I102-104FM

Infobox Radio Station
name = i102-104FM


city =
area = Counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo
branding =
slogan = " music is i "
airdate = 7 February 2008
frequency = 102-104 MHz 96.9 Mhz in County Donegal
format = Contemporary, youth orientated, T.A.: 15-34 y.o.
power =
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
owner = [http://www.iradio.ie iRadio]
website = [http://www.i102104.ie/ www.i102-104.ie]

i102-104FM (formally trading as i105FM) is a regional station in the Republic of Ireland which was launched on 7 February 2008. The station won the licence for a 'youth' orientated station that would broadcast across seven counties in the northwest and west of Ireland, targeting listeners aged between 15 and 34; and was part of a strategy by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to create a network of regional youth stations across the Republic to challenge the monopolies of national broadcasters RTÉ 2FM and Today FM.

Overview

The station has its studios in Galway City and is licenced to cover Counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. It is also popular in the neighbouring regions of counties Clare, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan and the border areas of the North. In County Donegal, i102-104 broadcasts through the frequency 96.9FM due to local radio station, Highland Radio broadcasting on the 103.3FM frequency band. As the 'i' in the title suggests, the company intends to use integration of different media sources, such as social networking sites and mobile phones, to make the station 'interactive' and attract listeners from what is a very diverse area spanning three provinces. High profile figures such as the comedians Tommy Tiernan and Hector Ó hEochagáin, have been signed up in an effort to raise the profile of the station, and a nationwide 'talent hunt' was launched to try and recruit the 40 people the station expects to employ when fully operational. [ [http://alanswan.wordpress.com/ Alan Swan] ]

There had been five competitors for the lucrative northwest licence (currently only 26% listen to local radio with the rest tuning into national stations Today FM (33%) and RTÉ 2FM (32%)), [ [http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2006/11/19/story18909.asp Sunday Business Post - 2006/11/19 - Healy’s €20m radio licences fund] ] with bids coming from Dublin's Spin 1038, Cork's Red FM and the northwest station, Ocean FM through 'Vibe FM', and was granted to i105FM in November 2006. i102-104FM is owned by a consortium called iRadio, that has applied for several other of the regional youth licences on offer from the BCI, winning the northeast and midlands licence through i107FM. iRadio is headed by Dan Healy, formerly of Communicorp's Newstalk and its other owners include fellow ex-Communicorp worker Deborah Fagan, as well as Boundary Radio, an investment management company, and the businessman Cormac McAlinden.

hows

All shows on i102-104 begin with the letter "i", giving all radio programmes on the station a similar branding. The station's Programme Director is Alan Swan.

iWake Up the station's breakfast show, presented by Louise Mc Sharry, kickstarts the day, broadcasting weekdays from 6.30am until 9.20am.

iWork With Dave presented by Dave O'Connor, is the mid-morning, early afternoon show broadcasting from 9.20am until 12.45pm weekdays. The show includes popular daily segments such as 'iDentify', 'Lost in translation with the dirty French one', 'The Midday Mashup' and 'Text on Legs'.

iWork With Mark presented by Mark Cunning, is the station's main afternoon show from 12.45pm until 4pm weekdays. It includes a mix of great new music and classic anthems along with daily segments such as 'Your status', 'The survey of the day' and the ever-popular 'iConfess', which gives listeners a chance to send in their secret confessions via text or e-mail. iWitness News, Sport and Weather goes out at 10 to the hour.

iGo Home is according to their website is "3 hours of radio madness that’s so off the wall and full of energy; simple words fail to capture its true spirit". Presented by Fergal D'Arcy and co-presented by Peter Ganley is i's drivetime, late-afternoon-early-evening show broadcasting weekdays from 4-7pm. It includes today's best music, classic tracks and tomorrow's hits and is also proud to feature current affairs and hot topics with a difference. The show has iWitness Traffic updates, News, Sport and Weather bulletins at 20 past and 10 to the hour. It also features a daily dose of George the Gnome who interacts with Fergal and Peter creating madness, laughter, tears and ultimately mayhem.

iAr Éileamh is Ireland's first bilingual chart & music request show presented by Barbara Nic Dhonnacha, going out weekdays from 7pm until 10pm. It kicks off by counting down the top 10 hits of the day as chosen by iListeners. 'Ar Éileamh' means 'On Demand' oweing to the interactive & music request nature of the show.

iTalk is the station's weeknightly talkshow with a difference presented by Mary 'Macker' McGill. It broadcasts from Monday to Thursday from 10pm 'til 1am. They are talking about the topical issues of the day, about celebrity shockers, the latest internet crazes and everything in-between.

iWitness is the name of the station's News, Sport, Weather & Traffic bulletins broadcasting throughout the day at 10 to the hour and during particular shows again at 20 past the hour. Traffic updates go out during iGo Home only. The main lunchtime iWitness bulletin goes out from 12.30pm-12.45pm weekdays.

Friday Night Live: The iParty with Tom Lavin is a Friday night show with 3 hours of cutting edge House, Electro, Trance and Techno. The show broadcasts from 10pm - 1am.

iWake Up Weekend with Lisa Brady is the weekend breakfast show broadcasting Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8am.

iPlay with Josh Clarke is the Saturday morning show from 10am 'til 2pm, kickstarting the weekend and getting you into the mood. Josh also presents iTest, going out on Sunday evenings from 6pm, is dedicated to finding the coolest, newest music around.

iMusic Weekend Sessions is presented by Dave Aylsbury and goes out on Saturdays from 2pm with Indie, Rock and Alternative music and again on Sundays from 1pm focusing on Hip Hop and R'n'B.

iCycle is presented by Donegal native Michael Doherty is i's Saturday night dance show with a mix of Electro/Proggressive/Minimal/Trance as well as throwing in some old school favourites with that new modern twist. Tune in from 10pm-1am each and every Saturday night.

iTake Over is a show presented by a listener going on Sunday nights from 9pm.

For more on these shows and other shows log onto http://www.i102104.ie/shows/index.html

References

* [http://www.bci.ie/news_information/press163.html Broadcast Commission of Ireland - 7th January 2008 - BCI signs contract with i Radio for new North-West regional youth service]

See also

* Radio in Ireland

External links

* [http://www.iradio.ie iRadio]
* [http://www.i102104.ie/ i102-104 FM]
* [http://www.bci.ie/ Broadcasting Commission of Ireland]