West Limerick radio closes down after 20 years on air

West Limerick 102 FM broadcasted for the last time today

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A community radio station in Limerick has closed after over 20 years on the airwaves.

West Limerick 102 FM broadcasted for the last time after the board of directors issued a statement to its listeners.

The statement said that following the appointment of the new board in recent weeks, it became aware of the “true seriousness” of the station’s financial position.

“The full extent of the financial difficulties had unfortunately not been apparent or communicated to the current Board prior to or during the taking of office.

"Having now undertaken a review of the station’s finances, we have discovered estimated liabilities in excess of €40,000, leaving the organisation in an extremely difficult and ultimately unsustainable position."

The statement added that the station has also lost its licence to operate full time due to past financial and governance issues and “mandatory documentation not being submitted as well as the lack of implementation of a proposed plan”.

The statement said that, at that time, the current board was completely unaware of the loss of the licence, and the urgency on the previous subcommittee to implement and rectify proposed targets before the renewal would succeed.

According to the statement, the board had since devoted “countless voluntary hours” to keep the station going.

“Board members and the manager have been working day and night, attending meetings, engaging with relevant people, exploring funding opportunities, meeting many potential supporters, attending community events, organising fundraising initiatives and doing everything within their power to find a solution.

“Every one of these efforts has been undertaken voluntarily, with Board members giving their own time, energy and, in all cases, covering their own travel and personal expenses because they genuinely believed West Limerick 102FM was worth fighting for and tried every avenue possible for a positive outcome.”

Despite their efforts, the station had to close for financial reasons.

“With all of that said, we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our community," the Board said.

It added: "To every person who tuned in over the years, every volunteer who presented programmes or worked behind the scenes, every local business that advertised with us, every organisation that invited us to their events, everyone who supported our church gate collections, past go fund me, purchased tickets for our 50/50 Draw, attended fundraising events or donated in any way-thank you. Your loyalty and generosity have meant more to us than words can express."