How were the franchise areas for local radio decided ?

Phat Dick

For example I have always wondered why does the highland radio licence not cover the whole of County Donegal

Losty Dublin

Generally though not specifically the franchise areas were loosely based on the coverage areas of some of the old pirates that preceded them. In a few areas the then IRTC issued quasi community licences to some smaller stations; Horizon, Tipp Mid West, Radio Kilkenny and County Sounds 103 in North Cork are the ones that come to mind; there are those who would argue that Ireland could have sustained dozens more similar operations nationwide.

Expunge

Tipperary originally had three franchise areas for some reason:

North Tipp (including Nenagh and Thurles) won by a group called Active Link. It never got to air

West Tipp (Tipp town and Cashel) won by Tipperary Mid-West Radio. Still going now as a community station, but was originally a commercial station.

South East Tipp (Clonmel, Carrick on Suir and Cahir) won by Suirland Radio.

It was a bizarre carve up of the county with none of the franchise winners being able to sustain themselves financially.
It wasn't until the North and South Tipp franchise holders merged a few years later that it became viable.

Poor auld Tipp Mid West wisely decided to throw in the towel and become a community service with plenty of volunteers, church gate collections and country music dance nights to keep it going.

L1011

Chaotically, effectively. The allowed mergers and redrawing of Kildare/Carlow/Kilkenny in 04 have made it a bit more sensible

Fuzzy Clam

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Generally though not specifically the franchise areas were loosely based on the coverage areas of some of the old pirates that preceded them. In a few areas the then IRTC issued quasi community licences to some smaller stations; Horizon, Tipp Mid West, Radio Kilkenny and County Sounds 103 in North Cork are the ones that come to mind; there are those who would argue that Ireland could have sustained dozens more similar operations nationwide.

The franchise areas had nothing to do with the pirates.

Fuzzy Clam

What a lot of people don't know, or don't remember, is the original plan was for a 3 tier roll out of local radio.
The 1st was for the local stations as we know it now. The 2nd and 3rd was for RTE local radio and community radio.
I think the RTE stations were to cover the same franchise areas as the independents.
For whatever reasons RTE local radio didn't happen. I guess they decided against it.

Ursus Horribilis

Was that around the time Ray Burke capped RTE's advertising?

Fuzzy Clam

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

Was that around the time Ray Burke capped RTE's advertising?

Was that not during the Century days?

Ursus Horribilis

It was but perhaps that stopped any possible RTE expansion?

dxhound2005

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

What a lot of people don't know, or don't remember, is the original plan was for a 3 tier roll out of local radio.
The 1st was for the local stations as we know it now. The 2nd and 3rd was for RTE local radio and community radio.
I think the RTE stations were to cover the same franchise areas as the independents.
For whatever reasons RTE local radio didn't happen. I guess they decided against it.

I don't remember any plan for RTE to have local stations. The 1988 legislation which set up the Independent Radio and TV Commission did not plan for extra RTE stations. The Commission is now the BAI which regulates local and community radio.

RTE local stations would have made sense, and the current local stations make sense. Both together would make no sense.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1988/act/20/enacted/en/print#sec3

4.—(1) It shall be the function of the Commission to arrange, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, for the provision of sound broadcasting services (including a national sound broadcasting service) and one television programme service additional to any broadcasting services provided by Radio Telefís Éireann pursuant to the Broadcasting Authority Acts, 1960 to 1979.

Fuzzy Clam

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I don't remember any plan for RTE to have local stations. The 1988 legislation which set up the Independent Radio and TV Commission did not plan for extra RTE stations. The Commission is now the BAI which regulates local and community radio.

RTE local stations would have made sense, and the current local stations make sense. Both together would make no sense.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1988/act/20/enacted/en/print#sec3

4.—(1) It shall be the function of the Commission to arrange, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, for the provision of sound broadcasting services (including a national sound broadcasting service) and one television programme service additional to any broadcasting services provided by Radio Telefís Éireann pursuant to the Broadcasting Authority Acts, 1960 to 1979.

It was in the original plan as stated in 1988 by the IRTC (I think). I had a cutting from a newspaper from the time but I threw it out years ago.

Prior to that, RTE were very vocal about the idea of independent radio. As far as they were concerned, local radio in this country could, and should, be delivered by them, and them alone.

Phat Dick

I wonder what rte local radio would have sounded like ? I'd guess they'd be farming out djs who were no longer wanted in Montrose to their local stations

Fuzzy Clam

Phat Dick wrote: »

I wonder what rte local radio would have sounded like ? I'd guess they'd be farming out djs who were no longer wanted in Montrose to their local stations

It would have been 23 hrs of Radio 1 and 1 hour of local ****.

They couldn't even operate a proper local station for Cork!

dxhound2005

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

It was in the original plan as stated in 1988 by the IRTC (I think). I had a cutting from a newspaper from the time but I threw it out years ago.

Prior to that, RTE were very vocal about the idea of independent radio. As far as they were concerned, local radio in this country could, and should, be delivered by them, and them alone.

There would be no need for an Independent Commission if the plan was for RTE local stations. I don't doubt that RTE made noises about closing down the pirates and replacing them with their own local stations. But before the pirates what did they do about local radio?

If RTE got local radio, it would just have resulted in the pirates continuing on. What closed down the big pirates was the fact that they got jobs with the new independent stations. Of course there are still plenty of pirates, but they have very few listeners.

Fuzzy Clam

dxhound2005 wrote: »

There would be no need for an Independent Commission if the plan was for RTE local stations. I don't doubt that RTE made noises about closing down the pirates and replacing them with their own local stations. But before the pirates what did they do about local radio?

If RTE got local radio, it would just have resulted in the pirates continuing on. What closed down the big pirates was the fact that they got jobs with the new independent stations. Of course there are still plenty of pirates, but they have very few listeners.

No.
I don't think you're aware of the situation at the time.
The frequencies would still have had to be managed and allocated by the then regulator so RTE could not operate they own local stations as they wished.
The closure of the big pirates had nothing to do with getting jobs on the legal stations. In order to apply for a licence, you HAD to be off air. This was what closed down most of the pirates at the time.
Up until the end of 1988, stations could operate without sanction, in most cases.

RTE didn't make noises about replacing the pirates until the Government talked about
legalising Independent radio. Only then did they say that they could do it and there no need for independent radio.

PacMan

Expunge wrote: »

Tipperary originally had three franchise areas for some reason:

North Tipp (including Nenagh and Thurles) won by a group called Active Link. It never got to air

West Tipp (Tipp town and Cashel) won by Tipperary Mid-West Radio. Still going now as a community station, but was originally a commercial station.

South East Tipp (Clonmel, Carrick on Suir and Cahir) won by Suirland Radio.

It was a bizarre carve up of the county with none of the franchise winners being able to sustain themselves financially.
It wasn't until the North and South Tipp franchise holders merged a few years later that it became viable.

Poor auld Tipp Mid West wisely decided to throw in the towel and become a community service with plenty of volunteers, church gate collections and country music dance nights to keep it going.

I didn't see any reference to Tipp FM in your post. This has been around for a long time, hasn't it ?
when did it start ?

Harry Palmr

As I remember it the plan for RTE was that they would own all of local radio then when that was laughed out of court they suggested 50% of local radio - quite how I'm not sure as let's face it no independent capitalist would want to share the bed with RTE and it's hidebound rules.

btw that wiki page on Radio in Ireland is woeful.

An Ciarraioch

PacMan wrote: »

I didn't see any reference to Tipp FM in your post. This has been around for a long time, hasn't it ?
when did it start ?

1989, it seems:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipp_FM

Radio Kerry was one of the last stations to get on air, largely because the various competitors for the licence all failed to get the green light.

Expunge

PacMan wrote: »

I didn't see any reference to Tipp FM in your post. This has been around for a long time, hasn't it ?
when did it start ?

Yes, sorry. Tipp FM was the result of the merger of the North Tipp (Active Link) and South East Tipp (Suirland Radio) franchises.

I think that wikipedia reference it's air date being in 1989 is wrong (surprise, surprise).

I'd guess that Tipp Fm didn't make it to air till 1992 or 1993.

The station has changed ownership a couple of times since.

marno21

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

1989, it seems:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipp_FM

Radio Kerry was one of the last stations to get on air, largely because the various competitors for the licence all failed to get the green light.

Radio Kerry originally broadcast on 96.2 in Tralee (in addition to the main county TX on 97.0 from Mullaghanish), and had a youth oriented opt-out from 6pm - 10pm on 96.2. Normal programming was difficult to receive in parts of Tralee at these times. In 2005, a new relay was launched on 97.2 from Slieve Mish (R2K had been shut down a year or so previous), and 97.2 nowadays covers the biggest population of any Radio Kerry transmitter despite being one of the lower power transmitters (covers Tralee, Castleisland, Farranfore, Killorglin, Milltown, Castlemaine, and other parts of central Kerry)