Radio programmes for people with sight loss to move to digital platforms
Release Date: Feb 8th, 2008
NCBI/RTÉ Radio Statement
RTÉ Radio and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) announced today that when RTÉ Radio 1’s medium wave transmission service officially closes on the 24 March this year Audioscope will no longer be broadcast on RTÉ Radio and radio programming for people with vision impairments will move to new digital platforms in the autumn.
Des Kenny, Chief Executive of NCBI, recently met with Head of RTÉ Radio 1, Ana Leddy to discuss plans for Audioscope, a programme of interest to people with sight loss, which is currently broadcast on the MW service and says:
“RTÉ Radio has offered to give NCBI personnel radio production and interview skills training so that we can create our own content. RTÉ would also host our content in the form of a special NCBI podcast on the RTÉ Radio 1 website. It is with regret that I must accept the news that RTE Radio’s research shows that Audioscope’s listenership has fallen and I appreciate that, after over 30 years on air Audioscope is coming to the end of its natural life in its existing form”.
Head of RTÉ Radio 1, Ana Leddy says,
“I am delighted that we are able to work with NCBI in bringing programming for people with vision impairments on to new platforms, such as the internet. New media is moving more and more towards self-publishing. The training initiative we can offer NCBI should help to enable people with sight loss in Ireland to design and create their own audio content. As radio is an aural medium I hope also that people with sight loss will continue to listen to the rest of RTÉ Radio 1’s programmes on all its platforms.”
RTÉ Radio is working with NCBI to ensure that medium wave listeners who are registered as blind with NCBI are provided with a replacement FM and/or LW radio, where necessary, at a heavily discounted rate.
Audioscope began broadcasting on RTÉ Radio 1 over 33 years ago as Listen and See. Jim Sherwin was the original presenter and Dermot Peavoy was the first producer. In intervening years Nora Doyle presented and Bill Meek produced and latterly Bethan Collins presented and Gerry McArdle produced.
RTÉ Radio 1 continues to broadcast Outside the Box, a specific programme for people with disabilities presented by Olan McGowan, at 10.30pm on Tuesdays.
Ends
For further information please contact:
RTÉ Radio Press Office
Sarah Martin, Tel: 01 208 2312
Email: sarah.martin@rte.ie
NCBI Press Office
Fionnuala Murphy, Tel: 01 8821975
Email: fionnuala.murphy@ncbi.ie
Click here to find out more about the important changes for RTE Radio 1 Medium Wave listeners from 24th March.