Eamon Dunphy has signed with Ireland On-Line to create an online channel whose content will mirror that of the broadcaster's Last Word radio programme on Today FM. The Last Word production team has also signed up as part of the deal so the new channel - called slash/ed - will include contributions from the programme's familiar cast of characters, including Navan Man and the Drunken Politician.

Esat Fusion is investing £1 million (€1.27 million) to develop and market the slash/ed channel which is accessed through the iol.ie site. But the deal is with Dunphy and his team and not with Today FM and Esat stresses that it is not The Last Word online - although what the general perception turns out to be is another matter.

According to figures supplied by Esat Fusion, iol.ie and its younger-focused portal, oceanfree.net, have more than 300,000 unique visitors every month and 10 million page impressions. About 99 per cent of traffic is local and slash/ed is an attempt to increase the site's local content.

"Content is a problem for all portals," says Mr Derek Kickham, chief executive of Esat Fusion. "A lot of Irish traffic goes through American sites so it is increasingly important for Irish portals to have relevant and interesting content."

Translating an established and well-known radio formula into an online format will certainly test Ireland On-Line. Up until a few hours before the slash/ed launch last night Mr Kickham could not say whether an audio element - whereby browsers might hear the broadcaster and contributors give their opinion - would be up and running. Without a quickly accessed audio function on the site, it is difficult to see how some of the show's elements will translate into pure text.

Nissan, a featured sponsor of the Last Word radio programme, has not signed up as sponsor of slash/ed, but the site is chasing advertising revenue.

An integrated on and offline advertising campaign devised by Irish International will begin next week as part of a £500,000 outlay to promote the new channel.