The radio arm of the Guardian newspaper, GMG Radio Holdings, is among 44 companies whohave expressed an interest in providing new radio services in the Republic.
The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) is seeking to assess the level of interest in new regional and quasi-national licences. After assessing the expressions of interest, the BCI is expected to move into a formal licencing phase.
NewsTalk 106 is among those seeking to provide a quasi national licence, while a founder of Lite FM, Martin Block, is offering to provide a radio service in the main cities. In total the BCI received 57 submissions.
Most of the respondents were interested in providing regional services, mainly concentrated in the mid-west and the north east. The succecss of Ireland's first regional station, Beat FM, convinced others to suggest similar regional based ventures, said BCI chief executive Michael O'Keeffe.
Several of the submissions suggest putting new services into Dublin, but many of the companies insist these new services should also reach out into the commuter belt.
A large number of the submissions come from existing radio operators, including local services like Clare FM, Beat FM, Tipperary FM, East Coast FM, Galway Bay FM, Radio Kerry and Limerick's Live 95 FM. Several companies from other industries have also expressed an interest in future opportunities.
Accountacy group Farrell Grant Sparks is leading a group proposing a new station for the west of Ireland, including Limerick. The publisher of Business and Finance, Ian Hyland, has expressed an interest in providing a Dublin station, with a footprint stretching into the commuter belt.
The level of foreign firms interested in future radio opportunities is very small, with only GMG Holdings submitting an expression of interest. The magazine and radio group, Emap, previously expressed an interest in Irish radio, but it did not submit anything this time.
GMG Holdings is one of the UK's largest radio players, with three major brands in the UK: Real Radio, Jazz FM and Smooth FM.
Its stations reach more than 30 per cent of the UK population on both analogue and digital platforms. GMG Radio Holdings is owned by the Guardian Media Group Plc.
The BCI meanwhile has issued a ten year broadcasting licence to cable company Chorus for a new television service.
Chorus, owned by cable giant UGC, already operates a sports channel in its franchise area, but it now wants to expand this into general programming. The company's franchise area is the south west, mid west, midlands and south east.
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