Irish radio bids to stay relevant with universal player

To the App Store, finally, for the Irish Radio Player. The long-planned cross-industry player, featuring all stations in the Republic, will be launched next week at the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) group annual conference.

The app, the product of a five-year collaboration between the IBI and RTÉ, is designed to help the Irish industry take advantage of a shift to smartphone and tablet media consumption and "ensure that radio remains relevant in all of our lives".

The player was originally flagged to be launched at the end of 2014, but was delayed when it became apparent that RTÉ would require Government permission.

Although radio stations have individual apps for their brands, consumers do not always return to the apps they download to their devices and they may also delete them to make storage space for other apps. The industry believes a universal app will help them win and keep the younger listeners who base their music habits around services such as Spotify, Soundcloud and YouTube.