Press Releases 2008
12TH FEBRUARY 2008
BCI ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF NEW ADVENTURES IN BROADCASTING 2007
The winners of the 2007 New Adventures in Broadcasting Scheme were announced today by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI). The Scheme supports the development of new, innovative and diverse programming within the radio sector and is open to commercial, community and public service broadcasters.
35 programme proposals were submitted in the current round of New Adventures in Broadcasting. The assessment process was undertaken by an independent adjudicating panel of three radio industry professionals appointed by the BCI for this task. 18 programmes were selected by the adjudicating panel and these were funded to an amount of €143,000.
12 of the funded programmes were subsequently entered into the final awards competition by the radio stations. The adjudicating panel has now selected the following three programmes for awards:
Electrolight (Lyric FM) Overall Winner
Composer Roger Doyle journeyed through the last six decades surveying electronic music and presenting its evolution in a fascinating light. A unique project for Lyric FM, this was the first series to be written, presented and produced by an Irish composer in his own studio. The adjudicating panel commended the programme for being extremely well crafted and thoroughly researched. They noted in particular the passion and enthusiasm of the programme’s presenter and the excellent sound quality and scripting.
“Romancing Paddy Poleski” (Beat 102 - 103 FM) Innovation Category
Beat FM’s Jennifer Allen produced “Romancing Paddy Poleski”, an honest and heart-warming series introducing some of the South East’s newest couples. Listeners got a glimpse into the life of Magda from Poland and Joesph from Carlow as they discuss meeting while working in a local hotel and the cultural adjustments involved as they plan to marry. The adjudicating panel praised the innovative and honest treatment of the subject matter and highlighted the producer’s achievement in editing and research.
“Tall Tales from the Hollows and the Hills” (Shannonside Northern Sound) Learning and Development Category
Shannonside Northern Sound along with Maccana Teoranta produced this community-wide effort which gathered local writing and acting talent through a series of “Writing for Radio” workshops. Participants were coached and guided by producer Kevin Mc Cann in the production of 22 original drama scripts. 8 scripts went on to be produced and broadcast on Shannonside Northern Sound. The adjudicating panel commended the project for its outstanding achievement in generating such a level of community commitment and learning.
Other listening highlights from the judges included “Capital Sunday” (98FM), a unique format of minute and a half slots exploring a variety of religious observances in multicultural Dublin. Special mention was also given to Eddy Mc Laughlin’s “Learning with Kitty and Joey” (Inishowen Community Radio). This series of educational radio dramas demonstrated how radio can reach out and captivate younger listeners.
Speaking about the Awards, Michael O’Keeffe Chief Executive of the BCI said: “I would like to congratulate all those who participated in the New Adventures in Broadcasting Scheme, 2007 and in particular the competition winners. Since its re-launch in 2007, New Adventures seeks not alone to promote the production of high-quality programming but also to provide an opportunity for participants to learn and develop skills. We are delighted to see abundant evidence of this in the programmes which have been produced. The BCI would like to express sincere thanks to the adjudicating panel for their contribution and to all participants who responded to the Scheme with great enthusiasm, creativity and commitment.”
An awards ceremony and workshop session will take place in the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin this Saturday 16th February 2008.
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Media Queries to:
Catherine Logan or Aoife Clabby
Q4 Public Relations BCI
01 4751444/086 8114785 01 6441200