More sites to see: Our web critic looks at Irish media websites

www.rte.ie

RTE's website is an excellent one and a great place to conduct research for school or college projects. The links to the news, TV, radio and sports sections are clear and easy to follow. The homepage is busy, but well designed so that it does not look cluttered. The section on 75 years of RTE radio is a great read, as is their recently added Dail guide, which gives contact details and a short CV for all TDs. The licence fee has been put to good use here.

www.98fm.ie

Though 98 FM's website also provides news, like the radio station itself it is music and entertainment that drives it. Pop and movie star interviews, album reviews and competitions - all staples of commercial radio everywhere - are prominent from the homepage. Some of the reviews are a bit dated (surely a Moby album review is well past requiring a prominent position at this stage), but overall it does what it does pretty well.

www.fm104.ie

FM104 is 98's biggest rival on the Dublin market and on the web. As with their broadcasts, the differences are little more than cosmetic. The links are a bit more snappily designed, but music, entertainment, competitions and a little bit of news are the staples. The history section is interesting in that it is honest about the process of becoming a success through changing its name and target market twice since its inception in July 1989 as Capital Radio.

www.todayfm.com

Today FM was very lucky to get its domain name, as Today is probably the most common name in the world for a commercial radio station - and particularly as its content and that of its Sydney-based namesake are so similar. That said, the Ronan Movie - a hilarious spoof on the solo career direction of the Boyzone boy - alone makes the site worth a visit. The DJ questionnaire section is also full of irreverent good humour.

www.tv3.ie

TV3's site looks very high tech and clinical, but is easy to use and presents its information well. The history section is well put together and provides an insight into the painful, almost 10 years long process that eventually led to its launch in September 1998. The listings and programme details are basic, and the Frequently Asked Questions section just can't resist having a dig at RTE and its licence fee, but, overall, the site has made a good start.