O’Brien proposes new radio station

THE multi-millionaire businessman Denis O’Brien wants the Government to allow the setting up of a second national commercial radio station.

In a submission to the Government’s review on broadcasting, the former Esat Digifone boss, who owns Dublin station 98FM and has stakes in Spin FM, Newstalk 106 and East Coast Radio, said there is a “strong case” for a new national station to be set up to compete with RTÉ and Today FM.

“The rationale, first decided on in 1988, for a single commercial national licence in Ireland no longer holds in the very different economic and cultural environment of the country in 2004,” Mr O’Brien wrote in his submission. A second licence could be a huge money spinner if ever given out. After initial teething problems, Today FM was eventually sold for close to €65 million in 2001 to Scottish Radio Holdings and is now making healthy profits.