Sir, - Michael D. Higgins can rightly claim credit for many useful developments during his term as Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. His tenacity in getting Teilefis na Gaeilge on air is to be admired whether one agrees with the concept or not. Although he held office for four-and-a-half years, Mr Higgins failed to enact necessary broadcasting legislation. In 1995, he did produce an interesting, if convoluted, Green Paper on the subject. No legislation followed but the Department did manage to publish the Government's "proposals" for legislation earlier this year.
Mr Higgins has never been a friend of local radio and over the years many of us who have worked in this sector have found his attitude gratuitously insulting. He returned to the fray in Galway at a graduation ceremony for the "Women on Air" diploma course in radio communications. The thrust of his remarks (as reported by Uinsionn Mac Dubhghaill on June 23rd) was that local radio began with a music-driven formula which was changed when it met consumer resistance:
"A barrage of music hit the air and then, gradually people voted with their ears. They wanted stories and narratives and local radio adjusted to give the people what was appropriate. There was nothing inspirational about it."
What bunkum. Let me cite one example to illustrate the nonsense upon which this argument is based. In 1989, when most local stations were established, I left the employment of RTE to become chief executive of Clare FM. From the first day that station went on air on September 10th, Clare FM's broadcasting policy was clear and the record speaks for itself. We sought to combine commercial reality with a very strong commitment to public service and community radio.
From the beginning, the local news service had a staff of four journalists. A two-hour current affairs programme, "On A Clare Day", was acclaimed far beyond the county boundary. Aine Hensey, who now graces the airwaves of Raidio na Gaeltachta, broadcast 10 hours of traditional Irish music and song each week - unheard of on any radio station at the time. In 1990, the first year in which the Jacob's Awards had an opportunity to honour local radio, Clare FM was among the winners for a documentary on the West Clare Railway.
Clare listeners voted with their ears all right. When the first JNLR radio listenership figures were released in early 1990, they catapulted Clare FM to the top of the local radio league and placed RTE Radio and 2FM in second and third positions in the Clare area. I have difficulty in restraining my fury when Mr Higgins imputes that workers in local radio are without broadcasting creativity and merely react to research data analysis.
The standard set by Dan Collins in Radio Kerry has been universally acknowledged. Radio Kilkenny, Highland Radio, LM FM, WLR in Waterford and Shannonside Radio, to name a few stations, have worked consistently to anchor their schedules with quality programming and a strong commitment to local news and current affairs. It is true that several stations opted for a mainly music-driven formula. This is still particularly true in Dublin and Cork, and I regret that. Others who have raised their broadcasting standards deserve some credit, rather than petty carping from Mr Higgins.
The establishment of local radio in Ireland has been a great adventure and I feel privileged to have been part of it. When Michael D. Higgins was first appointed, I foolishly believed this was a good thing for broadcasting. While wishing him well on a personal level, I have a great sense of relief that he is no longer the Government Minister with responsibility for radio. - Yours, etc.,
Former chief executive of Clare FM, Corofin, Co Clare.