Talk the talk

Tim Collins, joint chief executive of new radio station Ocean FM, talks to David Clerkin.

When did you come on air and what's your franchise area?

We went on air on October 1. Our franchise area is Sligo, south Donegal and north Leitrim. We provide news and current affairs, light entertainment, specialised programmes and music. We’re a full-service station aimed at the 15-plus population.

Who's behind it?

There's a group of local investors - myself from Sligo, Padraig O'Dwyer, who's based in Letterkenny, plus Martin Reilly, who owns a major car dealership in the area, and Pat Clifford of Clifford Electrical, which is known for sponsoring the Sligo GAA team. We also have former Ireland goalkeeper Packie Bonner, Sunday World crime journalist Paul Williams and Sligo Allstar Eamonn O'Hara, as presenters.

What listenership do you hope to achieve?

Our franchise area has 80,000 people over the age of 15, but our signal can be picked up by 200,000. We want to build a business with good listenership over the next 6 to 9 months.

What are the financial commitments involved in starting a new station?

The set-up costs are quite high - between €1.3 million and €1.5 million. We serve three counties, so we needed studios in each, in Collooney, Donegal and Manorhamilton. It's a high capital cost, and we also keep a team of cruisers and an outside broadcast unit on the road. We've 50 staff - 20 full-time and 30 part-time. But we hope to break even by the end of 2005.

What's new about the station?

First of all, the northwest now has its own local station. We'll provide news and sport for seven days a week and have a bigger commitment to what was in place before.

How did you get involved in a radio station?

I started off in medicine, but then worked in politics and was an advisor to two government ministers. I then moved into the communications industry and spent 5 years advising companies in the independent broadcasting sector. I got to know a lot of people and got very interested in the sector.