Irish Radioplayer launch brings broadcasters together

The Irish Radioplayer app, a cross-industry app featuring all 43 Irish radio stations, became available for download this week and two of the self-described “curmudgeons” who pushed its development say the app is the natural result of a desire to “compete on content but agree on technology”.

It was five years ago that JP Coakley, RTÉ Radio's director of operations, and Scott Williams, chief executive of Q102, first sat down in a room to discuss the possibility of developing a single radio app for the Irish market.

At the time, Williams was chairman of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland group, which lobbies for more public funding to be diverted away from RTÉ and be distributed more evenly to commercial operators. But the development of the app, available on both iOS and Android, was “not about tensions between the different broadcasters”, he says.

“We both felt that this was about radio. We need to be on the device that everyone carries about with them. I would like people to think of their smartphone as another radio.”

The obvious thing to point out is that many people already do. Some listen via platforms that give them access to global stations, or they use the individual apps for Irish radio stations.

But the simplicity of the Irish Radioplayer app, which is being supported by blanket advertising across stations, may be especially appealing to those Irish listeners who find it mimics their FM radio dial.

“This is a serious play for us. It’s a firm step into the personal devices market,” says Coakley. For the moment, there will be no changes to the RTÉ Radio Player and RTÉ’s individual station apps. “We don’t want to prescribe how people listen. If they want a single Radio 1 button, then good luck. My long-term bet is that more people will use the Irish Radioplayer.”

The technology behind the app, which includes functions such as series link and car mode, is licensed from Radioplayer Worldwide, a consortium created to represent the UK Radioplayer platform in overseas markets, including Norway, Belgium and Germany.

The Australian and Canadian industries are also understood to be examining it.

Launching an Irish version did take a little longer than expected.

“In terms of consumption, the actual minutes listened to online is still quite low,” Coakley points out. “Are we later than we would like? Yes. But are we disadvantaged by that? I don’t believe so.”

It is expected that the app will swell overall listenership to Irish stations, while also allowing for individual broadcasters to beef up their digital advertising revenue streams.

RTÉ and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland are also conscious that audio streaming for long sessions over 3G and 4G can trigger high data charges, even “bill shocks”, and Williams says they would be interested in talking to telecoms companies about “bundling” use of the app with their pricing packages.