New radio stations make promising debut

RTÉ continues to be the national leader in the Irish radio market, but local radio stations are continuing to make gains in their own markets, according to the latest national listership figures released today.

The JNLR/MRBI figures for July 2001 to June 2002 show 88 per cent of Irish adults regularly listen to radio.

The independent sector recorded a market share of 53 per cent (down 1 per cent), compared to the RTÉ's group of stations which have a combined market share of 47 per cent, a rise of one per cent.

Local radio has a combined listenership of 53 per cent, while RTÉ Radio 1 and 2FM attracts 31 per cent and 27 per cent of listeners, respectively.

Today FM continued to strengthen its position with a listenership figure of 16 per cent. Lyric FM also posted its highest ever figures of 4 per cent, or 126,000, of the audience. This is a rise of 3 per cent on last year.

The five most popular local radio stations are Donegal's Highland Radio, North West Radio, WLR FM5 in Waterford, Mid West Radio in Mayo, Radio Kerry, Radio Kilkenny and Limerick’s Live 95FM.

In Dublin, the main story is the success of NewsTalk 106FM, which was launched in April this year. The JNLR figures show about 88,000, or 10 per cent, of Dubliners have listened to the station since it began. Exactly half of them, 44,000 people, are now weekly listeners.

Dublin's FM104 recorded a listenership of 21 per cent (-1), 98FM was at 19 per cent (-2) and LiteFM reached 12 per cent (-1).

Another new entrant in Dublin, country music station 106.8FM, achieved a 2 per cent reach for the six-month period January to June 2002.

Cork’s top local radio station was Cork 96FM/County Sound, which recorded a listernership reach of 57 per cent. The new local independent youth station, Red 104–106FM, recorded a listener reach of 16 per cent in its first six months of operation.