Rlo 1: Odtr 0

[Big Ears]

An interesting and detailed story on RLO Versus ODTR (Niall himself) appeared in a recent Evenng Echo.

A shortened version of the same story is also on the Clare FM website - as follows.....

Case against RLO Director dismissed
by Ciara O'Mahony Filed at: 8.30am

Charges against a man accused of interfering with a Shannon air traffic control channel were yesterday dismissed at Limerick District Court.

Radio Limerick One, director Gerard Madden of Bellowview, Athlunkard, Limerick, had been accused of broadcasting RLO music and speech on an air traffic control channel used at Shannon Airport.

The case collapsed after it emerged that the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation had sought to bring the case in the wrong jurisdiction.

It emerged that the ODTR had searched a premises belonging to Mr. Madden in County Clare and had sought to use evidence obtained in Clare for a prosecution brought in the Limerick City Jurisdiction.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ah well - back to the drawing board......

[021]

The ODTR had a hat-trick of raids against RLO as far as I can remember over the period of a few months.

The above report unfairly suggests that Madden (or is it the "community groups") had been intentionally transmitting on an air traffic control channel -
when it was apparently due to a 'dirty' transmission of transmissions within the 88-108 band.

Any one know the air traffic control frequency that was affected?

"It emerged that the ODTR had searched a premises belonging to Mr. Madden in County Clare and had sought to use evidence obtained in Clare for a prosecution brought in the Limerick City Jurisdiction"

The ODTR are not the only ones. I have a list of RTE TV transmitters supplied by RTE's tech info a few years ago, and on it Woodcock Hill (where RTE have a transmitter site, the same mast also used for Live 95's aerials BTW) is listed as being in Co. Limerick - its actually in Co.Clare

[Big Ears]

In fact, the ODTR don't seem to have that much luck in the Limerick area at all - those pesky natives seem a law unto themselves.

It is a pity that I did not keep the Echo story as it was far more detailed than the Clare FM version. Having said that, Clare FM did at least carry the story - the traditional Limerick media seemed to ignore the outcome.

Anyway, in the Evening Echo story (if I recall correctly), Mr. Madden pointed out that it was not RLO which was interfering with the Shannon Airport facility, but another operator.

He also expressed his unhappiness that the case had been thrown out before any evidence from the defence could be heard, as he would have liked to have refuted the claim that RLO was broadcasting illegally.

However, the ODTR outing to Clare, or Limerick, (or wherever they thought they were) surely disproves a recent slur on this board, which suggested that they never ventured outside the Pale.

I just wonder how much money this little fruitless jaunt cost the taxpayer?