Community radio

MAN AT THE MIC Noel Byrne, one of the many volunteers on whom community radio relies, pictured in the studios of CRC FM

Future of community radio uncertain

County View
John Healy

NOW hitting for 20 years of operation, Castlebar Community Radio (CRC FM) is currently in the process of evaluating itself and its role in the community.
It is an evaluation that could well have long-term consequences not just for the station itself but for the whole concept of community radio in Ireland.
First opened in 1995, CRC is one of the longest-running community broadcasters in the country. Governed by a voluntary board of twelve and run in the main by volunteers, the station has recently had its license renewed for a further five years up to 2012.
An external evaluation report on CRC carried out by PMG consultants makes for generally positive reading for the station. A good public perception, a satisfactory listenership and a realisation of its value to the community speak well of the station and its role.
However, there are broader questions about community radio and its future that the report does not look into. The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI), which now regulates radio in Ireland, sees community radio as a distinct strand in the framework of broadcasting. The other two strands are comprised of independent commercial stations like Mid West and public sector broadcasters like RTE.
Community radio is volunteer driven and run by the community for the community. Herein lies the problem: The BCI does not seem to realise just how outmoded the concept of volunteerism has become in today’s Ireland and how little time people are prepared to devote to community activities. Community radio’s woes are further complicated by the fact that it is, by regulation, non-commercial and cannot fund itself in the manner that commercial stations can – it cannot invest in improved facilities or equipment or training because it does not have the cash, and it cannot employ essential core staff simply because it has no income stream.
These are all issues that community radio – and more especially the BCI – will have to confront and overcome if it is serious about surviving into the future. No organisation, no matter how enthusiastic and willing its volunteers, can exist on a shoestring. Nothing saps the energy more quickly than not having the resources to grow and expand and improve. Nothing is more demoralising than having to scrimp, scrounge and scavenge for the smallest crumb. And nothing militates more against quality and standards than having to look over the shoulder, all day every day, to find the money to pay the latest round of bills.
Community radio in Ireland has been asked to swim with one hand tied behind its back. That it has gamely done so for so long is a tribute to the dedication of those who run and operate these local services. But without some allocation of funding, some basic finance to pay the bills, its ability to survive and thrive is undermined. Volunteerism on its own cannot be enough. If the BCI is serious about a role for community radio, then it must wake up to the fact that a service cannot operate on fresh air and that some form of basic finance will have to be specifically provided to meet normal operating expenses.
Without that basic minimum, the future of community radio must be very much in doubt.