White broadcasts Lite's intention to succeed from start

Lite FM, the new Dublin radio station due to start broadcasting on 25th May, aims to attract 86,000 listeners in its first year and should start generating operating profit within three years, according to the station's chairman, Mr Padraic White.

"It is our ambition to reach 10 per cent of the population of Dublin within the first year," says Mr White. "This is a realistic target and is planned on a prudent basis."

These growth targets are backed by a capital investment of £2 million and a marketing spend of £1 million (€2.54 million) over the first year. "These are critical for the station to succeed from day one," says Mr White. "From the first few seconds we will have a fully-developed and quality service."

Mr White is conscious of the mistakes made by Radio Ireland, the precursor to Today FM, which went out of business only a few years after setting up. "We have invested heavily in technology and a fully-costed programme, we have not gone down the road of minimal investment," he says. "We have one real chance and we will maximise the chances of success."

Of the three new radio licencees approved by the IRTC last year, Lite FM will be first to broadcast following the legal challenge to the youth-oriented consortium, Spin FM. This should enable Lite FM to benefit by establishing earlier relationships with advertisers, says Mr White.

The station has recruited 30 journalists and has poached some high-profile personalities from other stations. These include presenter Mr Scott Williams from 95 FM in Limerick who will host Lite FM's flagship 10.00 a.m. to noon slot, and Ms Breda O'Brien, formerly of 98 FM.

"Experienced staff will enable us to go at it from the first second and fully develop a quality service," says Mr White.

In contrast to the two major independent radio stations in Dublin, FM 104 and 98 FM, Lite FM is unashamedly targeting the over-35s age group with a mixture of easy listening music and Dublin-focused news and information.

"There is a whole segment of the population who have been forgotten about by radio. No station is yet specifically geared at this high-spending group in the Dublin market," says Mr White.

An ageing population and the return of diaspora are both processes which should ensure the future viability of the station, says Mr White.

"Once we get our audience reach, that audience will grow and have the purchasing power to support us," he says. "It's the other end of the market (youth oriented) which will get squeezed," he adds.

Music will take up around 80 per cent of the radio station's airtime. A sample CD reflecting the station's likely playlist includes songs from "old favourites" such as The Eagles, Louis Armstrong and Fleetwood Mac. But is there a danger the station will suffer from a bland image?

"No, the emphasis will be on relaxing and classic brands of music. The selection will include classics of popular music. This will not be based on time but on what we think will be all-time favourites and that includes the likes of Robbie Williams and Ronan Keating."

Mr White recognises that the major competition will come from Lyric FM, which he acknowledges has made strong inroads into the Dublin market, and RTE Radio One.

But rather than seeking to knock these two stations out of the Dublin market, Mr White believes Lite FM will have a complimentary role to play.

"People don't have to abandon RTE One for us to be successful," he says. "If they add our station to their preset stations choice in their cars or at home, we will be happy."

Despite this complimentary role, however, competition will be stiff especially for the flagship programme which will be going head-to-head with Mr Pat Kenny's programme on Radio One. "We will focus on Dublin stories unlike Pat Kenny who has to focus on the rest of the country as well," says Mr White. "Housing, crime, hospital waiting lists, car thefts will be our agenda."

An arts magazine programme, rolling news, sports and traffic reports will make up the 20 per cent of talk time specified under the terms of the IRTC licence.

"We have set out to deliver exactly what we said," says Mr White. "We believe we'll have more innovative news programming."

Lite FM has been in discussion with several local stations about using content and is likely to form partnerships with up to three of them, according to Mr White. Documentaries are also a possibility, he says.

"All the indications are that people want variety. The commercial sector has stimulated a new listening public," says Mr White. "But our sound, ethos and style will be totally different."

Besides his recent move into radio, Mr White recently made national headlines as co-author with Mr Ray MacSharry of the bestselling book - The Making of the Celtic Tiger: The Inside Story of Ireland's Economic Boom.

"I had a desire to tell the story of the IDA and the extraordinary commitment by the people working within the organisation," says Mr White.

"The Celtic Tiger didn't happen by accident, it was the ability of the government and IDA to identify the right kinds of investment and have the necessary foresight and planning."

On current investment strategies, Mr White believes the IDA has its finger on the pulse. The current drive towards encouraging e-commerce investment and an e-hub concept in the Republic is the right way to go, he says.

"Last year a quarter of the jobs the IDA created were for salaries of more than £25,000 per year. They are choosing the more sophisticated companies which require high skills," he says.

Mr White has never been busier. He holds directorships or chairmanships in a multitude of companies including Flexicom, Dresdner Bank Ireland, Novell Software Ireland and Arigna Fuels. But he insists business is about more than making money.

"We have to put something back into the community," says Mr White.

This is the reason he has been chairman of the Northside Partnership, an organisation which works to enhance the job opportunities for the long-term unemployed, since 1991. Mr White has also been appointed to several high-profile State boards, the most prominent of which is probably the Dublin Light Rail Advisory & Action Group. He rejects the criticism that LUAS is behind schedule and has the potential to cause traffic chaos.

"The LUAS is going to be running, working, carrying thousands and thousands of people at peak hour off the road within two to three years. And it is one of the few things that is actually proceeding, has a definite start date and will definitely carry from 710,000 people at peak hours."

Rumours that Mr White was the favoured candidate for the top job at CIE were completely unfounded, he insists. "It was never an issue and was completely without substance. I think it was drummed up maliciously to create tension," he says. "I have a clear career path which doesn't involve a full-time executive position."