One More Thing:It looks like management and staff at FM104 will have to wait a while longer to discover if the station will once again be placed on the market for sale.
This is set to be the key ruling from the Competition Authority when it delivers its verdict into Denis O'Brien's €200 million takeover of Emap's three radio stations here, which is set to be extended to a phase two investigation today.
O'Brien's Communicorp is likely to get the green light to acquire Today FM and Highland Radio, which would be in line with a ruling last month from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).
It remains to be seen how a sale of FM104 would be executed. O'Brien's deal with Emap requires him to offload FM104 as a result of a ruling by regulators. The troubled British media group is keen to bank its cash.
FM104 will also have to find itself alternative lodgings. The station was due to share new premises on Digges Lane with national broadcaster Today FM.
That clearly won't happen now and remaining in Hume House in Ballsbridge is not a long-term option as Seán Dunne is planning to redevelop the site.
FM104 won't be short of suitors. All of the underbidders in the race to buy Emap's stations are believed to have let it be known that they are interested in buying the Dublin station.
These include Vienna Investments, a vehicle backed by some of FM104's previous owners, including former chief executive Dermot Hanrahan.
TV3 has made no secret of its desire to enter radio (it has been shortlisted for a multi-city licence by the BCI) and a move to its Ballymount site would be a ready-made solution to FM104's need for new studios.
UTV is also keen. It owns Q102 in Dublin, which has taken longer than expected to turn a profit.
O'Brien should recoup a decent chunk of the €200 million he is due to pay Emap.
FM104 is expected to post earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of €4.6 million in the year to the end of March. Applying a multiple of at least 10 times indicates a sale price of at least €46 million.
It's big money but the appetite for radio assets here appears to be insatiable.
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