THE DENIS O’Brien-controlled national radio station Newstalk has won the contract to provide a news and sports service to 18 local radio stations.

The award of the contract followed the recent decision by the local stations to close Independent Network News (INN) on October 30th due to the scale of its losses. Sixteen jobs will be lost.

Newstalk was awarded the contract yesterday for six months, having won the contest ahead of UTV and a group headed by Richie McCullen of INN.

The pitches for the contract were made to representatives of the 18 local stations in Dublin on Thursday. Each presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session. Newstalk earned 17 votes in a poll of the stations, with UTV gaining one.

A statement issued yesterday by Radio Kerry executive Fiona Stack on behalf of the 18 stations said Newstalk would hold the contract until April.

“During this six-month period a tender process will reopen to any group interested in providing a long-term news and sports service to the 18 stations,” she said.

“The stations are expected to consider these tenders early in the new year.”

Based in Dublin, Newstalk already provides news services on a so-called "rip-and-read" basis to multicity station 4fm, which is part-owned by The Irish Timesand regional provider iRadio.

The 18 stations that will use the service are: Radio Kerry; Shannonside/Northern Sound; Galway Bay FM; Dublin’s Country Mix; East Coast Radio; Mid West Radio; Tipp FM; Phantom; WLR FM; Highland Radio; South East Radio; Midlands 103; Clare FM; Ocean FM; KCLR; Beat; KFM; and Red FM.

The agreement is not subject to regulatory approval.