BCI contract change in Sligo-Leitrim-Donegal

icdg

The BCI have announced the last of their contract renewals for ILR.

In the Sligo-Leitrim-Dongeal area, we have the only change of contract in an existing area. Ocean FM Radio (North West Broadcasting Limited) will replace NWR FM.

NWR may have been an easy target for dismissal, since they continue to hold their MWR FM franchise. The two stations were being run as a dual franchise, however unlike the other dual franchises (Shannonside-Northern Sound and 96FM County Sound), they were not readvertised as one, but as two seperate franchises. Perhaps unfair on them, but if they decide to challenge the decision, they should remember that no BCI decision has ever been overturned in the courts since the very early 1990s (when TV3 had an IRTC decision to revoke their franchise recisinded).

Elsewhere, 96FM County Sound and Radio Kerry have had their franchises renewed.

This means the changes in this contract round have been:

OUT: Tipp Mid-West (area abolished), Radio Kilkenny, Carlow Kildare Radio, North West Radio. (Also Radio Limerick One, but they were dismissed for breach of contract in 1996)
IN: KFM (Kildare FM), KCLR (Kilkenny Carlow Local Radio), Ocean FM Radio. (Also Live 95FM from 1997)

BrianD

And already the politicans are trying to get in on the act with promises to "investigate" the award by the so called independent BCI (according to todays Irish Times). Oddly ebough, the politicans are not to concerned about the sheer incompetence of BCI decisions in relation to stations in Dublin City & County. The sooner this lot is disbanded the better!

byte

I must be one of the very few who couldn't care less about NWR losing their license! I've always hated the channel! I'd even find Highland Radio in Letterkenny better, though my reception is very poor.

I did listen to NWR the morning they were informed of the BCI decision though. They said that the day before, they were told that they had 68% listenership, which is quite high, and makes it surprising that they'd lose their license with such a high listenership! I look forward to hearing the reasons for this decision.

I hear that Clifford Electrical and Packie Bonner, amongst others are behind Ocean FM Radio. I just wonder what their channel will be like if/when it launches (NWR lose license Sept 2004) and if it'll be another feicing NWR clone with Country music all day!

Element 4

NWR had it coming for a long time.

icdg

Well, from what I was aware of, NWR was basically being run as a satellite of MWR, with shared programming for much of the time. So from the regions' point of view, surely it is better for a region to have its own 24/7 local radio station rather than one which is an opt-out of another region's station?

byte

Yeah, I totally agree! I just hope Ocean FM Radio will be an improvement! :rolleyes: