Broadcasting commission moves to consolidate local radio industry

The State's local radio landscape is to change next year following a decision by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to consolidate the industry.

The commission has, however, rejected widespread demands within the industry for even bigger changes to the 13-year-old regime, particularly in and around Dublin.

Under the changes, the existing franchise for Carlow and Kildare will be scrapped, leaving Kildare on its own, while Carlow will merge with Co Kilkenny. In Co Tipperary, the existing two licences held by Tipp FM and Tipperary Town-based Tipp Mid-West will be replaced by just one station.

The majority of existing licences will expire in the course of 2003 and 2004. The commission heard a large number of submissions from the industry late last year, many of which called for a far more drastic review of the licensing structure.

A number of Leinster stations wanted to be able to broadcast into the capital in a bid to capture part of its lucrative advertising market. Wicklow's East Coast Radio had wanted to expand to cover Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown, while 98FM and 104FM sought to have their official reach extended outside of the capital.

Highland Radio proposed that its franchise be extended to cover all of Donegal, but the commission decided to leave the southern part of the county under the control of North-West Radio.

Successful Cork radio station 96 FM currently covers the city and county with two licences, but this will be now consolidated into one.

Northern Sound and Shannonside Radio serve Roscommon, Longford, South Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan under two licences. Originally, the two stations were separately owned, but they later merged and the commission decided that, in future, the region would be covered by one licence.

The chairman of the commission, Mr Conor J. Maguire, SC, said the new licences were the most effective "from a programming, financial viability and technical perspective".

The commission has begun seeking applications to run a regional station in the south-east, though further such licences will not be considered until the licence review is finished.