There will be an urgent meeting at Radio Ireland today following yesterday's decision by the Independent Radio and Television Commission to reject the station's proposed schedule.
The IRTC rejection was viewed as "a very, very serious matter" and had not been expected, a Radio Ireland source said.
Sources indicated station executives were "fully satisfied" the proposed schedule was in line with the station's original submission to the IRTC, on the basis of which they secured the national radio licence.
A further concern for executives is that they had planned to launch the new schedule during the second week of November and, as the IRTC meets once a month, it is uncertain now whether any changes can be made before its November meeting.
The schedule proposed an extended Daybreak programme, which would be broadcast from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Presenters were not named.
A music-based programme would follow, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., after which there would be a half-hour current affairs programme.
It would be fronted by Day- break presenters, Mark Costigan and Cathy Farrell.
Afternoon programming, from 1.30 p.m. to 6 p.m., would be music-based.
No presenters were named. The Last Word programme, presented by Eamon Dunphy, would be reduced to one hour, extending from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Sunday Supplement programme was to be retained.
It is believed IRTC members found the proposed schedule too vague.
They feared it might be "an attempt to pull the wool over our eyes", as one source put it. Others felt it was aimed just at competing with Dublin's commercial stations.
The IRTC stance is underlined by fears that if it relaxes its criteria for Radio Ireland, it could be sued by consortia which failed to secure the national licence.
