Newstalk investing millions in nationwide licence bid

Talk radio station, Newstalk, today revealed it had committed €5m, on top of the €14m it has already spent, in its bid to secure a licence to broadcast nationwide.

In an application to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, Newstalk executives said there was substantial demand among the public for its brand of radio.

And they outlined that €5m was on the table to back their ambitious plans.

Newstalk is bidding for a quasi-national broadcasting licence insisting it will build a speech-driven station of stature.

If successful, Newstalk would be available on car radios in 98-99% of Ireland, but numerous areas such as remote coastal or mountainous regions will miss out.

A decision on whether to grant the licence is due by the end of the year.

Since its launch in April 2002, Newstalk has achieved critical acclaim succeeding in capturing a 4% share of the Dublin radio market and a 7% reach.

The station has spent €14m to date securing a loyal listenership and the services of a number of leading broadcasters.

Big name presenters such as George Hook, Eamon Dunphy and Damien Kiberd helped boost the station’s successes as it scooped six gongs at last year’s national radio awards.

In the latest JNLR listenership figures issued last week, controversial soccer pundit Dunphy’s breakfast show got a major boost as the audience jumped from 16,000 to 25,000, while rugby buff Hook almost doubled his listenership to attract 35,000 to his Right Hook drive-time show.

The figures augur well for the station’s bid to secure the quasi-national licence by the end of the year.