Irish stations sold in €587m deal

SCOTTISH Radio Holdings (SRH) has been taken over in a £391 million (€587m) deal that will see its new owners retain the group’s Irish radio stations, but offload its five local newspapers here to a British regional publisher.

British media group Emap, whose interests include men’s publication FHM and women’s magazines such as Bliss and More, said yesterday that Today FM, Ireland’s only privately-owned national radio station, and Dublin music station FM104 would stay within the enlarged SRH/Emap stable.

But there will be no room in the group for SRH’s local newspaper business, Score Press, which will be sold to the Edinburgh-headquartered Johnston Press group for £155 million (€233 million) in cash.