CONSTITUTION

TRINITY FM

(DUBLIN UNIVERSITY RADIO SOCIETY)

CONSTITUTION

Article I: Name of the Society

1.1 The Society shall be known as Trinity FM (Dublin University Radio Society). In every day usage, it shall be called Trinity FM or TFM.

Article II: Aims of the Society

The aims of the Society shall be:

To establish, promote and manage a broadcast station known as ‘Trinity FM’ and to produce and broadcast radio programmes via normal licensed transmission and the internet.
To enable students and staff of Trinity College Dublin to gain practical experience of radio presentation and production.
To raise awareness around campus of Trinity FM when broadcasting.
To work towards making Trinity FM a contributing part of college life.

Article III: Membership of the Society

1.1 Membership shall be open to all capitated students of the University, on payment of an annual membership subscription of €3, or any other figure that is approved by a General Meeting of the Society, subject to the limits set by the CSC. Staff of the University may also become members on payment of a similar subscription. Honorary membership may be decreed upon students, non-students or staff if agreed upon by a simple majority of the Trinity FM Committee.

Article IV: General Meetings and Referenda

Section 1:

1.1 The decisions of the members meeting as a General Meeting or in referendum shall be binding upon all activities of the Society subject only to this Constitution and the rules of the CSC.

Section 2:

The Annual General Meeting shall take place between weeks 7 and 9 of Hilary Term, at the discretion of the committee. Notice shall be given by email not less than 5 days

before, and by public postering and other methods of publicising it that are deemed appropriate by the PRO. Only members registered at this date shall be entitled to vote at the meeting, though any interested party may attend, and speak at the discretion of the Committee at the meeting.

The first item of business shall be reports from the Chair, Station Manager, Treasurer and Secretary of the Society (in that order). Any other member of the committee who wishes to present a report on the activities covered by their brief over the course of the year may also do so, subject to agreement with the Chair.

The second item of business shall be the election to the positions of (in this order): Chair; Station Manager; Treasurer; Secretary; Senior Engineer; Junior Engineer; three Community Development Officers, each with specific responsibility for one of the following: Public Relations, Entertainment, and Online Presence; and Amenities Officer. Voting shall take place in secret unless the candidates for a given position agree to a public ballot. Only members of the society may stand for election and they must be proposed by another member of the Society.

The third item of business shall be the announcement of appointments to the positions of editors; namely, News and Current Affairs, Culture and Light Entertainment, Sports, Music, Film, Irish and European, if these have been decided prior to the AGM. The deferral of these appointments until October of the following year will be at the discretion of the Chair.

The final item shall be any other business. Members may ask questions or propose ideas with no need of prior notification to the committee. Any action permitted to be taken by a General Meeting may of course be taken by an Annual General Meeting.

Section 3:

A General Meeting may be called by the Committee or by a petition signed by ten members of the Society (with just cause) and presented to the Secretary. Alternatively, a referendum can take the place of a General Meeting. In either case, five days’ notice is required and only members at the date of presentation of the petition may vote at the meeting or in the referendum.

A General Meeting or referendum can take the following actions: change this Constitution, direct the Committee or Chairperson to take specific action, elect a member to a vacant position or establish a Society policy. In all cases, a simple majority of those voting shall be required and no referendum shall be valid unless at least one quarter of the members (or 40 members, whichever is the lesser) of the Society cast a valid vote. Any action proposed to be taken by a General Meeting must be included in both the petition to the Secretary and also in the notification to the members.

Article V: The Committee

Section 1:

1.1 The Trinity FM Committee shall be made up of an Executive and the Editors.

Section 2:

The Executive is the Chair, Station Manager, Secretary, Treasurer and Senior Producer. Duties not assigned to any member of the committee in this constitution may be delegated by the committee as they see fit.

The Chairperson shall oversee the general running of the Society. They, along with the designated College authority, are legally responsible for the Society and shall handle all legal matters pertaining to the Society. They shall deal with the relevant regulatory authorities in the formulation of contracts and the issuing of broadcast licenses. It is the Chairperson’s responsibility to organise and mediate at committee meetings, along with the assistance of the Secretary. They shall also assist the Station manager in the organisation and running of broadcast weeks. The Chairperson must ensure that all committee members carry out their duties and responsibilities, as per the constitution, and make sure the constitution is upheld at all times.

The Station Manager has ultimate responsibility for the planning and running of the station when it is on air. The Station Manager and Chair ultimately decide the schedule, which is subject to approval by the committee. The Station Manager also has responsibility for ensuring every broadcast is recorded, as per BCI regulations. The Station Manager will also have ultimate responsibility for any online broadcasts. They will be expected to liaise with the Community Development Officer (Online Presence) on this matter.

The Secretary shall be responsible for all communications with members and external bodies, and also for communications between the committee members. They shall oversee all correspondence of the Society and keep a record of it, also keeping minutes of all Society meetings. They shall provide the CSC with a record of the Society’s activities during their term of office not later than the date set by the CSC for submission, and shall be answerable to the committee. The Secretary is also responsible for assisting the Chairperson in organising committee meetings and notifying the committee of these meetings.

The Treasurer shall supervise all accounts and take responsibility for fundraising and sponsorship. They shall have the duty of liaising with the CSC on all financial matters, and shall submit a financial report to the CSC at the end of the year. The Treasurer must also make any grant applications on behalf of the Station, including the

Amenities grant application which shall be submitted in conjunction with the Amenities Officer.

The Senior Engineer shall supervise all technical aspects of any broadcast or other Station venture, liaising with the Chairperson and Station Manager about Station decisions. It is their duty to select equipment needed for the grant application and they are responsible for the maintenance thereof. The Senior Engineer shall also be responsible for the signing-out of equipment, and keeping a record of this. The Senior Engineer shall organise production tutorials throughout the year, as well as training the committee on the usage of equipment. They must also train the Junior Engineer and any other production staff within the station.

The Junior Engineer shall assist the Senior Engineer in all aspects of their work and will work at ground-level in the studio during broadcast weeks. They shall supervise and produce shows that may require assistance; e.g. Freshers’ shows and shows produced/presented by new or inexperienced DJs. The Junior Engineer shall also be responsible for quality control, i.e. ensuring that shows do not deviate from the rules of the station or general broadcasting laws and ensuring the sound levels and quality are at an acceptable standard. The Junior Engineer shall also be responsible for editing pre- recorded shows and, in conjunction with the Community Development Officer (Online Presence), any podcasts.

The Community Development Officer (with responsibility for Public Relations) shall publicise broadcast weeks both on and off campus, through posters, flyers and other methods deemed appropriate. They shall specifically liaise with the other Community Development Officers, and with the Society Committee, in order to create a cohesive sense of community among the society’s membership. They will also work with the Treasurer to get sponsorship for the Society.

The Community Development Officer (with responsibility for Entertainment) shall organise promotional and fundraising events (specifically, but not exclusively, gigs) for the society, on or off campus. They shall specifically liaise with the other Community Development Officers, and with the Society Committee, in order to create a cohesive sense of community among the society’s membership.

The Community Development Officer (with responsibility for Online Presence) will co-ordinate the online presence of both DU Radio Society and Trinity FM and through the society’s website and other internet-based platforms. This role includes the management of Trinity FM’s online streaming. The Officer would also assume responsibility for the co-ordination of any hosted material that would fall under the auspices of the society or of Trinity FM. They shall specifically liaise with the other Community Development Officers, and with the Society Committee, in order to create a cohesive sense of community among the society’s membership.

The Amenities Officer will have responsibility for the condition, maintenance and replacement of the inner and outer studios. In conjunction with the Society Treasurer,

they must also submit the Amenities grant application at the beginning of each year, requesting all the relevant furnishings needed.

Section 3:

As well as the elected committee, six editors shall be appointed, one for each of the briefs outlined below. It is recognised that there are shows that fall outside the mantle of any editor’s jurisdiction, which then become the ultimate responsibility of the Chair and the Station Manager. Each editor will be responsible for the standard and quality of shows that come under their brief, although ultimate responsibility will always rest with the Chair and Station Manager.

News and Current Affairs – The News Editor co-ordinates a team to research, read and write the hourly news bulletins, as well as any dedicated news shows. They shall be responsible for ensuring balance, fairness and honesty in reporting. The news editor shall be responsible for the factual programming of the station. The officer shall, in conjunction with the station manager, co-ordinate the programming of the Current Affairs Editor and the Sports Editor.

Current Affairs – The Current Affairs editor has responsibility for co-ordinating a team to produce documentaries as well as the nightly current affairs show, including getting guests, presenters, vox-pops etc.

Music – The Music Editor shall liaise with groups and persons concerned with music in College in order to utilise the musical talents of students, to record their work and to broadcast it where possible. They shall look after the purchase and maintenance of the station’s music college. At the discretion of the Chair, an Assistant Music Editor may also be appointed to the Committee.

Sports – The Sports Editor shall ensure coverage of sports events taking place both on and off campus, with a dedicated sports team on a daily show.

Irish/Ghaeilge – With responsibility for the station’s daily Irish show, the Irish Editor shall ensure that interesting and relevant debates, discussions and music shows are broadcast on TFM in the Irish language.

Film: By co-ordinating a team of reviewers and presenters for the dedicated daily film show, the Film Editor ensures a lively and interesting show is broadcast. They also work to build relationships with distributors and cinemas in Dublin.

Sub-Committee: 5 ordinary members (OCMs) shall be elected as a subcommittee during Michaelmas term at the first meeting of term. All candidates submit their nominations at this first meeting and these candidates will be elected at the discretion of the committee.

The jobs of the subcommittee will be given out at the discretion of the executive committee.

Section 4:

The Treasurer and the Chairperson shall be jointly responsible for the financial affairs of the Society. Although the affairs of the Society shall be in general conducted according to the cote of all members of the Committee, if the Committee over-rules the advice of the Chairperson and the Treasurer on a major financial matter or the Committee proceeds in the absence of the Chairperson and the Treasurer on such a matter, then the Chairperson and the Treasurer shall either accept responsibility for the decision, or communicate directly and immediately with the Treasurer of the CSC in which case the Committee shall hold responsibility for the consequences of the decision in question. If only one of the said officers disassociates themselves from the decision then the other officer shall assume complete responsibility; neither will the officer disassociating themselves be forced to accept responsibility by the vote of the Committee or of the Society, though they may be called upon to resign by due proves of the Society in which case such former officer shall bring the case to the notice of the CSC.

The Treasurer or the Chairperson or any persons may be requested to appear before the CSC or officer or sub-committee of the CSC to provide information concerning the finances of the Society. If a prima facie case exists that Society funds have been misused or misappropriated, the CSC may ask the Senior Dean to declare the person or persons concerned indebted to the College, in which case they may not be permitted to register for the following academic year or to have their degree conferred.

The Treasurer shall close their accounts in accordance with C.S.C. deadlines each year and thereafter as soon as may be possible shall arrange for the accounts to be audited as provided by the CSC and these accounts shall be presented to the Committee of the Society and the CSC for approval.

All cheques and withdrawal forms from the Society’s bank account shall be signed by two of the designated officers, i.e. Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Station Manager and Senior Engineer.

Section 5:

A majority of the membership of the committee, including the Chairperson or another member designated as such by the Chairperson in their absence, shall be the quorum for all meetings of the Committee. (For example, if the committee in any given year consists of 14 members, the quorum shall be 8 members). Meetings shall take place at least bi- weekly during College terms and otherwise where necessary. Sub-committees shall be established by order of the Committee and shall not be subject to any quorum.

A separate Community Development Committee, consisting of the three Community Development Officers, shall meet independently of the Society Committee on a regular basis, and not less than once per month.

Members of the Committee may only be removed by the vote of two-thirds of those present at a General Meeting, as long as not less than one quarter of Society members (or 30 members, whichever is the lesser) are present at such a meeting.

Article VI: Broadcasting Guidelines

All broadcasters will be made aware of broadcasting regulations on what is and is not permissible to be broadcast. The Chair and Station Manager shall circulate a Code of Broadcast Conduct, containing guidelines on using the studio and presenting shows, to all members before the first broadcast. The production and presentation of this Code of Broadcast Conduct will be the duty of the Broadcast Committee, as set out in Article VIII below.

If a show is deemed to be contravening any of these guidelines laid down, the Chair, Station Manager, Senior Engineer or any other committee member authorised to do so by any of those three, have discretion in deciding to halt a show and put something else on in its place. If a show is so cancelled, a written report on this must be presented to the Committee at the next available opportunity where the reasons for cancelling the show must be clearly laid out.

Article VII: Broadcasting during Elections

The Current Affairs Editor shall draw up and revise from time to time a charter which shall be in force during any electoral campaign, taking place on or off campus. This shall provide that no candidate shall be permitted to present a news or current affairs show during the time of the campaign, no member of the Society shall endorse or recommend any candidate or campaign while on air, no member of a political party associated with a candidate or member of a candidate’s campaign team may be involved with a programme dealing with that particular campaign, all candidates and groups be given equal time on news and current affairs programmes and that all coverage be fair and accurate, and any other directions as the Editor deems necessary.

No election-related material, with the exception of polling and ballot information shall be broadcast while polling is taking place in any part of the University main campus.

The Current Affairs Editor shall ensure that a policy of fairness in factual reporting is followed at all times, paying particular attention to preventing any actual or perceived bias in relation to political issues.

Article VIII: Broadcast Governance

Under Article II of this constitution, DU Radio Society is bound to establish, promote and manage a broadcast station known as ‘Trinity FM’, and to produce and broadcast radio programmes via normal licensed transmission and the internet. The general management of this radio station will be the responsibility of the Broadcast Committee. The committee will be answerable to the general Society membership, as well as to the Committee of DU Radio Society.

The Broadcast Committee will comprise of the Chair, Station Manager and Senior Engineer. This Committee shall meet independently of the DU Radio Society Committee on a regular basis, and not less than once per month.

The Broadcast Committee will endeavour to ensure that the highest standards possible are achieved with regards to broadcast conditions. In conjunction with the Society Committee, it is their responsibility to ensure that all of the station’s broadcast output is continually monitored for both quality standards and technical issues.

During broadcasts, the Broadcast Committee will supersede the Executive Structure of the Society itself with regards to broadcast content, studio use, and the employment of society equipment.

The Broadcast Committee is charged in Article VI of this constitution with the production of a Code of Broadcast Conduct. This document should be circulated to all members who wish to take part in a broadcast.

Should any member of the Broadcast Committee be unable to fulfil their duties during the preparation for/during a broadcast, the Committee of DU Radio Society may nominate any other member of the society to act in their place for the duration of that broadcast.

Article IX: Effect of Constitution

The Secretary shall be responsible for the interpretation of this Constitution, but any such decision can be overruled by the Committee or the members. The Secretary shall also keep an updated copy of this document.

This Constitution shall enter into effect once approved by both the members and the CSC.

This Constitution is binding to the letter and to the spirit for all purposes on the Committee, its officers and all bodies established under it. It can only be amended as set out in Article IV.

Reviewed 2012