Wired FM is holding a media conference this weekend in partnership with Belltable/Lime Tree Theatre to celebrate 21 years of broadcasting.
The student station is holding the event on Saturday 26th November with a series workshops and panel discussions featuring alumni of Wired FM who are working in media today as well as other well-known industry guests. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is through the Belltable website, or by calling (061) 953 400.
Student stations throughout the country are being invited to attend, and a large crowd of media students, graduates, and industry people are expected to descend on the city for the day.
Throughout the last twenty one years thousands of students from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick Institute of Technology, Limerick School of Art and Design, and The University of Limerick have volunteered and worked at the station, many of them are expected to return to celebrate this milestone in the station’s history. Wired FM will also link with Limerick City Community Radio on the day for a live broadcast from the foyer of Belltable from 10am-1pm.
Spearheading the organisation of Saturday’s event is station manager Ray Burke along with Ennis’ Ben Sweeney, Rebecca O’Sullivan and Páraic McMahon of The Clare Herald.
Over the past twenty one years students that have been involved with Wired have gone on to grace the airwaves of Co Clare such as Gavin Grace, Fiona Cahill, Mark Dunphy, Lisa Lawlor, Ross O’Donoghue and Liam Aherne. Several other names in radio took their first steps in the world of media at Wired.
Current presenters from the Banner County with Wired FM include Edel Bane, Finbarr Egan, Natasha Coughlan, Jack O’Dea, Emmet Casey along with Sweeney, McMahon and Siofra Mulqueen.
Former Clare hurler Jamesie O’Connor is speaking at Saturday’s event as is Clare camogie defender Carol O’Leary and Clare FM’s Gavin Grace. Several other contributors will be in Limerick including Paul Collins from Today FM, RTÉ Lyric’s Eoin O’Kelly, Will Leahy, Colm Tobin, Spin South West programme director Nessa McGann, RTÉ political journalist Mícheál Lehane, Head of Innovation with RTÉ technology Glen Mulcahy and many more.
Speaking to The Clare Herald, Ben Sweeney highlighted how the station is helping him today. “Wired FM has been really important for me, as it has been for any of the other volunteers who have passed through its doors over the years hoping to make a career in the media. Wired FM allows its presenters to experiment and find their niche in a way that a commercial station couldn’t. The fact that it has produced so many well established broadcasters in every area of the media is testament to its importance”.
Ben is working with the station as a Studio Executive and has been one of the main organisers in putting Saturday’s event together. “Three months of hard work has gone into this weekend. It’s been a real team effort between myself, Páraic McMahon, Rebecca O’Sullivan and our station manager Ray Burke with important support from places like Dolan’s in Limerick, who sponsored a fundraising table quiz and Molly’s who are hosting a party on the night”.
According to Sweeney interest for Saturday’s series of panel discussions and workshops is high with registration for Belltable almost reaching full capacity. “Thankfully there’s been great interest in the conference and we’re very quickly approaching full capacity. Having big names like Jamesie O’Connor, Paul Collins and Will Leahy helps, but mostly the workshops and panel discussions we have organised are drawing a big crowd. The Music and Sports discussions have a wide reach, while some of the workshops such as Mobile Journalism, making film on a shoe-string budget and producing drama for radio and television is garnering a lot of attention from people interested in those areas”.
Registration for Saturday’s celebrations is advised as interest is high, due to health and safety permission may be refused if full capacity has been reached. To view the full lineup or to register, click here.