WLR FM

WLR FM
Broadcast area Waterford City and County, Ireland
Slogan We Love Waterford!
Frequency 94.8, 95.1, 97.5 FM
First air date Friday 8 September 1989
Format Adult Oriented Pop Music with local news, sports and specialist programmes
Language(s) English, with dedicated Irish Language programme and occasional Irish spoken on other programming
Audience share 48.4%
Sister stations Beat 102 103
Cork's Red FM
Webcast Here
Website wlrfm.com

WLR FM (Waterford Local Radio), licensed since 1989 (WLR had previously been a pirate radio station) by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, is the local radio station covering Waterford City and County. In addition to the official franchise area, the station also enjoys a considerable listenership in South County Kilkenny and East County Cork. WLR FM broadcasts on three frequencies: 95.1 MHz for most of the county (and a low-power transmitter also on 95.1 MHz for Waterford city centre), 97.5 MHz for Waterford city and much of East Waterford, and a low-power transmitter on 94.8 MHz to cover the East Waterford coast.

On Friday 10 October 2012, at the PPI Radio Awards 2012, WLR FM was named Local Station of the Year.[1]

History

The original WLR, which was a pirate station, launched on 23 June 1978 broadcasting from the garage of Rick Whelan at Killotteran just outside the city. This unlicensed operation was one of the longest lasting in the country and continued for just over a decade until its closure at the end of 1988 - new radio licences were to be awarded by the then IRTC (now BCI) in 1989. WLR, with a number of local businessmen on board formed a consortium to apply for the franchise to broadcast to Waterford city and county. This application had competition from two other applicants, one (Deise Broadcasting Company) involved former pirate ABC Radio and local business people including the Reid family (owners of the well-known 'Egans' licensed premises where ABC was based before its closure), and another application (Waterford Radio/WRFM) which was backed by the then Waterford Foods and The Munster Express newspaper. The IRTC held oral hearings for the Waterford licence at the Tower Hotel in Waterford city on 27 April 1989 where all three applicants presented their case. Shortly afterwards it was announced WLR's consortium was victorious. The licensed WLR FM launched on 8 September 1989 from studios on Georges Street above the Georges Court Shopping Centre in Waterford City. The station broadcast from these studios for many years until the building of the present purpose-built Broadcast Centre, at Ardkeen, Waterford. The station's licence has been unchallenged on subsequent renewals.

The station was 75% owned by Thomas Crosbie Holdings until that company went into receivership in March 2013. The 75% stake was acquired by Landmark Media Investments.[2]

Management Team

Title Name With station since
Managing Director Des Whelan 1989
Programme Director Michael Byrne 2001
Head of News Liz Reddy 1989
Financial Director Lena Murphy 2009
Sales Director Neil Gough 2016

Schedule

Weekday Schedule

Daily Programmes
Time Programme Presenter Day
07:00 - 10:00 The Big Breakfast Blaa Oliver Carroll Monday to Friday
10:00 - 12:00 Déise AM Billy McCarthy (Produced by Jennifer Long) Monday to Friday
12:00 - 15:00 The Lunchbox Geoff Harris Monday to Friday
15:00 - 18:00 Drive-Time Teresanne O'Reilly Monday to Friday
19:00 - 22:00 The Shift Ray Colclough Monday to Thursday
22:00 - 00:00 The Late Show John O'Shea Monday to Thursday
19:00 - 22:00 The Mojo Lounge Mojo Murphy Friday
22:00 - 00:00 The Green Scene Zoe Staunton Friday
00:00 - 02:00 Déise AM (Replay) Billy McCarthy (Produced by Jennifer Long) Friday
Stand-alone Programmes
18:00 - 19:00 On The Ball Kevin Casey Monday
18:00 - 19:00 On The Fringe Mark Graham Tuesday
18:00 - 19:00 Sporting Legends Matt Keane Wednesday
18:00 - 19:00 Farmview Kieran O'Connor Thursday
18:00 - 19:00 Gaelic Ground Kevin Casey Friday

Weekend Schedule

Saturday Schedule
Time Programme Presenter
07:00 - 09:00 Weekend Breakfast Seán Organ
09:00 - 10:00 Farmview (Replay) Kieran O'Connor
10:00 - 12:00 The Saturday Café Maria McCann
12:00 - 13:00 On The Ball Kevin Casey
13:00 - 16:00 The Saturday Jukebox Geoff Harris
16:00 - 18:00 Here's Ricky Rick Whelan
18:00 - 20:00 Totally 80s Oliver Carroll
20:00 - 00:00 Saturday Night Takeaway Teresanne O'Reilly
00:00 - 02:00 The Green Scene (Replay) Zoe Staunton
Sunday Schedule
07:00 - 07:30 Mar Dhea Míchéal Ó Drisleáin
07:30 - 10:00 Weekend Breakfast Sean Organ
10:00 - 12:00 Timmy On Sunday Timmy Ryan
12:00 - 13:00 The Week Maria McCann
13:00 - 16:00 The Weekend Jukebox Aoibhin Fallon
16:00 - 19:00 Here's Ricky Rick Whelan
19:00 - 21:00 Billy's American Country Show Billy McCarthy
21:00 - 00:00 Guaranteed Irish John O'Shea
00:00 - 01:00 The Week (Replay) Maria McCann

Studios

The station have purpose built studios at "The Broadcast Centre", Ardkeen, Waterford City (shared with regional youth station Beat 102 103) and at the Dungarvan studio at The Plaza, Dungarvan Shopping Centre. The Broadcast Centre was opened by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2003 replacing WLR FM's previous studio at Great Georges Street in Waterford City, while the new Dungarvan studio was opened by Head of the BCI Michael O'Keefe (a Dungarvan man) on 10 November 2007 replacing the existing studio at Harbour Bay in the town.[3]

The studios at The Broadcast Centre were revamped in late February and early March 2009, to change to a new playout system, from P Squared, and new microphone and computer monitor stands from Yellowtec.

Notable former presenters

Market share

According to the JNLR 2012 National Radio Listenership Survery, WLR FM had an audience reach of 41,000 in Q2 2013.[6]

Technical information

Outside Broadcasting

WLR FM has an outside broadcast unit known as the "Blastercaster". For indoor outside broadcasts they have a fold-up OB desk equipped with an internet connected laptop (allowing access to email and text messaging in addition to IM), an audio mixer, ISDN equipment, wireless microphones (and other assorted mics). Using the outside broadcast unit or the indoor OB equipment, the live feed from the OB is sent back to the studio via a high speed ISDN telephone line.

References

  1. ↑ "WLRfm is chosen as Local Radio Station of the year- for outstanding achievement in broadcasting". WLR FM Website. 2009-10-03. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  2. ↑ http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0306/374490-thomas-crosbie-holdings/
  3. ↑ "WLR FM Dungarvan is on the move!". The Munster Express. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  4. ↑ Clancy, Michelle (2009-07-03). "Sad passing of broadcasting legend". Munster Express. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  5. ↑ http://www.wlrfm.com/shows/4-deise-am-with-billy-mccarthy/4375-wlr-fm-announces-the-death-of-waterford-s-favourite-broadcaster-billy-mccarthy.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/radio/102447-jnlr-2012-q4-local-radio-stations

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