Irish radio stations will bring a wider range of voices into their programmes today, with a shared audio feature at 1.30pm.
One Day, Many Voices brings together 23 stations on 24 September for interviews, music, personal experiences and community conversations about diversity and inclusion. Each station will shape its programmes around the communities it serves.
The initiative was devised by Learning Waves and funded by Coimisiún na Meán through its Sound & Vision scheme using the Television Licence Fee. Learning Waves Skillnet has worked with the Irish Centre for Diversity to train staff from the participating stations.
The programmes will include contributions from new Irish communities, LGBTQIA+ communities, people with disabilities, Traveller communities and people from minority faith and cultural backgrounds.
Beat will run a Diversity Dictionary throughout the day, inviting people to explain terms relating to equality and inclusion. Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio will pair hourly stories with longer interviews, while LMFM will include multilingual content and features on Traveller heritage, disability and inclusive sport.
Midwest Radio will speak to refugees who have made their homes in the region. Radio Kerry will bring different cultural perspectives into its existing programmes through stories about food, work, music and community life. Today FM will hear from representatives of minority groups about their experiences and issues they feel receive too little discussion in wider media.
Teresa Hanratty, Network Director at Learning Waves, said listeners would hear stories “from the heart of their own communities”. She said the project would also explore what more needs to be done to help people feel they belong.
Photo: Teresa Hanratty, Learning Waves, James Cawley, Irish Centre for Diversity, Nessa McGann, McGann Media and Florencia Santana, Irish Centre for Diversity.
