Radio Ireland is expected to be relaunched on January 5th with a new name and a schedule dominated by music, according to sources. The Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) has approved a name change for the station, though it has yet to be informed as to the choice. One name that has been widely mooted is Today FM.
A number of programmes will survive the relaunch, including The Last Word, presented by Eamon Dunphy; The Sunday Supplement, presented by John Ryan; The Eclectic Ballroom, presented by John Kelly; and Here Comes The Night, presented by Donal Dineen.
It is known that the consultants who were asked to design the revamp of the station sought to move Mr Dunphy to a later time, which the programme's production team resisted successfully.
It is now believed that in order to improve its listenership figures the station is planning a marketing campaign and has hired a marketing manager. It is also moving away from the sort of programme schedule announced by the chairman of Radio Ireland, Mr John McColgan, earlier this year. Instead, it will target the same market as RTE's 2FM and the two Dublin independent stations, 98FM and FM 104.