Any More Potential Irish Radio Acquisitions by Bauer Media Ireland or Wireless Ireland?

Declan A Walsh

At the time of typing this, Bauer Media Ireland are in the process of buying south-east youth station Beat 102-103. This means that Bauer will own all the Irish youth stations, which also include Cork's Red FM, Dublin's Spin1038, the south-west licensee Spin SW and the licensee covering a large area between the north-east and the west/north-west iRadio.

Bauer's Irish stations: all of the above, Dublin's 98FM, and national stations Today FM and Newstalk.

Wireless Ireland's stations: Dublin's Q102 and FM104, Cork's 96FM and C103, Limerick's Live 95FM and the north-east's LMFM.

As it stands, Bauer seem to have much more of the action, but can you see more stations being bought up by either of these companies, both of which are owned by other outside larger companies? If so, which ones would you think they are likely to buy?

Shan Doras

It was interesting how Bauer quickly went on a shopping spree buying all the Regional youth stations not long after entering the Irish market, whereas Wireless haven't expanded their portfolio in years, indeed there has been talk in radio circles for awhile that so wireless want out of the Irish market. The most obvious next step for Bauer would be to start buying up the rural locals, Tipp FM & Clare FM to start perhaps ? Another thing that may happen in the future is for Bauer itself to taken over by a major American company like I heart Media or Amazon. Sadly I think the days of profitable radio stations owned by small local inverters are coming to an end.

Declan A Walsh

If it helps, here are the other commercial radio stations not currently owned by either of these companies:

Classic Hits (multi-city license)

Radio Nova (licensed for Dublin and commuter belt)

Dublin's Sunshine 106.8

Wicklow's East Coast FM

Wexford's South East Radio

Waterford's WLR

Kildare's KFM

Midlands 103 (covers Westmeath, Laois and Offaly)

Tipp FM

Clare FM

Radio Kerry

KCLR (for Kilkenny and Carlow)

Galway Bay FM

Mayo's Mid-West Radio

Ocean FM (north-west area: north Leitrim, Sligo and south Donegal)

north Donegal's Highland Radio

Shannonside Northern Sound (covers Longford, Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan)

California Dreamer

Bauer can't buy local because that would give them a commercial monopoly and that would be refused by regulators.

Shan Doras

I would have said a couple of years ago that they wouldn't be allowed buy all the Regional youth stations as it would give them a defacto Third national station but here we are

Chun the Unavoidable

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122038523#Comment_122038523

I dont think the likes of Tipp FM are in their sights - their next step will be probably to rebrand and network all of the youth stations like they do in the UK and let it settle. I cant think of any other local station they'd be interested in TBH that fits where they have been looking. Today FM had the older national music audience and Newstalk is the real outlier but I'd imagine that committing to keeping NT going will satisfy the regulator and the Department of Arts, Culture, Media in terms of their overall PSB remit. Nobody else has the resources to do it (maybe that's where all the cash machine money goes!) and I'd imagine this was the carrott Bauer dangled to the authorities when they started to talk about buying communicorp. I don't see Bauer being bought by any American outlet they're pretty big in of themselves and the market environment is just too different from Europe to America.

Now, that said, if 2FM was to be privatised i'd say Bauer would be prime candidates for it. A national spin type station would suit them down to the ground.

Declan A Walsh

Just to bring the other media group into the conversation: are there any stations that Wireless might potentially be interested in?

Chun the Unavoidable

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122054652#Comment_122054652

looks like they have started to expand networking after the Tubs toe dipping so maybe not looking at others although Clare/Tipp Fm are probably low hanging fruit.

https://radiotoday.ie/2024/04/fm104-extends-house-and-dance-music-show-to-cork-and-limerick/

L1011

I would assume that the Irish Times, having sold Beat and their shares in Red, want out of radio so WLR will be for sale.

Wireless provide ad sales for WLR and Galway Bay already; they are logical acquisition targets.

Declan A Walsh

When you look at the stations that Bauer owns, they are essentially aimed at an audience largely under 40, and quite often under 30, with Newstalk being the biggest outlier. Today FM has a bit of a mixture age wise, depending on the programmes. Then you look at Wireless's stations and they tend to have a slightly bigger portion of slightly older listeners - more under 55, with some older listeners, rather than under 40. The biggest outlier for Wireless would be FM104, whose listeners would be that bit younger.

smallfridge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122056381#Comment_122056381

you imagine with Clare/Tipp almost part of the Radio Kerry group in the past, they may go in for it again. Radio Kerry have 3 stations under their group AFAIK

Is it Bay broadcasting has 3 as well?

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057885#Comment_122057885

Classic Hits, Nova and Sunshine 106.8. I think there's some connection with East Coast FM too, as Sunshine uses their newsreaders.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057933#Comment_122057933

Bay has those three; then Sean Ashmore who is involved in Bay (I think via owning a substantial % of Sunshine on his own) separately owns 50% of both East Coast and KFM. He is also a director of Spirit Radio.