(See comments re free WorldSpace radios!! Seems
very nice of them)

Sunday, 28 December 2003

RTÉ Radio is to ceases the provision of a daily half-hour service on
short-wave throughout the world on 1 January 2004 as a first step in the
re-alignment of its distribution platforms, both at home and abroad.

While recognising that its core remit is the transmission of radio services
to a domestic audience, RTÉ has always maintained and funded some worldwide
distribution with the dual purpose of providing content to Irish people
abroad and of informing radio listeners throughout the world on our country
and culture.

Before making the decision to cease the service, RTÉ invited short-wave
listeners to comment on the service and on alternative technologies
available to them. RTÉ received some 200 responses. Two major themes
emerged - firstly the relative paucity of alternative technologies to those
regular listeners on the African content and secondly the relatively high
level of listeners in the US. Those listening in Africa were predominantly
engaged in missionary or voluntary work and valued the contact with home
provided by short wave broadcasts.

To meet the needs of these two important groupings RTÉ has:

Reconfigured its WRN output to bring our transmissions to North America from
half an hour per day to two hours per day

Decided, on a once off basis, to invite those who emailed us from Africa to
apply for a Worldspace Radio that will be provided free of charge to those
in particularly isolated circumstances.

There is a great deal of affection for analogue transmission among many
short wave listeners and those who took up the invitation to mail us on the
service pointed out the independence of such a service and, most of all, the
value of contact with home. RTÉ's output and editorial independence will not
be mediated by WRN, or in any of its transmission platforms; RTÉ's belief is
that satellite, and particularly WorldSpace transmissions, is the best and
most efficient means of reaching those who wish to hear Ireland's Public
Service Broadcaster around the world.

RTÉ Radio's four services (RTÉ Radio 1; RTÉ 2fm; RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
and RTÉ lyric fm) are available world wide via the Internet and are
broadcast on satellite to the UK and Ireland. RTÉ Radio 1 is also available
throughout Europe on satellite and segments of its output are also available
via satellite throughout the world. As technologies for the transmission and
reception of radio content change, so also must RTÉ's choices of the
platforms that distribute its content. This decision is part of an overall
examination of the availability of RTÉ Radio services that began in autumn
of 2003 and will lead to further developments in the early part of 2004.

http://ukradio.com/news/articles/6A9...DEE78D99DF.asp