[IrelandVIPNews] AudioScope Axed
- From: "Stuart Lawler" <stuart.lawler@xxxxxxx>
- To: <irelandvipnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 08:39:24 +0100
Hi Folks,
I'm very reluctant to comment on this thread, but the more I think about it,
the more I feel the urge to, so here goes.
Firstly let me say that as a past contributor to AudioScope and as someone
who has general interest in the world of media and the goings on therein, I
fully appreciate the efforts AudioScope went to on our behalf to promote all
aspects of Blindness/Vision Impairment to as wide an audience as possible.
Having worked on several occasions with Bethan and Dave, I totally can
understand their frustration right now and the feeling that the programme
has been tossed aside.
AudioScope filled, in my view, a gap, all be it very small, in the
information market for blind/vision impaired and as well as that, served to
create some level of awareness for fully sighted people who might, for
example, be listening to the programme in their car.
However, all that said, we need to look at the bigger picture. In an
increasingly competitive radio market, and with Newstalk soon to go
national, RTÉ Radio1 need, more than ever, to show themselves as a dynamic
broadcaster and not as the 'State Radio station' that is obliged to provide
a certain percentage of programming on or to specific audiences.
With that in mind therefore, I do believe that the decision to ax AudioScope
in this context was the right one at the time.
AudioScope was limited in what it could do, was so short it was seldom
effective and when all comes to all, it most likely didn't do anything for
RTÉ in terms of revenue, I.E, advertising.
I have no doubt that the decision has left many people upset and
disappointed, but in the ever increasing competitive radio climate that we
now find ourselves in, it was in my view, the right decision to take.
Its not only AudioScope that has been left disappointed by the sweeping
changes in the RTÉ Radio camp, look at people like John Kelly, who
apparently was told that his voice was out dated.
While I would never try to dissuade people from making their feelings known
or from protesting in whatever way they see fit, I would like to point out
that I feel we could all put our energies into something far more positive
and look towards reviving 'AudioScope' in a different form and most probably
on a different radio station.
There is potential for a consortium of interested people to come together
and approach say ÉIST, the Broadcasters Association and to propose to them,
that a programme similar to AudioScope be transmitted right across the
Independent Radio Network.
Would this work, well I don't know, but if people were to get together and
think about it, we could build a very good proposal.
So before we all send our emails of complaint to good old RTÉ, think for a
moment that this was inevitable, and that the decision was made on what I
believe to be sound reasoning. Then think how can you express your
frustration in a positive manner.
I've said enough now.
Regards,
Stuart.
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