Today FM to change frequency in Dublin

bazzer

I've just heard an interruption to Today FM's 100.3MHz frequency in Dublin. It's a recorded message announcing that the frequency is to close and advising listeners to change to 101.8.

(Apologies if this has already been posted - I couldn't find any references to it elsewhere)

Speer

Heard that.Must be a new station on the way.

coylemj

I heard that recorded message this evening and retuned my kitchen radio to 101.8, the car will look after itself!

Unfortunately Today FM don't give away much information on their transmission - there's no frequency list on their website nor does the BCI list the Today FM frequencies as they do for several other stations so I can't see any explanation for this switch.

coylemj

Checked the car radio today, it's still on 100.3 and when I manually tune the button to 101.8, then switch to a different station and back to Today FM again, the radio seems to prefer 100.3 but I guess when they switch that frequency off the RDS AF function will flip the radio over to 101.8.

flogen

Heard it myself, it's probably to make room for Nova100.

coylemj

They've removed the RDS Station Name from the 100.3 signal so the car radios will have moved at this stage. An Ian Dempsey recorded message breaks in every now and then on 100.3 telling you to retune to 101.8

the_wabbitt

Guys heres the STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORY

As and from 8am , Monday October 5th 2009 REALRADIO, HOT TALK 100.3 will go on air running till 8pm on Thursday November 5th / 24hrs.

Watch out for Niall Boylan and the monster club , Mike Maloney in the afternoon 12-30 and Cris Barrie driving you home !!!!

So there - HUH!

DO'Carlo/Wex

So it won't affect us culchies outside the Pale then?
Won't be able to hear Radio Nova. Can't get 4-FM unless I move to Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway or Waterfjord.
Is De Big Smoke not cluttered-up with Radio Stations yet? Between Nationals, Regionals ("98-FM", "FM-10" "SPIN-103.8" etc.) & Specialist ones like Country Mix not to talk of Eastcoast, KFM, TCR (Tallaght) & temporary college stations & pirates the dial must be nearly full-up.

bigbob

coylemj wrote: »

I heard that recorded message this evening and retuned my kitchen radio to 101.8, the car will look after itself!

Unfortunately Today FM don't give away much information on their transmission - there's no frequency list on their website nor does the BCI list the Today FM frequencies as they do for several other stations so I can't see any explanation for this switch.

TodayFM frequencies listed here
http://www.rtenl.ie/downloads/radio-frequencies.pdf

Mossy Monk

DO'Carlo/Wex wrote: »

Can't get 4-FM unless I move to Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway or Waterfjord.

Not in Waterford you wont.

4FM is Ireland’s new multi-city radio station, broadcasting to counties Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Clare. Multi city licence that includes Clare

PacMan

I live in South Tipp, and receive 4FM with a strong signal. I do know its outside the franchise "Multi City" franchise area, but its a radio station I enjoy listening to. Nice music.:pac:

bungeecork

Why would an established national broadcaster have to move frequency? Why not give the new boy the new frequency?

lawhec

bungeecork wrote: »

Why would an established national broadcaster have to move frequency? Why not give the new boy the new frequency?

It's simple - Today FM lose no effective coverage in moving to this new frequency which as I understand has an ERP of 500 watts. Listeners in other parts of Dublin who find their reception to have been diminished from the frequency move can still tune in to 100.9 (Kippure) or 105.5 (Clermont Carn).

The 100.3 frequency is cleared for 10kW - twenty times more power compared to 101.8 - and covers more people as a result. Obviosuly a new station will want a clear, high powered frequency to reach as many potential listeners as possible, therefore the frequency swap is the fairest way of providing effective competition - the only disadvantage is that Today FM no longer has a single frequency that effectively covers all of Dublin though with most car radios these days having RDS, this is less of a problem than what it would have been back in the 90's.

Genghis

I can't believe that Today FM would agree to give up the frequency they occupied for over 10 years, foregoing a hugely powerful signal and spreading their broadcast across 3 frequencies in their key market just so that a temporary station directly competing with its sister station can go to air for a few weeks. Must be more to it than this.

Fuzzy Clam

Genghis wrote: »

I can't believe that Today FM would agree to give up the frequency they occupied for over 10 years, foregoing a hugely powerful signal and spreading their broadcast across 3 frequencies in their key market just so that a temporary station directly competing with its sister station can go to air for a few weeks. Must be more to it than this.

Today FM have no choice in the matter. Was it any more powerful on 100.3 than it is now?

The temp station has nothing to do with it either.

The frequency will probably be used by Nova100 when (if) it comes on air.

monkeyfudge

Frequencies tend not to be written into BCI licence agreements. So they can ask you to move.

I'm involved with Near FM and we had to move from our original frequency when 'Radio Ireland' now 'Today FM' came on air.