The State's first regional radio station, Beat FM, has gone on air in Waterford with backing from several leading business figures.
The firm behind the station, WKW FM Ltd includes shareholders like Waterford Wedgwood chief executive Mr Redmond O'Donoghue and Mr Vince Power of the Mean Fiddler group. U2's manager, Mr Paul McGuinness, is also involved.
The station targets a younger audience and chairman Mr Des Whelan said up to now this group did not have a station "they could call their own". The station will broadcast from studios in Waterford city and will be available to listeners in Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and South Tipperary.
Last month when the station signed its broadcasting contract with the BCI, it promised to provide an upbeat and entertaining schedule that would appeal to those aged 15-34. At the centre of its programme schedule is a group of young presenters, some relatively new to broadcasting.
According to the BCI, an important element of the station's presentation will be relevant news coverage tailored specifically for the younger audience. Current affairs programmes will also be skewed towards younger listeners.
One shareholder, WLR, already holds the licence for Waterford city. It broadcasts live 24 hours a day from the Broadcast Centre in Waterford City and from Harbour Bay in Dungarvan. The station recently spent €4.5 million upgrading its studios.
The major shareholdings in Beat are: WLR FM (Waterford Local Radio) 30 per cent; Mean Fiddler group 20 per cent; Principle Management, (linked to U2) 20 per cent; Mr Redmond O'Donoghue 10 per cent; the Wexford People newspaper 10 per cent; and Mr John Purcell, chairman of NewsTalk and PR director with 5 per cent.
