RTE has announced that its Cork local radio service will cease transmission early next year, citing falling listener figures and the Department of Public Enterprise's refusal to allocate increased broadcasting hours to the station.
The announcement was made to staff in Cork yesterday by the RTE Director General Mr Bob Collins. There had been speculation for several months over the future of the 25-year-old service, which attracts less than 5 per cent of the local radio audience and is restricted to 30 hours on air a week. In a statement last night RTE indicated the jobs of the 25 people directly employed at Cork Local Radio would be secure.