Raidió Fáilte
 | |
| Broadcast area | Greater Belfast Area – Northern Ireland on FM |
|---|---|
| Frequency |
107.1 MHz FM Digital terrestrial television DAB |
| First air date | 15 September 2006 |
| Format | Mixed network |
| Sister stations | Raidió Na Life |
| Website | raidiofailte.com |
Raidió Fáilte (Irish pronunciation: [ˈradʲo ˈfɑːlʲtʲə], meaning "Welcome Radio") is an Irish-language community radio station, broadcasting from Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It started broadcasting under its current licence on 15 September 2006 having operated as a pirate radio station for some time prior to that.
The station can be heard on 107.1 FM in the Belfast area, and online through a live stream on the station's website. It is broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week and was broadcast from the cultural centre Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on the Falls Road for several years. It is now from The Twin Spires Centre on Northumberland Street off the Falls Road, Belfast. The Board of Management and volunteers and supporters hope to get funding to have their own unique station building by 2018.
History
Raidió Fáilte began airing on a part-time basis from Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich in the 1990s.
Raidió Fáilte was re-launched in Belfast City Hall on 15 September 2006 when Station Manager Fergus Ó hÍr introduced guest speakers Ferdia Mac an Fhailigh, Chief Executive of Foras na Gaeilge, and Bob Collins, Commissioner of the Equality Commission. A recorded message from the President of Ireland Mary McAleese welcoming the launch of Raidió Fáilte was played at the start of broadcasting.
Programming
Programmes are aimed at the Irish-speaking community in Belfast. A mixture of indie, rock, world music and traditional Irish music can be heard, together with sports coverage and chat. Special programmes relating to Roman Catholic and Presbyterian church services through the medium of Irish have also been broadcast.
See also
- Raidió na Life - Sister station in Dublin
- List of Irish-language media
- List of Celtic-language media
References
- "In the trenches of a language war". The Economist. 21 December 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- Lasar, Matthew (25 November 2011). "UK report: community radio stations that target specific audiences do better?". Radio Survivor. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- HAUK, ALEXIS (15 August 2012). "Radio Free Cherokee: Endangered Languages Take to the Airwaves". The Atlantic. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- McAdam, Noel (13 January 2009). "Ian Paisley says yes to Irish language radio's request for an interview". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- "Ofcom: Community Radio Annual report on the sector: 2010/2011" (PDF). Ofcom. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2015.