Arise Beat 101, and broadcast to the SE!

[Hack]

Just got a text message saying they've got the regional licence for the South East.
Damn shame, Power's submission was much better, format-wise.

[DJR]

I am dissapointed but not surprised I dont think Beat will provide half the programming that Power could have. Any more details on whay power were turned down?

[Guest]

Power were turned down most probably because they are radio people who know how to please a radio audience, unlike most other people who are awarded licences in this country. Where's the justice for fucks sake?

[Tabasco]

It's more likely that Power didn't succeed because their financial projections were too ambitious, and WLR will be a 'safer' bet, given their proven track record and financial stability.

Don't the BCI have to specify their reasons?

[Justin Speck]

If the foregoing is true, should we now expect the return of ABC Power 104 or do you think they will accept defeat gracefully?

J

[Tabasco]

Well Justin I don't for one minute think that defeat will be accepted gracefully!

I'm not privvy to any of Power FM / ABC Power 104's internal policies, but my personal thought is that we have heard the last of ABC Power 104.

[Hack]

The one thing that stands out in my mind is the way the Commission launched into Power over the lack of business-savvy board members who actually live and work in the South East. Beat actually made a big show out of that when they started their presentation, laying on strong just how many of their board live in the South East.
Plus the sharing of facilities is another pointer tot he Commission's thinking, although the promise the two stations will have totally seperate newsrooms is, to me, laughable. Expect some changes there before the licence is signed!

[Guest]

I think both applications were of a very high standard and I say the final selection was difficult.

The BCI have a bias towards established media players and that what probably swung the decision in the end. Instead of increasing diversity of ownership the BCI give it to existing companies who eventually sell it to a foreign company. Instead of creating a competitive radio market in the South East they have gone for a duopoly. The guys in WLR set the ad rates and you either like it or lump it.

Watch out for shared programming between the two stations as soon as things get depressed in the radio market (to keep costs down),

Diversity of ownership is crucial for both listeners and advertisers.

[Tabasco]

well there's only going to be a monopoly in Co. Waterford, remember the new station will cover 5 counties, and WLR only serves one.

As for sharing facilities, it was felt by WLR (and several other potential applicants who dropped out) that the SE regional station wouldn't be viable as a stand-alone operation.

There's nothing inherently wrong with more than one station coming from the same stable; I have a friend in Las Vegas who is Chief Engineer at a place where they run four stations.

But of course the difference there is that there are another 20 or so stations in the area too!

Perhaps it would, in retrospect, have been wiser for Power FM to have formed an alliance with another of the existing south-east stations instead of going for it alone.

[DJR]

Perhaps not a bad idea the teaming up with another local from a buisness point of view, haveing shared resources, even if the studio's were not together as I think that Waterford was the logical location for any such station in the southeast, but leaving aside that.
I think that the biggest loss here is the programming that Power would have offered. WLR propose to offer a format that is about 15 years out of date with no real imagination from what I can see.
I really hope I am proved wrong but I dought it!

[Guest]

How this was reported on WLR FM

10PM Monday, local news after INN

newsreader:
....WLR-FM's Managing Director Des Whelan says the success of the application "was down to hard work":

Des Whelan:
"Well I am absolutely delighted, I feel like I have scored the goal in the Cup Final or something like that, its ah, its wonderful for everybody in here, we’ve been working hard on the application since as far back as the end of last Summer, obviously I had tremendous support from everybody in WLR, I just want to thank everybody who is involved, they all know who they are"

(I think Power FM was working on theirs a lot longer than last summer!)

This morning on WLR at the start of the Billy McCarthy Show Des Whelan was on air live being interviewed about Beat - the station will be located in a new complex, which they are just after getting planning permission for, on the ring road in Waterford. This complex will house both WLR and Beat. Beat will be on air in July 2003 and will create 21 new full-time jobs.
One text message read out congratulated Beat but also asked why would it take so long for the station to go on air. Des said it was due to both the building of the new studio and the commissioning of 8 transmitters which will take a lot of time.

[Guest]

Well id say if any of the presenters from power are looking for jobs
either Energy or Kiss would have no problem looking after them because i tell
ya most of them were dam good broadcasters. Shame they didnt succeed.

[Justin Speck]

I still think Power lost it because the couldn't spell "Carrik-on-Sure" in their application:)

BTW, anyone know if Beat have a website? I seem to recall Power set one up for the bid. I've lost the address now but it was mentioned on the old board.

14 months seems a long time to install an 8 transmitter network. Is this because RTE have a hand in providing the facilities at their sites?

J

[Francis Dunne]

the powerfm site was at http://www.powerfm.ie i think

something tells me that there is something fishy going on because there is no reason why one radio station should own all the licences in a franchise area namely waterford

[Tabasco]

No the delay will be mainly because their new building which will house both stations is, right now, a field.

[Guest]

"
No the delay will be mainly because their new building which will house both stations is, right now, a field.

"

Could they not temporarily provide WLR's Dungarvan studio as the Beat FM studio until the new complex is built??

[Guest]

More proof, if indeed it was needed, that the bci don't want to gove pirates a licecne.

Hardly encouraging for the likes of Jazz and Phantom.

[waytogo]

Presumably, the building is not the only issue - they are being realistic that it takes more than a few months to get the right team together because of notice periods etc. Also, how many applications pledge to be on-air within months and actually don't make their own deadlines aka Newstalk 106. Power's time frame was totally impractical

[waytogo]

BTW anyone got any idea when Beat will start recruiting or have they ? Who is their Chief Exec or Programme Controller and have they got an address yet ?

[waytogo]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Justin Speck
[B]I still think Power lost it because the couldn't spell "Carrik-on-Sure" in their application:)

BTW, anyone know if Beat have a website?


I have just come across a holding page on www.beat102103.com

[021]

Thats probably it as the frequency band for the station is 102-103
ie
Beat 102-103

BTW what freq will they use from Mt Leinster??? will it be 102.0 or 103.6 (the latter would probably lead to hassle with 103FM County Sound!)

[Tabasco]

Mt Leinster freq is 102.0.

[Justin Speck]

The full transmitter list is in their application on the BCI website - assuming they actually proceed with all the named stations (Red didn't as far as I can see).

Unlikely that they'll change the details of a big one like Mt Leinster though.

J

[021]

Will the Lyric FM Dungarvan freq (102.2) be moved?? With Beat using 102.2 for that area??

[Justin Speck]

Which brings us back to that old chestnut: why is Lyric on 102.2 instead of, what I would calculate as the "correct" frequency, 98.1MHz?

Was there ever anything on or near that frequency in the Dungarvan area when Lyric came on?

J

[Dogger]

There's a large ad in today's People Newspaper in Wexford looking for music presenters, talk show presenter, Head of Music, journalists and sales people for Beat. Their target audience is 15-34.
Get out your CVs and demos!

[Radio Presenter]

From the homepage of South East Radio's website:

"Our studios are in Wexford Town from where we broadcast to an area including Enniscorthy, New Ross, and Gorey. We are also heard in Waterford, Kilkenny and Carlow.........".

Are they worried about Beat?!!!!!!!!!

:D