RTÉ radio has suffered a major setback in the latest JNLR listenership figures, which show major losses for its programmes to the benefit of Today FM and Newstalk.

A GARDA found guilty of threatening and abusive behaviour will escape a criminal conviction if he makes a charitable donation of €250.

MORE than 1.8 million people listen to RTÉ Radio every week with 19 of the 20 most popular programmes on the airwaves now broadcast by the nation’s top station, figures from the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) have revealed.

The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) has said the latest JNLR figures show that the popularity of independent radio remains high among listeners.

INDEPENDENT radio station owners have called on the Government to remove the ban on political advertising on radio and TV.

RTÉ maintained its dominance of the national airwaves during 2009 according to the latest Joint National Listenership Research results, although its pop station 2FM continues to lose audiences.

RTÉ broadcasters have again emerged as the big winners in the battle of the airwaves as the latest Joint National Listenership Research results reveal Radio 1 remains the country’s favourite station.

MORNING Ireland continues to dominate the airwaves as the latest radio listenership showed it top of a pile of resurgent RTÉ programmes.

RTÉ Radio One and Marian Finucane in particular have emerged as the big winners in the latest Joint National Listenership Research figures which were published yesterday.

SPEAKING at the Joint Committee on the Constitution, the chairman of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, Willie O’Reilly, is reported (November 12) as expressing concern at the practice whereby media outlets are required to provide equal time to both sides in a referendum debate “regardless of the merit” of any argument.

TV3 and the 32 independent radio stations have called for an end to the practice of equal coverage for opposing sides in referendum debates and the scrapping of the ban on coverage on the last day before polling.

RTÉ stars are fighting back in the battle for radio listeners, although their main rivals, Today FM and Newstalk, continue to perform strongly.

Denis O'Brien’s Communicorp Group Limited has purchased the three Irish radio stations owned by Emap plc, it was announced today.

RADIO stations Today FM and Newstalk have extended their broadcast agreements with the FA Barclays Premiership.

CONTRARY to what a famous pop song of the late 1970s might suggest, MP3s rather than video may have killed the radio star.

GARDAÍ are investigating reports that a shot was fired during a bloody fight involving Travellers attending a funeral in Kilmallock, Co Limerick.

TODAY FM star Matt Cooper has described as “absolute rubbish” reports his €300,000-a-year position is in jeopardy after his show performed poorly in the latest JNLR radio figures.

MORE people are switching off from the State broadcaster and tuning in to local and regional radio stations, new listenership figures show.

EIGHT out of ten people tune into radio everyday, putting Ireland on top of the European league.