Never before has the generation gap been described in such terms or the current radio output decried in such a fashion as in the seven applications before the Independent Radio and Television Commission for the 15-34 Youth Oriented Service radio licences in Dublin.
"Radio remains a big yawn for 15-34 year-olds. In a sadly ironic echo of the 1960s catchphrase, they turn on, tune in and drop out," the Storm FM applicant states. The consortium behind it includes such tuned in members as designer John Rocha, U2's The Edge, nightclub owner John Reynolds and Boyzone manager Louis Walsh .
Storm, however, has no intention of being awarded a licence by force of argument. The State may have "Noah's Ark radio" and youth broadcasting may be the preserve of "middle-aged, out of touch, clock-punchers", but "Storm FM has no intention of trying to spoof the commission". "We make no grandiose claims about our intention to produce drama programmes. However, we will encourage new Irish comic writing talent," it says.
Fuse FM, which includes Mr Gordon MacNamee of London's Kiss FM, simply argues that less than a third of under-25s listen to any RTE radio station. "While 2FM is clearly more popular than RTE 1 amongst 15-34 year-olds, at no point does its listenership reach above three in ten."
@2K, one of whose backers is radio presenter Mr Dave Hammond, is reassuring. It promises to build a brand that young people will empathise with, "and, most critically, trust". According to Pulse FM, Dublin is "a young capital in a young country" whose young people need a 24-hour radio station. "Research shows that the young are much more appreciative of radio than print media," the application states. The applicants, who include U2 manager Mr Paul McGuinness, promise to campaign against drugs.
Red 106 says it will give an annual donation of 20 per cent of its after-tax profits, or a guaranteed minimum of £10,000, to four youth-oriented Dublin based charities.
The last jibe at the older generation comes from Kiss FM, which describes young people as having "more open and curious minds and ears than their elders do".
But spare a thought for the 35-plus generation which "feels immensely neglected by the present radio choice available", according to Gold FM which is seeking a licence to cater for that market.
Its rival Easy FM promises a minimum of "unnecessary DJ chatter", while Sunshine, which is backed by the chairman of AIB, Mr Lochlann Quinn, will provide a "stress free soundtrack to the listener's day".
Symbolic of the divergence between the generations is the presence of Count John McCormack, the grandson of the tenor, and lead singer with the rock & roll band, Dave and the Bee Bops. He is an applicant with Dublin Live FM which is vying for the broad-based, speech-driven licence.
