Kilkenny Community Radio back on the air for next 15 weekends
Kilkenny and the immedaite area around it will have its own unique voice, starting on Saturday. Community Radio Kilkenny City will be back on the airwaves at 9am on Saturday and will run every weekend for the following 15 weekends.
This community radio station, manned by over 60 volunteers, will be presenting a diverse view of the local community. There will no news bulletins or death notices and there will be reports from matches rather than commentaries. What is at the heart of this community radio station, which has its focus on the city and surrounding areas, is the attempt to provide a forum for the diversity of groups which now make Kilkenny what it is.
For the first time in the history of community broadcasting, the Deaf community will have its own regular slot presented by its own members. Various ethnic groups will feature their own music and the very successful Kitchen sessions will continue each week in the city and strengthen their links through the Community programme on Sunday afternoons. The ‘Helping Hands’ initiative, fostered by the energetic Mens’ Shed group in the city will be encouraged and supported by this community radio.
Many people are eagerly awaiting community radio, recognising that it will complement the work being done by KCLR, the commercial radio station which serves the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny. Community Radio Kilkenny City, or CRKC as it has become known, will be the additional medium of communication for the people of the city and the areas within the eight kilometre radius from the city.
The volunteers and board members have been preparing for this new licence by broadcasting on the internet for a number of weeks now. This service is available on www.communityradiokilkennycity.ie . This has enabled the presenters to hone their skills and strive for the level of excellence which the people of Kilkenny deserve and have come to expect.
These internet broadcasts will continue and, indeed, have proved very popular to date and will provide our family members away from home an opportunity to share the hopes, fears and joys of the local community. It is interesting to note that many of these volunteers are young people who have learned their skills at media courses which have been provided locally. The experience they are now gaining at Community Radio Kilkenny City will prove invaluable in their efforts to gain employment in the years and months ahead.
Community radio is not allowed, by direction of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, to advertise. However, it is allowed to raise necessary money to fund its efforts by seeking sponsorship from local people and businesses. The Board of CRKC is very aware of the financial constraints on businesses at present but, as the Chairman, Cathal Cullen, said recently; ‘ The amounts we seek are small but the benefit to the local community will be enormous’.The enthusiasm of the volunteers and board members for this new venture is truly heart warming and they are confident of the support of the local community in their efforts to provide Kilkenny city and neighbouring areas with its own ‘voice, for the months ahead. The Board and presenters extend an invitation to members of the public and supporters of community radio to visit the studios on Saturday and Sunday, May 26th. and 27th. See your voice! The BAI has yet to assign a wavelength to CRKC.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South west
