Pirate listenership

[Justin Speck]

With all these stations looking for a piece of the action - or rather a piece of the FM band - I wondered how popular they all are. It looks as if there are about 20-30 different stations serving Dublin or some part of its environs.

Without the aid of JNLR surveys, how many people actually listen to each pirate? Are they really serving a disenfranchised minority or do the only serve to massage the egos of those who run them?

I suspect the answer is a bit of both. Don't start a flaming war against your most despised pirate but should some of the less popular stations call it a day to free up frequencies? No one has a "right" to frequencies but what do you think?

For the avoidance of doubt, this email is not intended to offend anyone and is certainly not written with any station in mind.

Discuss!

[Jolly Rog]

Of all the pirates in Dublin, only Freedom, Sun FM and Phantom FM have any serious audience. Jazz FM and XFM are well respected but have a tiny audience.

The rest of the stations would do well to have audiences beyond several hundred each, and thats if they're lucky.

[Dane Bowers]

I think Hot have quite a substantial audience also, infact I know they do.

[Darren B]

Jolly Rog, thats a bit pinpointing stations like static and chill. Sure I remember back to when Freedom started, and they wernt a patch on what they are now.

They would have been considered only a hobbiest station. Give the small guys a chance. Especially Chill as they have only just started up.

[250_Watt]

I agree with Darren,The like of Sunset,Pulse,Kiss, and the likes off started off just the same...

With above in mind,I would say Freedom,Energy,and Hot would have a large audience.I would mostly listen to Freedom myself and its great to have the large choice of what to listen into ...

[Slicklink]

Most listened to pirates in Dublin

Freedom
Phantom
Sun101


Energy and the others would show up in miniscule amounts in surveys. Contrary to whats said above Hot do not have a big listnership.

[Stephen]

And what are your sources for this information?

[Slicklink]

Stations that continually show up in Market Research of Ireland surveys, usually described as "others" but there are figures available.... I cant remeber the percentage you have to bypass before you get a category of your own even if illegal... Pulse Fm from a copule of years ago where a station that had a significant listnership on a continous basis, enough to be returned with a percentage listnership figure in the youth demographic.

[Dane Bowers]

Actually, hot do have a large audience, and the reason I know is because I used to do market research for a certain Dublin radio station, and I found consistently that people who were into dance music tuned to hot, and this was in the old Energy 94 days, before Frank took over.

The most listened to pirates, in this order, were

Freedom
Hot
phantom

I was very surprised when I heard it too, but it's true!

[Jolly Rog]

I take the points made about my post on board BUT since the likes of freedom and pulse started, there was a lot more free space on the fm band. These hobbyists are coming on and jumping on any old frequencie without considering the consequences and this doesnt help the likes of freedom etc who have always been careful and will be tainted by the authoritys as bad pirates becos of the actions of the new small stations.

I mean look at static fm. their on 101.9. Crazy. You obviously didnt do your research lads but classic is on ntl on that frequencie and another station was told to get off 101.8 becos of that