The "UTV buyouts" thread

[The Doc]

It's amazing me that so many local legal stations are selling out to non-local, non-national multi-media corporations. The latest classic example is UTV's buying spree. Why have they been allowed to buy stations in the Republic (eg Cork's 96FM, Limerick's Live 95) and why are other local stations so willing to throw themselves at them in hope of securing a high price for thieir wares (eg Lite FM)! If the BCI allow this situation to continue then there wont be a single locally-owned legal station left in the Republic. Why all the sellouts? No doubt there's more on the way but can anyone else see the way this is going to pan out? the BCI have always lacked the courage of their convictions by being serial breakers of thier own rules! As Roy Keane said "someone must put thier hand up" and shout STOP!

[weewee]

The BCI are not a body concerned with the reality of radio and its development. They are simply a body who enforce a corrupt bill passed by a corrupt politician (RAY BURKE).

Why should his laws survive when he quite clearly created these laws for his and his cronies benefit aka century radio

[POggeRsfromdouglas]

The UTV should stick to TV if u ask me (which I don't think you did, but I'll say it anyway)

How Dare You Man, Get Your Bloody Act Together

[The Real Stuttering John]

you can't go blaming UTV. They have every right. Blame thre BCI or more so the IRTC for not allowing IRISH radio groups to develop during the 90s preventing stations from owning more than a certain small perecentage of a second station and no others could be touched after that.. Now it is too late, the large UK companies have grown too strong such as Emap, capital, Gwr etc and the irish stations can't compete with that muscle to develop into big groups that could go and takeover UK stations like other irish businesses have done such as ryanair, independent newspapers, o'brien's sandwich bars and Bewley's to name just a few. If the ISA ( the irish sandwich authority) had prevented o'brien's and the like from expanding in the 90s we would have Charles' british sandwich bars here taking over irish locations instead!!!!!


Thank God for the great irish sandwich!!!

So you can't blame UTV and the like. Let them do business in a free market economy

[Mike]

BTW UTV are actually an IRISH company

And no Im not a nationalist Im just referring to the fact that its quoted on the Dublin stock exchange

Personally Ive no problem with forigen companies owning radio station but I do object to any individual or group having interests in more than one station while others are being denied licences

"UTV should stick to TV if u ask me " why ? Theyre crap at that too :-)