Roscommon Senator takes aim at Radio Kerry expansion plans
FIANNA Fáil Senator Terry Leyden has told the Seanad he is “concerned” about Radio Kerry’s plans to take over two other local stations.
Last month Radio Kerry announced it had launched a bid to take over both Clare FM and Tipp FM – a move that would make the Kerry station’s parent company one of the largest regional radio owners in the country.
Radio Kerry’s board has approved an offer to the shareholders of Clare Community Radio Holdings to purchase the entire share capital of Clare FM and that station’s controlling interest in Tipp FM.
Both offers are subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, which Radio Kerry has said it hopes to secure in ‘early 2019’.
In 2005, Radio Kerry bought Shannonside/ Northern Sound Radio, which broadcasts into Longford, Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan.
In the Seanad last Thursday, Roscommon-based Senator Leyden – who, as a Minister of State in the 1980s, moved the first bill to create Irish local radio – said he had concerns about Radio Kerry’s plans and asked that a debate on the future of “independent Irish local radio” be scheduled.
Senator Leyden misidentified the parties involved, stating mistakenly that ‘Limerick FM’ was one of the stations Radio Kerry is seeking to acquire.
“I am concerned about the takeover of Limerick FM and Clare FM by Radio Kerry, which has also bought Shannonside radio,” Senator Leyden said.
“They are endeavouring to hoover up more licences throughout the country,” he added.
“Local radio cannot be local radio if it is owned by one entity. Other companies, such as Communicorp, have also bought up radio stations but that was not the original concept. Local radio was supposed to be local radio,” Senator Leyden said.
Senator Leyden added that Shannonside/ Northern Sound still “provides an excellent service, which is not what we get from RTÉ”.