Today FM

Today FM
Broadcast area	National Ireland
Slogan	100 to 102 Today FM
Frequency	100-101.8 (105.5 north east) MHz Digital terrestrial television DAB digital radio
First air date	17 March 1997
Format	Contemporary
Owner	Communicorp
Website	www.todayfm.com

For the similarly named Australian radio station, see 2Day FM

Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk. Recently purchased by Denis O'Brien's Communicorp Group Ltd, Today FM holds a licence from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to the year 2017.^[1] The station recorded pretax profits of €7.4 million on a turnover of €19.4 million in early 2009, more than twice what it was two years previously.^[2]

History

Origin: Radio Ireland

The original Independent National Radio franchise holder in Ireland was 100-102 Century Radio, which launched in 1989 and closed down abruptly in late 1991. The Independent Radio and Television Commission did not re-advertise the contract for several years, until 1996.

Radio Ireland Limited, originally owned by John McColgan and Moya Doherty (and because of their involvement, dubbed "Radio Riverdance"), won the contract when it was advertised. The station went on air on 17 March 1997. At first the station was a mixed network, airing much talk programming and various types of music. However, following six months of disastrous ratings, and with a listenership of just 1%, the station was revamped, and on 1 January 1998 became 100-102 Today FM.^[3] The station axed almost all of its programming and changed its music policy entirely.^[3] Eamon Dunphy's co-host was axed, with him being heavily promoted as a solo act and Ian Dempsey and Ray D'Arcy were poached from arch-rivals RTÉ.^[3] The IRTC went along with the schedule changes, though in a statement soon after the relaunch said it was not entirely satisfied with the new schedule. However, within three months, the station's listenership had almost doubled.

Old logo

Today FM reshuffled its daytime schedule in 2004, reducing The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show to add an extra hour to The Ray D'Arcy Show so that it could compete directly with rival, The Gerry Ryan Show.^[4] Philip Cawley's afternoon show was reduced and Tony Fenton was given a lunchtime show.^[4]

Exchanges of ownership

In 2002, Scottish Radio Holdings plc acquired Radio Ireland Limited from its shareholders. In June 2005, an agreed takeover offer for that company was made by EMAP plc.

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. Had the sale been approved in its originally proposed form, both FM104 and 98FM would be owned by the same company.^[5][6]

On 8 October 2007, Communicorp's takeover of Today FM was approved by the BCI.^[7] Following the Competition Authority's approval for the takeover (on the condition that the enlarged Communicorp disposed of FM104 to UTV Media), the takeover closed in April 2008.

Relocation

In 2008, Today FM moved their studios from their original base at 112 Upper Abbey Street, Dublin across the Liffey to Marconi House in Digges Lane, Dublin 2. Presenters Matt Cooper, Ray D'Arcy, Ian Dempsey and Tom Dunne spent hours recreating the iconic picture used for the cover of the Beatles 11th album, Abbey Road to publicise their move.^[8] On 29 February 2008, Matt Cooper's The Last Word was the final show to be presented from the old studios. The first show to be presented from the new studios was Friday Night 80s with Phil Cawley from 7 p.m. The first song played was "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Also in 2008 (25 October) Today FM celebrated ten years of broadcasting live Premier League football.

Shows

The station airs a mixture of popular music and news and current affairs programming. The flagship current affairs programme is Matt Cooper's The Last Word. The latest JNLR figures revealed that his programme enjoyed a listenership of 215,000, over-taking RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime for the first time ever. The Last Word is followed from Monday until Thursday by Paul McLoon's music programme.

Of note is the station's satirical slot, Gift Grub,^[9] a feature broadcast during The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, which is performed by Mario Rosenstock and includes a popular caricature of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. DJs at the station include the three-times Meteor award winning Ray D'Arcy, and two-time winning Ray Foley, as well as Alison Curtis, Ann Marie Kelly, Ian Dempsey, Tony Fenton, Phil Cawley and Tim Kelly. Alison Curtis offers something for the indie listener with her Sunday night music show, The Last Splash and in 2008 was given her own weeknight show with Mister Ed Smith.

Today FM broadcasts 24-hours a day, however from around 02:00 until 05:00 on weekdays and 01:00 until 06:00/07:00 on weekends, the station just broadcasts back-to-back music overnight with no presenters or programmes. This has been done by most Irish radio stations, usually to save costs in employing overnight presenters and technicians.

See also

• Tracey Lee
• Alice Cooper (Nights with Alice Cooper)
• List of Irish radio stations
• List of Irish companies
• Tom Hardy (broadcaster)

References

External links

• Official site