New beginnings.

Life had been hectic of late. I have just been appointed staff editor at Woman’s Way. The job is varied and exciting so I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.

The first issue with my work in is available now – Issue 40: The Breast Check special.

Work, work, work

I have been too busy to blog in recent weeks thanks to ivenus. I have been busy writing content for the site from celebrity gossip to health and chocolate news.

Check out some of my favourite blogs in the links section until I find time to write something more substantial.

Top fashion stores rip off customers [Sunday Times 7/9/08]

Retail Euro prices 45% more than sterling

Jan Battles and Angharad Williams

 

FASHIONS change but not the rip-off prices. There may be new stock for autumn/winter on the rails, but some retailers in Ireland still haven’t turned over a new leaf.  More…

State of things to come

One of Ireland’s newest music magazines is going through a few changes. From the beginning of October State will be available for free in a venue, bar, cafe and shop.

Since Mongrel went to magazine heaven there has been a gap in the market for a decent free magazine (no offence to publishers of other the free mags but I find them boring…all except Totally Dublin) and although I doubt it will fill Mongrel’s weird little shoes, it has the potential be a magazine to seek out.

Some say the magazine is obviously in trouble because it’s going free – not the case. Having worked for a free magazine for over two years the publisher revealed that they made more money by giving the mag away for free than charging. That doesn’t make sense I hear you cry: well, increased readership + increased distribution = more advertising income.

You can read the full press release about the changes at State magazine at Blurred Keys and on the State Magazine website.

Golwg is 20

Wales’s only weekly news and current affairs magazine Golwg is 20 years old this month.

The company has flourished from its first magazine in 1988 to becoming the leading publisher of Welsh magazines which include Golwg, V (a monthly magazine for young people, Lingo Newydd (a bi-monthly magazine for learners) and Wcw ai ffrindiau (a monthly comic for children).

I have grown up reading the magazine and have seen a number of changes – most for the better. I especially like this month’s cover – a recreation of the first ever cover featuring Brothers & Sisters star Matthew Rhys:

All In Media & Irish DAB

I found this news online today:

AIM technology powers Irish DAB trial

All In Media (‘AIM’) is a technology development company that provides innovative interactive solutions and consultancy services to radio stations around the world.

AIM has finalised deals with both state broadcaster RTÉ and Dublin-based commercial operator, Digital Radio Ltd to supply data services to radio stations during Ireland’s DAB digital radio trials.

Head of Radio at RTÉ, JP Coakley, said,

“All-in-Media’s products demonstrate the potential of DAB and are operating at a crucial and interesting time for the future development of radio”

AIM is focused on building radio’s digital future. Audio content is only part of the answer; the digital functionality and multimedia capabilities of DAB, open up new ways of engaging with audiences. The company’s services are not restricted to DAB; the products are platform-agnostic and also designed for online and other platforms.

Whatever the market uncertainties, digital radio is here to stay and AIM’s pioneering work is proof that this is an exciting and opportune time for the medium.

______________________________________________________

Because DAB is still in its trial phase in Ireland I think the phrase “digital radio is here to stay” may be jumping the gun a little, at least wait until the trials are over to gauge if DAB does have a future in Ireland.

I think DAB is the natural way forward for Irish radio, but given the rumbles of discontent within the industry I’m sure not everyone will agree.

Does the medium matter?

I am currently finishing my MA thesis on DAB radio in Ireland, so the BCI conference is of particular interest to me at the moment:

NATIONAL BROADCASTING CONFERENCE 2008

This year the BCI National Conference will address the various propositions for the delivery of content across different media. It will look at the proposals for commercial digital terrestrial television in Ireland, while considering the experience to date of digital switchover in the UK. As the Commission embarks on the development of policy for digital radio, conference delegates will have an opportunity to examine and question the scenarios for radio’s digital future. Developments in new media and its interface withtraditional media at a national, European and international level will be presented, in addition to considering issues regarding social media and engaging consumers. The conference will also address the themes of audience measurement, from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective. 

2008 also marks the 20th anniversary of the Radio and Television Act. This year’s panel debate will look at development trends in the sector to date and will consider implications against the backdrop of a new regulatory system for broadcast media in Ireland.

Haggling hits the high streets : Sunday Times. August 24 2008

A trip around Dublin’s shopping centres reveals stores can be persuaded by some bartering

Angharad Williams

IN the current economic climate, taking off on a spending spree is probably the last thing on Irish people’s minds. Sure enough, retail figures for June published last Friday confirm that it’s going to be a dreadful year for retailers.

With that in mind we decided to test their resolve and the flexibility of their published prices. We wanted to see if we could haggle for bargains in Dublin in the same way that holidaymakers look for lower prices when they hit the street markets of Marrakesh or London’s Covent Garden.

Having mentally run through my haggling strategies I headed to the Sony Centre on O’Connell Street and decided to ask for a handycam to film “an upcoming wedding”. The HD1080 was the pick of the bunch, but at €1,559 it was just too expensive.

When it was explained to the helpful assistant that a sale was possible if a discount could be agreed, he put the request to his manager. No problem: he suggested €1,350. The Sunday Times countered with €1,300. The deal was done and we had just saved ourselves a healthy €259. It was almost too easy.

With confidence sky-high, it was time to head for the Jervis Street centre. In Dixons we looked at laptops and played dumb as the shop assistant explained the advantages of each machine. The brand new Sony Vaio at €1,599.99 was the most appealing, but the assistant was in no mood to deal. He explained that any price ending in 99c was non-negotiable.

Our attention then moved to the HP 4GB laptop advertised at €1,279.97. After a brief discussion €50 was knocked off the price. A request for a free printer was rejected but we had better luck when we asked for a free laptop bag to be thrown in.

With these early discounts in the bag the campaign moved, fleetingly, to Arnotts on Henry Street. The assistant seemed astonished to be asked for a discount on a new Guess bag. She slowly moved it out of my touching distance, clearly concerned that we might just walk away with it anyway.

We got right back on track, however, at H Samuel where the prize catch was a beautiful Citizen perpetual calendar men’s watch priced at €435. I told the friendly sales assistant I was looking for a gift for my father’s 50th birthday. I also enquired about engraving and was quoted €20. That was the signal to strike.

With the offer of a cash payment the price was immediately cut by 5% but that wasn’t enough. I explained that my sister and I had to club together to get the watch and the story worked. The watch was ours — with engraving — for €410.

I made an excuse and left but returned 10 minutes later hoping to do better. I told the assistant my mother had seen the watch online and agreed it was the perfect gift but not to bother with engraving. I still wanted the same discount, however: she gave in, offering me the watch for €390, a saving of €45.

Any smugness soon disappeared when the same watch was discovered in Clerys on O’Connell Street selling for €395. Time to recount our well-rehearsed story. The smartly dressed assistant smiled and said I could have the watch for €355, a saving of €40.

In fact, jewellery proved to be the one area where discounts were easily attainable. In Weir & Sons in the Ilac Centre it was possible to secure a 10% discount without having to resort to any made-up stories. But the invention of four siblings clubbing together to buy a present for our mother’s 70th birthday resulted in €70 being knocked off a €1,420 Gucci white-gold horsebit necklace.

If my experience is anything to go by, then anybody buying electrical goods must ask for a discount. But notwithstanding my experience in the Sony store, most camera retailers refused to entertain deductions, claiming their profit margins were already too tight.

The hardest nuts to crack were clothes stores. There was nothing on offer from four different shoe stores while an assistant in one shop just didn’t appear to understand the concept of a discount.

We had better luck in Timberland which was willing to offer 10% off a pair of children’s size 8 boots for an imaginary nephew. The same invented child bagged a €25 saving on a baby car seat at Mothercare.

One dream?

Before the Olympics began I had decided that I wasn’t going to watch the games because of the blatant human rights violations in China. I watched the protests on the route of the torch and saw some of a protest in central Dublin.

However, I began watching the swimming last week and since then have been hooked. Team GB have been going from strength to strength and are now ranked third in the medal table. The Welsh have been doing well – there are 14 from Wales in the team and to date Welsh athletes have won four medals.

Athletics is one of my favourite sports and today I watched Germaine Mason secure silver for team GB in the high jump and Ireland’s Paddy Barnes win his fight and secure a place in the Olympic final.

Watching these athletes compete had me on the edge of my seat at times. There is so much at stake. Emotions run high and the slightest mistake can shatter four years hard work. Just making it to the games is half the battle, and when it all comes together in that one moment and they put in a lifetime’s performance to secure a medal the elation is clear.

I’ll be glued to my screen until the 24^th of August. However, spare a thought for those who are on the other side of the glory. The journalists not able to report the truth - take a look at this post: On the ground.

Going Daft

House hunting is one of my least favourite things to do in life. Once you make up a list of places available you have to spend hours trapsing from one place to another and then once you get there you are confronted by the house of your dreams or absolute hell…with fungus on top. 

I find the whole process of meeting your possible cohabitants worse than going to a job interview because you have to try and get those already living in the house to like you enough to forget all the other lost souls, and you have 10 minutes to do it in. Thankfully, I’m living in a nice home with some good people…but one of them has decided to pack his bags and head home to Australia.

Cue the putting together of an advert and posting it on daft.ie and then the flood of phone calls from people eager to see the room. I spent Wednesday night meeting prospective housemates and showing them around our mid-terrace Georgian house. They came in all sizes and nationalities. Some spoke well but were boring others spoke almost no English. They were all smiles and praise for the room (some weren’t so impressed with our kitchen/living room) but nobody fitted in with the laid-back atmosphere – so the hunt continues.