RADIO Ireland seems set to benefit from a relatively strong "goodwill" factor from Irish advertisers in the early weeks of broadcasting. But agencies have warned that any major decisions will be put off until listenership figures become available.
Ms Yvonne Duggan, media director, Media Guilfoyle Communications, says the initial curiosity factor caused by a new national radio station should be sufficient to attract the big radio advertisers for the first three to four weeks.
Radio Ireland will begin transmission on St Patrick's day. This week it presented its programme schedules and rate card to advertising agencies, as well as publicly launching its programme plans.
Advertisers planning to launch new campaigns over the coming months will almost certainly include Radio Ireland in its media plans, Ms Duggan says. She says any further commitments will be determined by its success in securing its target audience.
"The advertising industry has been crying out for a new national station for years. Difficulties in getting air time on RTE and the growing advertising spend in Ireland would suggest that people will support it," she says.
Mr Liam McDonnell, director of AIM Media Specialists, says advertiser's primary concerns will be that Radio Ireland will deliver big enough audiences to justify the cost to them of advertising on the station.
"Agencies, which are spending clients money, have to ensure that monies are being well spent. Many will be cautious and will be seeking some form of claw back if it fails to live up to expectations," according to Mr McDonnell.
Mr Paul Moran, managing director of Media Works, says that while the station is putting together what it believes will be an attractive introductory rate for advertisers, it is difficult to assess these rates in value for money terms in the absence of listenership figures.
At the presentation to the advertising industry this week, Radio Ireland indicated that new advertisers would be offered a 20 per cent discount off its normal rate card as an introductory offer.
Like others in the industry, Mr Moran says the station will also have to put together a total package which in some way offers to compensate advertisers if the station fails to draw its targeted audience.
"They might have to look at offering say bonus air time for advertisers if listenership figures don't come in as expected," he says. "They still remember Century," warns Mr Moran.
He says, however, that most people in the industry believe Radio Ireland can become a commercial success. Its presentation suggests it has learned from Century's mistakes, he says, particularly in ensuring nationwide coverage.
"Radio Ireland has to be prepared for the long haul. It won't be easy for the first three to four years," he says.
Mr Moran believes the station's main growth area will be Dublin. And if it can successfully promote where people can tune into it when it comes on air in March, it will have overcome its first major hurdle, he says.
