LIMERICK City Community Radio, a not-for-profit radio station serving Limerick city and surrounding areas, is seeking new volunteers to help expand its range of programmes.
The Roxboro-based station, which has been in operation since March, broadcasts live all day Saturday and Sunday on 99.9FM and recently began broadcasting live on Fridays; it also broadcasts recorded content online on weekdays.
However, it is hoped that with additional volunteers, Limerick City Community Radio will have the manpower to broadcast live seven days a week.
Volunteer and presenter Claire McCarthy told the Limerick Post: “The plan is to go live all the time if we can get enough volunteers. At the moment we have 47 people, but we’re hoping to double that. It sounds like a huge amount of people, but volunteers only cover and hour or two each and a lot of work goes into running the station.”
The station currently produces programmes covering a wide range of topics such as sport, local news and events, and the arts and music scenes in Limerick.
Volunteers at the station represent all ages and walks of life; its newest recruit is a 19-year-old UL student, while others are aged in their 60s.
“Our shows are all community-based. If there is anything happening in Limerick, then we want to be talking about it. We’re always looking for ideas for new shows. We get something new from every volunteer that comes in. There’s a great mix of people here and they all have really good ideas so it just organically expands,” explained Claire.
She added: “Our volunteers do a little bit of everything, from production and research to administration, or broadcasting and presenting their own shows. Absolutely no radio experience is required, and that’s the beauty of it. Some of the colleges have students who require work experience and this would be a great place for them to go.”
Limerick City Community Radio requires volunteers to perform a variety of roles such as book-keeping, reception duties, fundraising, sponsorship, production, research and presenting. Anyone interesting in getting involved can contact Claire McCarthy at mrsclairemccarthy@gmail.com for more information.
