Alternative rock station set for Dublin

A NEW alternative rock station is set to go on air in Dublin next spring, after a challenge to its licence was rejected in the High Court.

Phantom FM was awarded the licence by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) last November but it had to cancel its opening after the losing consortium, Zed FM, challenged the BCI’s decision.

Station manger Simon Maher said he was delighted the courts had now upheld the decision to grant Phantom FM the licence.

“We’re delighted we’ve got to the point where we can now push on to get the station on air. We’re looking at the moment at probably April 1.”

Phantom was a former pirate radio station, which had tried several times to get an official radio licence. Zed FM, which was backed by Bob Geldof, had claimed that Phantom benefited from its illegal activities as a pirate station but its challenge to the awarding of the licence was rejected in the High Court yesterday.

The BCI said it always believed the procedures that it adopted in this case were 100% correct.

“We couldn’t understand why the challenge took place, but it did. The group were entitled to do that and we’re absolutely delighted to have been vindicated with the judgement that we’ve got today,” said chief executive Michael O’Keefe.

Phantom FM has a budget of €1.5 million and is being backed by MCD concert promoters Denis Desmond and U2 manager Paul McGuinness.

It will broadcast alternative rock across the city on a 24-hour basis.

“We’re going to play the best of alternative rock internationally and from Irish music as well. Not just the very well-known Irish bands but what we’ve always done which is taking new Irish bands from the very early demo stage to big venues and hopefully the getting signed stage,” said Mr Maher.

He said the station had already received 700 applications for the 20 new fulltime and 10 part-time jobs.