Some of Ireland's largest media companies will today make a case to be awarded the new radio licence for the north-west at hearings in Galway.
Five consortiums are competing for the licence which is to be awarded by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI). The winning group is expected to be announced on November 13th. Some of the most prominent business people in the west of Ireland are participating in some of the consortiums.
The first group competing is Fresh FM, which includes Pat McDonagh, managing director of Supermacs, the fast-food chain and Brian McNiff, a well-known hotelier. Louis Walsh, the music impressario, is also involved in this group.
A strong challenge is expected from Denis O'Brien's Spin FM group, which won a youth licence in the south-west. Mr O'Brien's Communicorp is joined in the group by Moya Doherty, producer of Riverdance, property developer Bernard McNamara and Padraig O'Ceidigh, chairman of Aer Arann.
The Vibe FM group is led by Tim Collins, who has a wide range of radio and newspaper interests. This group also includes the Galway Advertiser and Padraig O'Dwyer, who has a number of investments in radio.
He is a shareholder in KFM in Kildare. Recently a group of shareholders there offered to sell their 55 per cent stake, although they are also prepared to buy out the whole station from the minority shareholders.
The Red FM North West group is led by Dermot Hanrahan, former managing director of Dublin station FM 104. Two major newspaper groups - the Irish Times Ltd and Thomas Crosbie Holdings - are members of this group. Domhnall Slattery, co- founder and chairman of the Clare People, is also involved. Tommy Higgins, a well-known music industry figure in Ireland for many years and a resident of Sligo, is another shareholder. He is currently managing director of Ticketmaster Europe.
The other group is i105 FM, which is led by Dan Healy, former chief executive of 98 FM and NewsTalk 106. He is joined in the group by Deborah Fagan, an accoutant who previously worked in Mr O'Brien's Communicorp. Barrister Richard Nesbitt has a 3.7 per cent share in this group, while Cormac McAlinden a founder of the printing group Lithographic Universal, has a 10 per cent stake.
