses Factories Gyms Community Groups Schools Public buildings Someone’s house??? Dundalk FM Radiothon presenters will visit you for a couple of minutes and our target is to reach 97 locations in 1 day. This will be a fun event so call us on 042 9395100 or email info@dundalkfm.ie to arrange a time to call in for a dedication and to take part in a Just a Minute Quiz.  

Dundalk FM General Election 2020 Guidelines for Presenters The BAI Guidelines will apply from 16th January 2020 until the closing of polling stations on 8th February 2020. The main points of Rule 27 to consider are All presenters will be made aware that news and current affairs is presented in a fair and impartial manner without any expression of the broadcaster’s own views. Broadcast content must not display bias in favour of, or against, any election interest, including parties or candidates. Endorsements on-air by a broadcaster of election interests, including candidates or parties are not permitted. It is not appropriate for persons involved with election interests to present programmes during the election campaign period. Comments made off line have the potential to undermine the perceived impartiality of our coverage. Advertising We do not advertise election events, notices regarding meetings or other events being organised by election interests either as paid ads or Community Notices. Advice Advice may be sought anytime via election@bai.ie or by phone 01 644 1200. Background Information A folder entitled ‘Election 2020 ‘ has been created in the E Drive. It contains the BAI Guidelines and a record of our coverage. Communications This document will be displayed in the Reception, Production Studio, Main Studio and Canteen area and volunteers and staff will be sent a link to the documents which will be saved to our website. Complaints Complaints will be handled according to our Complaints Code which is available on dundalkfm.ie. Conflict of Interest Staff and volunteers will be asked if they have a conflict of interest. This means that if you are canvassing or promoting a candidate (even online) then it is advisable to stand down from programming until after the election. The Programme Committee will decide on a case by case basis on appropriate arrangements. Moratorium The Dundalk FM moratorium is from 10am on Friday 7th February 2020 until 10pm on Saturday 8th February 2020. Opinion Polls A presenter must give information such as the date the poll was taken, who commissioned and paid for the poll, who conducted it and the number of people polled. Party Political Broadcasts Dundalk FM will not transmit any party political broadcasts. Programming Election Coverage will feature as part of our Current Affairs shows – Town Talk (Marissa Lucchesi) and on The Brunch (Cathal McCooey). Don’t cover the Election unless you run it by the manager or a member of staff in advance. A record of contributors, time on air, topics of conversations will be recorded on Running Orders and a Summary Sheet. Social Media Presenters should aim to become a trusted source of information. Post meaningful, respectful comments — in other words, please, no spam and no remarks that are off-topic or offensive.

    Review of 2019 December Newsletter Christmas Specials We made a special effort to record new Christmas Shows – so thank you to the following: Gussie Hearty’s Christmas Day Special, the Garda Senior Citizen’s Christmas Party, St Brigid’s School Christmas Fair, Men’s Shed Concert, Noel Sharkey’s recordings from the Blackrock and Haggardstown Senior Citizen’s Party, ‘A Winter’s Tale’ by the Clermont Chorale – recorded in St Mary’s Church, Castlebellingham, the Dundalk Baptist Church Carol Service, Aiken Barracks Town Talk Show, Primary Kids featuring Knockbridge NS with Orla Crilly. John Englishby’s Quiet Irish Music Christmas Special, We Rock Your World, Beaten Tracks and Rocksteady Rhythms Christmas Editions, the Goblin and the Gravedigger Radio Play by Patricia Reynolds, the SMART Network Louth Christmas Special recorded in the Community Offices and the Classic Sounds Christmas Day show at 12pm with Jim Ryan. Thank you everyone, it makes for the best radio at Christmas time. New Shows 2019 Mike’s Music Express Mike McMahon, 12pm on Saturdays Saturday Night 80’s Andy McKenna, 10pm 1st Saturday Odds & Sods John Englishby, 11pm 1st Saturday Saturday Night David Larkin, 10pm 2nd Saturday My Week In Tunes Danny O’Hanlon, 11pm 2ndSaturday Roots and Boots Kerry Fearon, 10pm 3rd Saturday Your Song Donal Carroll & Margaret Hoey, 11pm 4th Saturday Build up with Bellew Match nights from 7pm AlphaBeats Series 1 and 2 3pm and 4pm on Sundays   Occasional Programming Inspire Well Being Music Show, Brendan Connolly Poetry and Music Show, Automatic Pilot – Poetry and Music show, Town Talk Miscellany, Ready Steady Go, Féile 2019 Special Tracey Hanby, A-Z of Music Philip O Brien, St Patrick’s Bank Holiday Monday programming – all Irish music shows hosted by various presenters. We Will Rock You Hallowe’en and Christmas Specials. 2019 Outside Broadcasts Feb  Dundalk Chamber M50 Launch, Bellingham Castle. Mar Enterprise Week, Creative Spark. International Women’s Day, County Library. Carlingford Vigil for Ruth Maguire, Carlingford. Apr Age Friendly Conference, Crowne Plaza. Fr Michael Cusack/Birches Fundraiser, St Gerard’s Hall. May Election Coverage, Redeemer Resource Centre. National Volunteer Week, Louth Volunteer Centre. LMETB Open Day, Chapel Street. Drink Tea for MND, Quay Celtic Clubrooms. June Sunshine Choir Coffee Morning, Rehab Hub. Vantastival, Beaulieu House. July Drive105FM Derry v Dundalk. Dundalk Pride, Outcomers. Open Day in Louth County Hospital. Sept Knockbridge Vintage Festival. Coffee Morning, North Louth Hospice. Louth Volunteer Centre Fair, DKIT. Kavanagh Poetry Weekend, Inniskeen. Oct 10 Year Licence Radiothon. Mental Health Week, County Museum. Coder Dojo Mór, Carroll’s Building, DKIT. Nov Louth Craftmark Christmas Fair, Bellurgan Park. Dec Dundalk Simon Community, Joceyln Street. Aiken Barracks Christmas Special.   Shows: Town Talk, Mike’s Music Express, Lunch Box, Brunch, Lion’s Club at your Service, Good Morning Dundalk, Showband Street, Drive Time & 35 Soccer Commentaries. New Trainees who completed our 2 day courses were: Dominik Buch, Joe McArdle, Cathal McCooey, Dan Pope, Andy McKenna, Gregor Byatt, Orla Crilly, David Larkin, Kerry Fearon, Eddie Cranney, Cynthia Manda, Mary Matthews, Eimear O’Kane and Mary Rose Muckian, David Bellew and Ryan O’Donnell – QQI L3 Media Expression Course. David Bellew, Billy Lyons, Sean O’Connor and Kevin McGuirk – QQI L4 Community Radio Course.   Dundalk International Trainees (funded by the Department of Justice) Here is a video clip of John from Sweden along with Carole (Scotland) and Eimear (Ireland) with their Swedish cafe role play. Here is a clip of Narcissa (Romania) ,Filomena (Ireland) and Tara (Ireland) with their Romanian cafe role play. We are looking for participants for 2 FREE RADIO COURSES in the New Year – Women on Air (funded by the Anne McGeeney Trust Fund) and Dundalk International. The first is aimed at immigrants and local people and the second is for migrants and refugee women. Email marissalucchesi@dundalkfm.ie for more information. Keep an eye out for Community Radio Ireland sponsored training in Continuous Professional Development for Trainers and the Craol Féile workshop in October. Events Team – a real success and suggestions and new members are welcome! The Events Team had a brilliant year starting with the 70’s Christmas Party Night 2018. The 2019 event is a sell out. The €500 Shop Local Members Christmas Draw raised €1,213.00. A donation of €4,235.00 was contributed to help pay for Broadcast Software and the new equipment for the studio. The Flag Day in August contributed to station funds. Sound and Vision Documentaries that we completed. Clan II, SS Connemara, The Romantic Landscape, Musical Chances – Music Generation Louth, St Brigid of Faughart, The Buildings Built by the British in Dundalk. If you have an idea for an application for the 2020 rounds contact victoriamcardle@dundalkfm.ie. New Daytime Presenters John Englishby. Cathal McCooey. Mary Rose Muckian. Station News We signed a 10 year licence with the BAI on on 27th August. Thanks to the Craol stations who sent us a congratulations audio clip. Craol Achievement Awards GOLD Winners – Dundalk Lion’s At Your Service and the Oriel Park Live Team. We would like to thank Aidan Noone who stepped down as producer from the Brunch. Aidan will continue to record, edit and send in interviews for broadcast. Congratulations to Marian DelDuca – Volunteer of the Month Award. Welcome Marissa Lucchesi – Research Staff, Billy Lyons -Weekend Duty Manager and Victoria McArdle – Projects Researcher. A Most Significant Change Story featuring the Summer League Focus was included by Craol as part of a National Research project. Members Notes Annual Membership is renewed during August. 50 minutes max for pre-recorded shows. Save a promo of your show to the Timed Promos folder. New Show Proposals – P&T Meetings – 1st Tuesday at 4.30pm. Play the News/Community Notices at the top of the hour. 30% Irish Music per show. Thank You all for helping to improve our service. To all the local community groups, businesses, regional and national organisations along with the arts, business and sports community. To our local representatives, Community Radio Ireland, Pobal Community Services Programme, Central CE and Tús. To our volunteers, guests, board of directors, sub committees and our helpful, creative and

    Dundalk FM would like to invite you to come along to our Coffee Evening on Thursday 11th July 2019 from 7 to 8. The station has over 90 volunteers and provides Programming that reflects the experiences of people living in Dundalk Employment and training opportunities for people in the area and Opportunities for small local enterprises to reach a local listenership We have ongoing vacancies for Programme presenters Sound desk operators and News and Sports Journalists We are a Social Inclusion and Community Development Radio Station that is run by community group representatives and individuals, like yourself, on a not for profit basis. So for information about your next step in community radio and to find out about our next 2 day Learn about Radio course call us in Thursday the 11th July from 7 at Dundalk FM Studios, Partnership Court, Park Street, Dundalk. Why not bring a friend and see what opportunities exist with your local community run and owned radio station. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Send us your best caption for the new Dundalk FM coffee cup and you could see your winning line printed on it.

  TRIBUTE VANESSA RYAN DUNDALK F.M. The sudden death of our esteemed employee and colleague Vanessa Ryan R.I.P came as a great shock to us all when the news broke on Friday morning last. Vanessa joined Dundalk FM as a volunteer in 2003 and presented a weekly programme entitled ‘Time Detectives’ each Saturday lunchtime at 12pm. Vanessa’s background in Archaeology gave her the opportunity to talk to national and international experts and to educate listeners about the wealth and varied history of North County Louth. Vanessa helped to progress the development of local radio documentaries with two successful BAI Sound and Vision applications – ‘Louthiana’ and ‘Geo-Archaeological – Changing Legends to Facts’. Vanessa joined the station as Advertising Manager in June 2015. With Dundalk F.M she demonstrated a wide range of skills and set targets which will be very difficult to follow. Her excellent written and verbal communication skills , her ability to work independently , her skill at multi-tasking effectively and her pleasant personality made her the ideal “face on the road” for Dundalk F.M. Her ability to communicate effectively with Advertisers saw an increase in Revenue and most of her new business customers continued to advertise with the station. She served diligently as a Member of the Finance Committee on Dundalk F.M. In the office her honesty and integrity in her financial dealings with Dundalk F.M were exceptional and she presented an engaging presence in following up Advertising arrears. Her value as a friend among her colleagues was obvious to all and the staff were heartbroken when they heard of her unexpected passing. Vanessa had also contributed many hours as a researcher for well documented articles from an early age. Her education shone through like a beacon and any project she was associated with was flawless, indeed such was her professionalism and pursuit of excellence that many projects were enhanced greatly by her contributions as a researcher, producer or presenter. She had an excellent rapport with the many constituents served by Dundalk F.M including clients, Directors, Volunteers other staff members and also with all our listeners. Her recent decision to follow in her father’s footsteps in local politics had just been announced recently and no doubt Jim would have been delighted to see Vanessa follow his example and serve her local electorate with the same dedication and passion at all times. While we here in Dundalk F.M will miss her presence terribly her family will have to continue on without that smiling face greeting them on a daily basis. Both her daughters, Isabella and Ayda, her parents Jim and Ann, sister Carol, brothers John and partner Ciara and Stephen and partner Stephanie, husband Florian, mother-in-law Myrian, father-in-law Didier, brother-in-law Stephen, nieces Rosie and Phoebe, aunts, uncles, relatives and friends will find a huge void in their lives following her sudden passing. The Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers of Dundalk F.M have lost not only an employee but a valued friend and colleague and all connected with Dundalk FM offer sincere condolences to the family. Vanessa’s influence on broadening the diversity of programming available on Dundalk’s community radio service is treasured. She made her father proud with her knowledge and presentation style when she stood in for him as presenter of Classics Sounds. A local history programme about the townlands of County Louth ‘From the Border to the Boyne’ featured an episode in which Vanessa explained the importance of the Knights Templar. Vanessa will remain part of the fabric of Community Radio in the memories of the many friends she had at the station and through the audio archives of her programmes. May she Rest in Peace. Dundalk F.M.  

Alan Byrne and Alison Lennon look forward to meeting you on Thursday 25th August at 7pm to have a chat about how to get started on the road to making great radio documentaries.