One More Thing: UTV to sell for WLR FM

It has been a busy week for WLR FM, the Waterford radio station that leads the market and commands substantial listener loyalty in the city and county.

On Tuesday, it formally renewed its licence with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, while yesterday it said that from April it would be represented to advertisers by UTV Radio Solutions ( rather than IRS +).

UTV Radio Solutions previously represented the southeast regional station Beat 102-103, which late last year switched to a new regional-focused sales house Media Central.

There is no change in ownership, but the addition of WLR FM to its radio sales portfolio enhances UTV's presence in the city at a time when it is planning to extend its ties to Munster generally. In a bid to avoid a "Dublin-centric" feel, Cork, Limerick and Waterford have all been identified as bases for UTV's television news-gathering operation from 2015, alongside Galway and, of course, Dublin.