Rock on? Radio Nova will bid for national licence

Radio Nova, which broadcasts rock music in Dublin and the capital's commuter belt, has welcomed the regulator's move to seek proposals for new commercial radio services.

Kevin Branigan, the station's chief executive, said Radio Nova was already "quite advanced" on its submission as it had been waiting for the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to launch the process.

On Tuesday, the regulator made the call for submissions from parties interested in providing new commercial analogue radio services on FM, setting a deadline of August 3rd.

It said it was “open to suggestions” on the types of services to be provided and the areas of the country that would be served by them. The call was made as part of a review of its broadcasting services strategy.

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“We’re preparing a very well-reasoned and logical argument that Radio Nova can bring diversity, and a new radio service, to many more people that we are currently allowed to,” said Mr Branigan.

Listeners

“We’ve identified that we could provide the parts of Ireland outside Dublin with higher population density, some 2 million people, with a new rock radio service.”

The area proposed by Radio Nova would take in the cities of Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway and Kilkenny, as well as the midlands and the northeast.

Mr Branigan said Nova already had substantial number of listeners outside the Dublin commuter belt who listened via its smartphone apps and the Irish Radio Player.

He said up to 10 jobs could be created if it were to receive an extended licence, while the expansion plan would be funded by the shareholders of the station.

Radio Nova, which has a 3.7 per cent market share in Dublin, has carved out a niche for itself, with presenters “who aren’t kids” broadcasting guitar-based music from artists such as The Killers, Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon.

The station claims to be “as crazy as Ozzy and as serious as Kurt”.