Limerick’s college Radio Station Wired FM Celebrates 25 Years on Air
Wired FM celebrates 25 college years on air today (30 April). As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, the station will broadcast a schedule of special programmes throughout the day looking back on the past 25 years on the airwaves, as well looking forward to what the future holds for the student radio station.
From 12–4pm today, Wired FM will feature a wide range of guests, including a whole host of Wired alumni who will be sharing their memories of their time at the station. Amongst the special guests who will be featured on today’s 25th anniversary show are Today FM presenters Dermot Whelan and Dave Moore, who will be discussing the importance of student media, the current media landscape, and Wired FM’s place in it. We will also be joined by renowned DJ, and Limerick native Aoife NiC Canna who will look at the changes to Limerick’s music culture over the course of the station’s existence, and well-known economist and writer, David McWilliams will also be dropping by too. In addition, we will today launch an exciting new initiative, Downloading Limerick, whereby everyone connected to Limerick city with a story to tell will be invited to submit an audio recording. These recordings will feature as part of a specially produced series, as well as being archived online for all to hear.
The station, which has been located on MIC’s Limerick campus and LIT’s Moylish campus for the past 25 years, has been managed by Ray Burke for the past 7 years. Recalling some of his highlights during his time at the station, Ray notes the importance of the partnership between MIC and LIT on the project and how this partnership reflects both Colleges’ commitment to delivering this unique service to all students in Limerick, irrespective of which third-level institution they are attending.
According to Ray, “Wired FM offers so many opportunities for the learning and development of students. Not only do we provide a source of specially tailored programming for student listeners, but the content is produced by students for students. This type of community of interest and public service radio broadcasting plays a vital role in the creation and development of a democratic culture and an active civil society. It’s a forum for the cross pollination and exchange of ideas, especially with Wired’s unique set up, where there are multiple colleges and campuses involved in the partnership.”
For Ray, applying for the 10-year licence in 2016 and subsequently signing the contract with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland in 2017 is one of his proudest moments at the station. He also cites the many awards won over the past number of years, including a Student Media Award in 2018 for ‘Best DJ in Ireland’ awarded to former LIT student Katie Hughes, as well as the numerous courses in media offered by the station to groups so often underrepresented on Irish radio. The station’s latest course, Mincéir Media, is aimed at members of the travelling community, while a summer camp for migrants is planned for the coming months, if restrictions allow. In addition, the station has also begun a large-scale Erasmus+ project called SNAP – Sexuality Intimacy Art Podcast with partners in Ireland, France and Serbia.
Eimear O’Mahony, volunteered at Wired FM from 1997 to 2001 and is currently an executive producer with RTÉ Children’s and Young People programming. She said, “They were the best years of my life and my time at Wired FM is directly related to where I am now. I’ve been in RTÉ 20 years now where I’ve worked in sport and current affairs, and produced ‘The Late Late Toy Show’, ‘Up For The Match’ and ‘Winning Streak’. I’ve done the lot and it’s all down to my time at Wired FM.”
Eoghain Fitzgerald from SPIN Southwest says “It all started for me in Wired FM when I was in college in LIT and I’d seen on the window in LIT that they were advertising for volunteers. I was doing business computers at the time and I had a love for radio and I said you know what? For the craic, I said ,come on let me just do the lunchtime show and see how I get on.” Never did radio in my life. Got absolutely hooked, left LIT, went down to Stefan Naofa in Cork and studied radio broadcasting. Just to wish ye happy 25th birthday 25 years broadcasting on air i’m student radio is brilliant it’s where you get to learn your craft where you get to have a bit of fun have a chat with your friends talk about the stuff you love the music in love as well so from everyone here at Spin, happy 25th birthday.”
In congratulating Wired FM on its 25th anniversary, graduate and multimedia journalist with RTÉ News, Maria Flannery, said, “25 years of Wired FM, and what a legacy. Starting at Wired as a fresher at MIC was the very first step in my media career. The start of everything for me. I made friends for life on our entertainment show, interviewed celebrities and even accidentally played the dirty version of 212 by Azealia Banks. Happy anniversary Wired, here’s to the next 25 years.”MIC graduate, Eimear O’Mahony, volunteered at Wired FM from 1997 to 2001 and is currently an executive producer with RTÉ Children’s and Young People programming. She said, “They were the best years of my life and my time at Wired FM is directly related to where I am now. I’ve been in RTÉ 20 years now where I’ve worked in sport and current affairs, and produced ‘The Late Late Toy Show’, ‘Up For The Match’ and ‘Winning Streak’. I’ve done the lot and it’s all down to my time at Wired FM.”
We have a lot of surprises in store for today, sp please do join us. Darragh kicks off live programming at our studio at LIT at 10am.
Wired FM transmits from Monday to Friday, 9am to 10pm on 99.9FM and online. The station has an open-door policy for all students in Limerick, so if you study in Limerick city and want to get involved, email manager@wiredfm.ie or fill out an online application form at wiredfm.ie.