Ken Curran Communications

28/09/2022

We are delighted to have edited and proofread Efe Patrick's memoir from her childhood and teenage years in an Nigerian village to her move to Ireland as a 17 year old. Congratulations Efe.

28/09/2022

Podcasts are becoming shorter -37minutes on average
Podcasters are often faced with the dilemma of finding the right balance between how long their episodes should be and how often to release them.
Rephonic collected data across 2.5m+ podcasts, including listener estimates, episode length and release frequency, to provide further insights that you can apply to your own show.

Every podcast is different and there are many other considerations to take into account, such as your show’s niche, target audience and how much free time you have.

For the sake of readability, ‘top’ or ‘top-performing’ shows in this article, mean podcasts with more than 10,000 listeners per episode according to Rephonic’s own estimates.

Long podcast episodes are becoming less common every year
The average top-performing podcast releases a 37-minute episode every 5 days
The top History podcasts have the longest delay between new episodes
Fiction podcasts should record longer episodes to attract a large audience 60+ minute episodes are becoming less common every year.

The data might suggest that to attract a large audience you should stick to releasing a new 37-ish-minute episode every 5 days. But this isn’t going to be the right balance for all podcasters.

The length of your podcast and its release frequency should depend on the genre, niche, target audience, your availability, and how much great content you have.

28/09/2022

Government scrap VAT on Newspapers and digital subscriptions

VAT has been scrapped on newspapers and digital subscriptions, the government announced as part of the 2023 budget.

The move is viewed as a lifeline for the industry which lobbied hard to bring rates in line with European peers.

The Vat rate here will be cut to 0pc from January 1st in a move Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said was designed to support the “critical role” of the free press.

“The Government is aware of the critical role that newspapers play in our society, from reporting on local communities to holding those in power to account,” the minister said yesterday.

The move is in line with the government’s commitment to support an independent press and the Future of Media Commission’s recommendation, he said.

The current Vat rate for news subscriptions is 9pc. Until 2011 Vat was applied at the standard rate
of 23pc.

From January 1, the new zero rate will apply to the print and digital sales of newspapers and magazines.

The cost in tax foregone will be €32m in the first year and €39m per full year, according to the Department of Finance.

Newspaper buyers in Britain, Denmark and Norway pay no Vat, while reduced rates apply across most of the continent, where it is rare to apply Vat at the standard rate to purchases of books, magazines or newspapers.

The news industry has been hammered by falling print sales and a major shift in advertising spending from traditional print and broadcast news brands to online platforms like Google and Facebook.

The full reduction measure was welcomed by Local Ireland, which represents 32 weekly paid-for newspapers around Ireland.

“Zero per cent Vat will allow local newspapers around Ireland to invest in journalism and in the transition to new digital business models,” said Local Ireland president Declan McGuire

30/10/2021

Bottom left: My journalism class colleagues at the College of Commerce, Rathmines 1977. Bottom right: Our class reunion two years ago. Covid-19 prevented us from another get-together this month.

10/06/2021

We provide a bespoke writing, proofreading and editing service to businesses and individuals. Contact us for more details.

02/10/2020

Putting life into perspective.

A DUBLIN man has braved the busy shipping lanes of Dublin Bay to raise awareness for cancer.
Stephen Costigan, from Blackrock, completed the 10km swim from Dun Laoghaire to the Baily Lighthouse, Howth, raising €2,500 in the process for Cancer Care West.
Two close friends of Stephen's died from cancer, over the past six years and he decided to raise funds in their memory for cancer awareness.
He decided to enter the annual Galway Bay swim this summer but the event was cancelled due to Covid-19. Undeterred, the 30-year-old senior solutions consultant at Miagen, decided he would do a solo 10km swim across busy Dublin Bay where he had to evade oncoming shipping and jellyfish.
Two and a half hours later he completed his mission and climbed up onto the rocks at the Baily lighthouse.
“It was a great moment of clarity and appreciation of what life is all about and how to make the most of our time here on earth.”

To make a donation, contact Stephen at:
[email protected]; tel: 0833974547.
or for more information contact:
Ken Curran Communications 0838977448

08/05/2020

Best of luck to RTE Current Affairs presenter, Sean O'Rourke who retires today.

Great journalist and broadcaster. Our paths crossed many years ago when he was working for the Sunday Press and I was working for the Evening and Daily papers.

When working for the Connacht Tribune, Galway I rented a room in Sean's parents house near the university.

I'm sure he will re-emerge in some media capacity.

05/05/2020

Post Covid-19 means an uncertain future for many small firms throughout the country with many owners justifiably concerned about how to start up their businesses again.
These are challenging times for everybody, personally and professionally. None of us can predict the next stage for companies, their owners, and employees as they face into an unpredictable year ahead.
Fears of uncertainty are dominating their re-opening plans. Owners and staff want a business to return to, and Ken Curran Communications will do its part to help them achieve that goal.
I am offering a FREE Public Relations consultation to business owners. They can avail of my experience and expertise in messaging, crisis communications, content, news releases, media relations, product/business launches, announcements, and media training.
Contact me today.
+353-83-8977448
[email protected]

www.kencurrancommunications.ie
www.Linkedin.com/in/ken-curran

Ken Curran public relations communications, media relations, copywriting, media training, press releases, strategy, crisis management, video, photography

24/12/2019

Nollaig Shona to all clients! May you all have a prosperous new year.

20/12/2019

Season's greetings!

24/09/2019

What will An Taoiseach, LEO Varadkar have to say to Boris Johnson at their meeting in New York today following Britain's Supreme Court ruling?