Why I hate freedom, and Dara O Briain hates me.

[r4phael]

So, I recently asked my class rep to propose a motion to amend Article 16 of the SU constitution, which mandates the funding and providing for of the University Observer and Belfield FM. This came up at the last council, but wasn't debated,and will be brought up at a later date. However yesterdays University Observer donates more or less the first

Comments

[ext_431303]

Hey,

I didn't want to get into this on the Boards.ie thread (I think it's an argument best left for the current students on that particular forum) but wanted to address a couple of your points.

First of all, the €50k is a hypothetical figure. At every SU council when the Union budget is announced, the figure is always questioned, and every SU President points out that it's a placeholder figure. In short, it's the 'worst case scenario' provision: from an accounting point of view, I'm sure you'll agree, it's better to over-allocate cash in case things go badly. The €50k, in essence, is its total expenditure - a large chunk of that is made up again through advertising revenue. (I'm not saying that it covers its costs - I think there's been maybe ONE year in its history where it's broken even, and that was 2004 when there was plenty of ad revenue to be gotten.)

Of course, even if we hypothetically say it costs about €25,000, one would still argue that the Tribune costs the student body nothing. This is and isn't true -

[ext_431303]

(part 2

[ext_431303]

And not to hog your comments thread or anything, but realised I forgot to address your mention about the Observer being an 'SU mouthpiece'... that's a subjective call. As someone who spent more weekends than I'd care to remember in that office, I can assure you that last year at least, we felt no obligation or loyalty to the SU; sure, we were courteous, as you would be when you share a working quarters with someone, but we never felt like we had to pull any punches. As for other years... that's for the editors of those volumes to argue for. (I was a reader for five years and a contributor for four before I joined the full-time staff, and I have to admit I never personally felt the UO was pro-SU; it was, perhaps, just merely less anti-SU than the Tribune was.)

If you disagree with that then that's entirely your prerogative, but I'd argue that having the Observer on the corridor offers more benefits than drawbacks in terms of the genuine (and literal) oversight the Observer can exercise as a result.

[r4phael]

Absolutely a subjective call, and while I'll take my disagreeing prerogative on that one, I will absolutely respect your opinion that I'm wrong.

Belfield FM

[anonymous]

Why not split the Paper from the Radio station? Article 16 of the constitution should have sub-clauses; 16a deals with the paper, 16b deals with the radio. As far as I'm aware the radio has a worst-case scenario fund of 8,500€ (whereas the paper's is 50,000€) even though it broadcasts for probably 21 of the 24 weeks in which students are in college. Don't drag the radio down with the paper, if that is to be the way this scenario unfolds.

[jennyanydots21]

Wow, interesting. Looks pretty complicated to me, but go you taking a stand, and I hope Dara O'Briain gets over it!