Ms Sally Galiana:

We are looking at the public service broadcasting charge as an operational fund which can help to facilitate greater involvement by communities. The problem for community media is that it might take three solid weeks simply to complete an application, an effort which takes from the developmental work the community organisation exists to do. If we could be certain of having sufficient funding to cover the basic costs of running the projects, it would allow us to submit only five applications, say, instead of 20. It is not necessarily about certified training. In my community in Coolock a lot of people do not want to go into formal education but are happy to go up to the studio and learn in an informal, hands-on way how to broadcast a radio programme. We do not see the funding going directly into training but rather supporting our activities towards the production of more diverse and better quality programmes. Having said that, training is a very important aspect of our work. In fact, CRAOL is a recognised FETAC-QQI centre and our community radio stations deliver certified FETAC training on our behalf.

We are already doing that. We are not asking for the public service broadcasting fund to finance that part of our operations. Rather, we are asking that it facilitate us in doing our work with the local community. This may involve informal training.

As Mr. Moore stated, we do not aspire to take the place of the DIT. We are both complementary and an alternative to the DIT. The FETAC syllabus is there for everyone to use. However, the only organisation which delivers FETAC level 4 introduction to community radio is CRAOL. There is little or no focus on community media in media courses in this country. The first thing we have to do with regard to students from DCU or the DIT who take up internships with our radio station is spend an hour explaining that we work in a different way, that it is not about being a celebrity or being paid €900,000 per year and that we are concerned with regard to facilitating other people to be on radio. We emphasise to them that they are not the stars and that they must make the individuals to whom I refer the stars.