The Specialist Radio Association (SRA) is a new lobby group campaigning for changes to the current broadcasting legislation in Ireland. We believe that the present process favours big business and alienates many specialist operators with small business set-ups.

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FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT FOR SPECIALIST RADIO:
To download the document please click here for PDF file.
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POLICY DOCUMENT FOR NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS ON SPECIALIST RADIO STATIONS
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LACK OF DIVERSITY

SRA believes that there exists a distinct lack of diversity within legalised Irish radio. Specialist stations have never been afforded a real opportunity to obtain licenses to operate. This is because the application process for broadcasting licenses is, at present, extremely costly and this has marginalised many of the smaller operators.



A NEW TYPE OF LICENSE

The SRA believes that there are particular types of radio stations that can be given licenses to operate without affecting existing operators. In Ireland, licensed radio consists mainly of two types of radio station:- commercially-licensed broadcasters (businesses whose main motive is to make profit); and local community broadcasters, who exist to serve their local community and do not make a profi.
We believe that a third strand of licensed operators could quite easily co-exist with existing stations, without affecting those stations either in terms of profitability or their average audience share.
The new licenses could be awarded to stations who do not fit easily into either of the existing licensed brackets. These specialist broadcasters would attract mainly audiences interested in the musical genre each particular station broadcasts, and these niche musical tastes are - in most cases - not usually catered for by commercial broadcasters.
Advertising could be attracted from small local businesses who have neither the finances, nor the inclination, to run spots on large commercial stations. Specialist stations would also offer these businesses a guaranteed defined, specialist audience.



STAY TUNED

Stay tuned to this website for further information. We will be adding more content very shortly.



WRITE TO US

Please write to us at info@sraireland.com if you would like further information or wish to get involved or help in any way. Membership is open to all groups, organizations and individuals who subscribe to the principal of openness and freedom of choice on our nation’s airwaves.
When writing, please state your name and the radio station you are involved with (if any) and the ways in which you think you might be able to help.