Eurolink News

East Coast FM broadcasts live from Strasbourg (23/4/09)

April 23, 2009 at 3:13 pm Leave a comment

Regular listeners to East Coast FM got a surprise yesterday when they tuned in to hear the Morning Show beaming out not from its usual home in Bray, County Wicklow but from the French city of Strasbourg.
Presenter Declan Meehan and his team moved the entire show to the European Parliament buildings for a three-hour live broadcast, giving their radio audience a flavour of the daily goings-on at the heart of the EU institution.
‘The radio studio is just outside the plenary chamber where hundreds of MEPs meet to vote on new legislation – we could almost look in the door and see what was happening!’ said Declan. ‘We were joined by four of the Irish MEPs – Mairead McGuinness, Avril Doyle, Eoin Ryan and Mary Lou McDonald, so there was a good bit of political banter and sparring between the MEPs about the upcoming European elections, and of course, the Lisbon Treaty.’
Declan had hoped to catch up with Kildare man Charlie McCreevy, but the Commissioner was speaking in parliament at the time. However the MEPs managed to give listeners a great insight into their everyday work on behalf of their constituents back home. Mairead McGuinness explained how Irish MEPs, though few in number, can influence legislation on issues like banning Brazilian beef and helping dairy farmers. ‘Seeing is believing, and though not everyone can visit the Parliament, those who do always leave with a much better understanding. I hope that the listeners to the programme felt they were in Strasbourg with the team,’ she added.

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