FM104

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FM 104
Broadcast area	Dublin
Slogan	Dublin's Hit Music Station
Frequency	104.4 MHz, DAB, Online, NTL Digital Channel 930
First air date	1989
Format	Contemporary and Rock
Owner	UTV Radio
Website	www.fm104.ie

FM104 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcast across Dublin, Ireland, on the frequency 104.4 MHz. It is operated by Capital Radio Productions Limited (unconnected with, and not to be confused with, Capital Radio plc), and is a subsidiary of UTV Radio. The station broadcasts under a sound broadcasting contract from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. The station was recently bought by Communicorp and then sold to UTV.

Programming

FM104 is aimed mainly at 15-35 year olds, broadcasting mainly popular music and rock music. The station's flagship programme is The Strawberry Alarm Clock, which is presented by Jim McCabe & Niamh Crowley. The station offers a full news service, airing on the hour between 06:00 and 19:00. During the early 1990s, FM104 operated a network news service for ILR stations known as Network Radio News, however this was closed upon the inauguration of the current common network news service, Independent Network News.

History

Capital Radio, as the station was originally called, was the first Independent Local Radio contractor to take to the air in 20 July 1989. Although initially moderately successful, following the launch of rival 98FM, the station consistently trailed in the ratings. In May 1991, the station relaunched as Rock 104, however this was unsuccessful and the station re-branded again in April 1992 to Dublin's FM104, using the tag-line "Superstars of the 80s and 90s".This format was moderately successful allowing the station to reach financial stability. However, the station still lagged behind its competitor 98FM. A change in programming direction in 1995, together with the introduction of the highly successful Strawberry Alarm-clock saw it finally overtake 98FM, though 98FM would itself undergo a (less radical) relaunch, dropping the "Classic Hits" moniker, and poaching Chris Barry for a time.In April 1996 FM104 moved into the Number 1 slot in the Dublin market for the first time. Since then, FM104 and 98FM have been keen rivals.

In 2004 the original shareholders sold the station to Scottish Radio Holdings in the first of a sequence of ownership changes. SRH were subsequently sold to EMAP, who in turn sold the station in 2007.

On 16 July 2007 it was announced that Denis O'Brien's Communicorp had agreed to purchase FM104, along with national station Today FM and Donegal station Highland Radio. The sale is however subject to both Competition Authority and Broadcasting Commission of Ireland approval. Should the sale be approved, both FM104 and 98FM would be owned by the same company.^[1][2]

On 8 October 2007, it was announced by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland that it would not agree to the sale of FM104 to Communicorp. although it granted approval for the acquisition of Today FM and Highland Radio. [1]. A Competition Authority investigation is continuing, however the BCI must agree to any transfer of the FM104 licence and thus the sale is, at present unlikely to proceed. On 19 December 2007 it was announced that UTV Media had agreed to purchase FM104, subject to approval from the BCI and the Competition Authority and from UTV shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting. Under the structure of the agreement Communicorp will acquire FM104 and immediately sell it to UTV Media, thus keeping to the spirit of the earlier BCI ruling and allowing it to acquire the other EMAP stations. [2] [3] The sale of FM104 to UTV Media was completed on April 10th 2008.

List of FM104 presenters

• Jim McCabe (The Strawberry Alarm Clock)
• Niamh Crowley (The Strawberry Alarm Clock)
• Andy Preston (FM104's 10-3 Show/FM104's Hit 20)
• Mark Noble (FM104's The Jam/FM104's All request Saturday/Music Director/Assistant Programme Director)
• Ben Murray (FM104's It's Your Call/Main Swing Presenter)
• Adrian Kennedy (FM104 PhoneShow)
• Jeremy Dixon (FM104 PhoneShow)
• Al Gibbs (FM104's Freaks On Friday)
• Rob Gormley (FM104's Hits)
• Tony Dixon (FM104's Hip Hop & R&B)
• Frank Jez (FM104's Big Urban Mix)
• Louise Jordan (FM104's The Juice)
• Suzanne Kane (FM104's Saturday Download Chart)
• Eamon Duffy (FM104's Saturday Breakfast/FM104's 80's Wake Up)
• Miriam Maher (FM104's Deireadh Seachtaine Show)
• Ruairi Carroll (FM104's Open Mic)
• Killian O'Sullivan (FM104's NightTime Network, Sunday - Thursday)
• Mel Byrne (FM104's NightTime Network Friday)

FM104 News Team

• Trish Laverty
• Ross Lynch
• Jackie Farrell
• Niamh Kinsella (weekends)

FM104 Sports Presenters

• Hazel Nolan (Editor)
• Bernard O'Toole
• Ger Tracy
• Carl Monaghan

FM104 News

FM104 News underwent a revamp in 2008 having gone unchanged for a period of almost 5 years. New background music was introduced and the jingle at the start of the updates was modified to reference the various ways of accessing FM104 (FM, Online, Digital). The news focus has remained the same throughout this time and the bulletins continue to vary in duration from three to four minutes, depending on the time of the broadcast.

FM104 Podcasts

Podcasts are available on iTunes of FM104's The Strawberry Alarm Clock, FM104's Phoneshow, FM104's Open Mic and FM104's The Juice.

References

See also

• FM104 PhoneShow
• The Strawberry Alarm Clock

External links

• FM104