Plans for the launch of Tramore Community Radio were announced at the December meeting of the local Town Council which was addressed by two men behind the venture, Mark Graham and Garrett Wyse.
They said the non-profit station would be community owned, led and focused, fostering all good things local. It would give voice to the town’s community, sports and voluntary groups, of which there were about 200 and the aim would be to inform, engage and entertain.
Some 60 volunteers had already pledged support and they would be given technical, administrative and ‘on air’ training with a view to providing two hours weekly service at the station. Two public meetings had been held and a third, to which the Broadcasting Association of Ireland was invited, was scheduled for The Grand Hotel on January 13.
An interim steering committee, duly to become a board of directors, had been established, the Council was told. Application would be made to the BAI for a temporary licence initially and then for a community licence.
The cost of setting up the station would be about €20,000, with €40,000 required annually thereafter. The hope was that public funding would be provided through the Waterford Leader Project, Pobal and the BAI. No advertising would be permitted, so there would be a dependency on sponsorship to meet outstanding costs.
Half the on-air content would have to consist of talk radio and the signal would extend for a distance of about 5k from base. It was hoped that the station would operate from a single location, although none had been acquired as yet. As a second choice scenario an office and recording studio, at separate addresses and owned by Messrs Graham and Wyse, would be used for the purpose.
Mayor Pat O’Callaghan, speaking for the Council, congratulations the two men on their initiative and promised any support it could give.
Presentation to retiring County Librarian
To mark his imminent retirement as County Librarian and Deputy Tramore Manager, Mr Donald Brady was presented with a framed picture of the resort’s strand area at the December meeting of the Town Council.
Glowing tributes had been paid to Mr Brady at the Council’s November meeting and they were repeated, with the noted historian and Cavan man being thanked again for his sterling service, marked by an always optimistic outlook and a friendly, helpful approach.
He spoke of the warm affection he had developed for Tramore and its people.
Those feelings were certainly reciprocated, as evidenced by the fact that staff, both past and present, from the town’s library were present for the presentation, made by Mayor Pat O’Callaghan.
