the Irish Radio Relay Service
Irish Radio International Airtime
Milano Ventures and NEXUS-IBA and EGR present the Irish Radio Relay Service, a cultural radio link to Europe, reaching Irish abroad and people interest in Ireland and the Irish culture. We reach out on Shortwave radio and via streaming to the most remote areas in the world.
Our history
In 1987, a small group of idealistic and highly dedicated people with broadcasting experience of their own had the idea of starting a shortwave radio station to act as a link between independent cultural program makers and the European Audience. The shortwave medium had been recognised for years as the most effective means of reaching the most significant number of Europeans by radio and for the high quality of its audience. The Italian Radio Relay Service (IRRS), known on-the-air as the I-double-R-S, went on-the-air in November 1988, and it was an immediate success.
In 1990, the IRRS became part of the nonprofit NEXUS-IBA, now operating through the facilities of Milano Ventures Ltd, based in Dublin, Ireland. The founders of NEXUS-IBA used their funds to finance the necessary equipment and initially used the facility in their spare time on Saturdays and Sundays to broadcast music, discussion programs, topical presentations, old radio shows and plays. IRRS-Shortwave quickly became a unique part of the European shortwave scene and attracted a lot of publicity and interest. The experiment was so successful that inquiries poured in from other program producers who were also anxious to use Shortwave, but could not afford the high rates for airtime charged by the established commercial stations.
Since 2001 we upgraded our broadcasting centre, and started using higher powers of 50, 100, 150, 300 kW and even beyond to reach the entire world on Shortwave. We are now offering a complete range of services to our members and clients, including highly reliable and globally distributed Internet audio and video streaming services, satellite radio & TV rebroadcasting, web presence and professional email using our own cloud services at data centres located in Europe, Asia and the USA.
And so, the NEXUS association and the IRRS idea grew. Soon afterwards, IRRS-Shortwave began airing the current affairs and cultural programs of leading international, intergovernmental agencies and special program services produced by other broadcasters. Thousands of listeners praised their content as being of quality and nature not available elsewhere. NEXUS-IBA is strictly non-denominational and open to members of all faiths and carries all kinds of secular programming as well.
Today we operate more efficiently from Milano Ventures Ltd in Dublin, Ireland, and facilities around the world. Still, we keep solid links with the NEXUS-IBA association, its expertise, people, membership, and their values inspire our operations.
The Irish Radio Relay Service
While the old, but the still good, concept of the Italian Radio Relay Service is still valid today, when we brought part of our infrastructure to Dublin, Ireland, in 2016 we wanted to dedicate part of our programming schedule to our new host country. Today, our stations carry small, but very interesting fragments of Irish culture, music and news to the world.
Wherever you are in Ireland or around the world, if you have an Irish program, we will gladly carry it on our stations and reach a truly worldwide audience.
Join us daily and listen to our daily broadcasts, and discover pieces of Irish music, news and culture that are now part of our daily programming.
The technical side
On shortwave, Milano Ventures and the Irish Radio Relay Service operate from several locations in Europe, using 100 to 300 kW transmitters with directional antennas that can be aimed at any country in the world. Careful frequency management and the use of digital audio processing techniques assure a signal strength and subsequent high station profile all over Europe, the Mediterranean area, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. We can also reach north and south America, even though the interest of our broadcasters on shortwave is currently restricted to other areas in the world. From concept to transmission, Milano Ventures and is on a solid basis and would be happy to welcome any program, in any language, to any target.
Who needs broadcasting on Shortwave?
Anyone who wants to talk to the world by radio in the most cost-effective manner.
Do you remember the pictures that went around the world during the Gulf War, showing people glued to their Shortwave radios to get the latest news from the outside world? During that crisis, sales of shortwave receivers skyrocketed leaving dealers with empty shelves. Shortwave once again demonstrated its importance and effectiveness. For all the talk of satellite radio and TV, shortwave radio remains the most cost-effective electronic mass medium that can span enormous distances instantly and penetrate every home in Europe. Also, shortwave radio is portable and is a companion wherever one goes. It is truly the world’s most mobile electronic mass medium. Modern shortwave receivers are ultra-compact and very easy to use. Milano Ventures offers you this direct access to tens of millions of Europeans at low rates.
Who will I reach on Shortwave?
Technically-speaking, your message will reach every household and individual in Europe. Middle East, Africa, China, India, Asia and the Pacific with a shortwave radio – and that’s conservatively estimated at over 67 million English speaking people in Europe, or more than 200 million Arab speaking people in Europe and the Middle East, or 70 million French-speaking people in Europe and Africa, especially in places where no Internet and no local radio or TV station is available.
Perhaps more important is the quality of the shortwave audience. Shortwave listeners are well known for their above-average education, open-mindedness, and interest in international, intellectual, and cultural affairs. Besides that, you will be in excellent company on Milano Ventures, which has already been used for years as a relay by international broadcasters and official international agencies of the highest standing.
Milano Ventures offers more than airtime
Our non-profit organisation has expertise in shortwave going back more than a quarter of a century. We offer total counselling. We want to help you make your broadcasting mission a success. Whatever your programming, we will help you reach the right audience at the right time. If desired, counselling may include editorial as well as technical assistance, custom tailored to your individual needs. We offer incredibly flexible scheduling, ranging from regular daily and weekly service to sporadic, ad-hoc broadcasting of unique programs. We are prepared for short-notice service, and program material fed by the internet or satellite.
No one is too big or too small to broadcast with us
Smaller programmers will appreciate the value for money of our system. Larger program institutions should be aware that Milano Ventures reaches a very loyal and high-quality fragment of the shortwave market that may not make a habit of listening to other stations or be connected to the Internet. Many countries or remote areas in the world are still lying across the digital divide, or in regions where extreme censorship exists by local governments (i.e. China, Tibet, Ethiopia, Somalia, and certain countries in Africa and Asia).
Our listeners have repeatedly expressed appreciation for the unique variety and quality of our programs, reflecting the full range of users of our relay service. Perhaps you have “minority” program material that is not suited to your regular operations, or for which no time is available on your monthly outlets. The chances are that this content will find an appreciative audience on our broadcasts.
Furthermore, we have no political or religious affiliation. We have a very liberal editorial policy, and we do not edit or censor material unless in crass violation of the law. With Milano Ventures you get your message on-the-air the way you want it heard, and you are not at the mercy of a production middleman.
We could go on. But we think it would be more productive to talk with you directly about your particular needs. Whether you are involved in cultural, tourist, current affairs, or religious programming, Milano Ventures and the Irish Radio Relay Service has been created to serve your needs.
For more information on using Milano Ventures’ Irish Radio Relay Service (IRRS), please contact us.