Spirit radio are struggling

Bebo Rocks

http://radionation.ie/2013/12/spirit-radio-lower-fundraising-target/#more-5704 Tbh I'm surprised that anybody donates to this station, It doesn't seem to do much except play obscure middle of the road music.

Zauka

Love spirit radio and will support them.

Zauka

coylemj

I hope they go the wall, they broadcast on 90.1 MHz which means they block the BBC R2 signal from Divis which on most days I could pick up in Dublin.

endacl

They're struggling because they're a Christian station, playing mostly christian music. Christian music is generally shyte music. Very few people willingly listen to shyte music. Even Christians.

Spirit's problem is they cater to a subset of a subset of the total available audience. Tone deaf Christians, or those with such an over riding delusional belief in all things jaysus related that they can tolerate shyte music because it's jaysus related. Neither a large demographic here. Thankfully.

As a previous poster said, knock this cr4p on the head. Give us back our BBC.

Spirit listeners can listen to their shyte music online, on weird little evangelical websites where it belongs and can be easily ignored as opposed to accidentally tuned into by a scanning car radio.

Or they could, if they wish to survive as a viable station, amend their playlists to suit a more discerning listenership.

Sympathy for the Devil, anyone...?

Losty Dublin

endacl wrote: »

They're struggling because they're a Christian station, playing mostly christian music. Christian music is generally shyte music. Very few people willingly listen to shyte music. Even Christians.

Spirit's problem is they cater to a subset of a subset of the total available audience. Tone deaf Christians, or those with such an over riding delusional belief in all things jaysus related that they can tolerate shyte music because it's jaysus related. Neither a large demographic here. Thankfully.

Spirit have no idea what they are doing at all; that's why they are struggling. They have not attempted to put up posters in churches and chapels around the city. They don't broadcast or record any church services or gospel concerts at all. Last summer when the Eucharistic Congress was on, they didn't do any outside or on site broadcasts at it, even with it being the largest religious event in Ireland since the Papal Visit. That's three glaringly obvious places where you'd expect a religious station to look or reach out to for listener and they won't/don't do that. You'd actually have to wonder why not

They have little to no ads or sponsorship on and no obvious revenue stream bar their dubious pledge drives. They can't even back up any spurious listenership figures as they have opted out of the JNLR book and they have not yet provided alternative research as per their BAI contract. It's well know in the trade that they stopped paying most of their staff after less than a year on air so it's no as if it's some sort of secret about the lack of cashflow in Spirit. If they keep playing the droll music that Enda CL mentioned, they won't be bringing in ad sheckles anytime soon.

The big question should be, how are they funding the station to stay on air?

Trick of the Tail

And how was a station with such a dubious business plan allowed to get a licence? A licence that was for national AM only originally?

A licence that was issued and remained dormant for a couple of years before they came on air, by which time it should have been withdrawn?

Bard

coylemj wrote: »

I hope they go the wall, they broadcast on 90.1 MHz which means they block the BBC R2 signal from Divis which on most days I could pick up in Dublin.

Frankly, that's a horrible thing to say! I wish them the best of luck and couldn't give a damn if they block every single BBC station on FM! To hope they go out of business with the loss of numerous jobs just because they clash with a music station you like (and a foreign one for that matter) is extremely bad form imho!

Trick of the Tail

Yes it is, if you want to listen to the BBC then do so online, or move to the country it serves.

L1011

Trick of the Tail wrote: »

A licence that was for national AM only originally?

The licence was originally issued for AM (three transmitters) plus regional FM. The licence was granted taking in to account issues with getting AM going from memory - I know it has since been re-granted: http://www.bai.ie/?p=2457

The fantastic erasing of history online that has occurred as we've gone IRTC->BAI->BCI means I can't find the licence application anymore.

endacl

Trick of the Tail wrote: »

Yes it is, if you want to listen to the BBC then do so online, or move to the country it serves.

I do listen online. It's a minor issue, stumbling across spirit rather than quality broadcasting. First world problem?

Fact remains though. If there was an audience here for their drivel they wouldn't be struggling.

mikom

Bard wrote: »

To hope they go out of business with the loss of numerous jobs just because they clash with a music station you like (and a foreign one for that matter) is extremely bad form imho!

Jesus of Nazareth.............. that's Nazareth off the red cow roundabout I presume.......

marno21

I'd imagine BBC Radio 2 on 90.1 would have more listeners than Spirit on 90.1 even though it comes from a different country.

Not sure why they're wasting money on a relay for Greystones anyway, surely Three Rock + 549 coverage is adequate

Infoanon

coylemj wrote: »

I hope they go the wall, they broadcast on 90.1 MHz which means they block the BBC R2 signal from Divis which on most days I could pick up in Dublin.

Spirit was allocated the frequency so its not their fault - however the allocation is beyond stupidity and it is exceptionally annoying that Spirit are blocking BBC Radio 2 reception

end of the road

put a dance station on the frequency instead lol, now that would get listeners, not as much as the x factor drivel, but still, a multi-city/regional dance station would be good, never going to happen though, oh well, at least we've got the pirates and internet radio (and RTE pulse the odd time)

marno21

Infoanon wrote: »

Spirit was allocated the frequency so its not their fault - however the allocation is beyond stupidity and it is exceptionally annoying that Spirit are blocking BBC Radio 2 reception

Spirit ARE blocking BBC Radio 2 on 90.1. If you turned off their Greystones relay, reception of BBC Radio 2 would become available again. No matter how you look at it, they are blocking BBC Radio 2.

If West Limerick 102 turned off their 102.2 transmitter I would get interference free reception of Beat 102 103 back. So West Limerick 102 are blocking Beat reception, regardless of whether I am entitled to receive it or not. I know a lot more people around here would listen to Beat in the car if it wasn't for 102.2 from Newcastlewest interrupting.

Same with 4FM on 104.2 blocking reception of Shannonside 104FM in parts of Limerick during lifts or Clare FM's Killaloe relay (which can be picked up 70km away) blocking extreme fringe eception of KCLR96FM (extereme examples I know)

coylemj

Bard wrote: »

Frankly, that's a horrible thing to say! I wish them the best of luck and couldn't give a damn if they block every single BBC station on FM! To hope they go out of business with the loss of numerous jobs just because they clash with a music station you like (and a foreign one for that matter) is extremely bad form imho!

Trick of the Tail wrote: »

if you want to listen to the BBC then do so online, or move to the country it serves.

So basically if I like listening to the BBC I should fcuk off and emigrate to the UK! Or would it be ok if I just moved to Newry?

Reminds me of the young lad who stood outside Croke Park before the first rugby international, he was holding a placard whinging about 'foreign' games while wearing a Celtic jersey!

Religious zealotry and intolerance are never far apart.

Trick of the Tail

Well I'm not being funny, but you can't really expect to receive a foreign radio station with a good signal - if you can, it's by luck and chance.

I'd love to be able to listen to London'd LBC97.3 on FM here, but I can't. So I have to listen online.

A reasonable position, I think? No?

end of the road

l.b.c. isn't a good comparison, its signal wouldn't reach this far unlike the BBC stations who's signal would reach ireland, many people rightly or wrongly would rather receive the BBC then spirit radio

shabba man

How many, I've counted 2 so far...............

endacl

shabba man wrote: »

How many, I've counted 2 so far...............

How many what?

Bard

coylemj wrote: »

So basically if I like listening to the BBC I should fcuk off and emigrate to the UK! Or would it be ok if I just moved to Newry?

Nobody said that.

However, when a radio station that has every legal right to broadcast to this jurisdiction just happens to be on the same frequency as one which actually doesn't - but which you prefer - sorry, but you've not really got anyone to complain to... and wishing that the legal station goes out of business just so that you can hear the other IS bad form.

Personally, I'd like to be able to listen to BBC's 2 and 4 on FM where I live, but I can't and I accept that as I live outside their franchise area(/country!) - so I listen online... which is ridiculously easy.

Reminds me of the young lad who stood outside Croke Park before the first rugby international, he was holding a placard whinging about 'foreign' games while wearing a Celtic jersey!

Religious zealotry and intolerance are never far apart.

Molehill............> Mountain.