Athlone Community Radio’s multicultural programme Across the Divide, produced and presented by Irena Cvetkovic, is shortlisted, along with RTE Radio 1 and NewsTalk 106, for an award with Metro Eireann Media and Multicultural Award (MAMA ) in the Broadcast Media Section. The Awards ceremony will be held in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin on November 27.
The MAMA Awards is a media multicultural award that recognises the individuals, groups, companies, institutions, and media platforms that promote diversity and multiculturalism in Ireland. This award is sponsored by The Iris O’Brien Foundation and National Action Plan Against Racism. The MAMA awards are now in their seventh year, gathering around 300 entries this year, including the documentary series In the name of the Fada by Des Bishop.
Irena Cvetkovic’s programme Across the Divide was broadcast on Athlone Community Radio from March until June 2008, while this aspirant station was on a temporary licence.
Every week guests from all around the world were relating their experiences in Ireland and explained their reasons why they moved to Athlone. They also drew from their own customs, culture and music. Some of the guests are living in Athlone Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centre and they gave a valuable insight on everyday life in the centre, a view that perhaps the majority of our listeners weren’t aware of. In this programme many of the international religious days and national celebrations were covered, with appropriate interviews about customs and with indigenous music. Some of the participants in this programme were Irish people who lived for years abroad and they contributed with their own experience as foreigners in some other countries. The goal of Across the Divide was to close the gap between Irish people and immigrants, bringing real stories from their fellow citizens.
Athlone Community Radio and Irena Cvetkovic would like to thank all the participants in this programme as their involvement gave the station and these issues valuable recognition.
