WLR FM Celebrates 20 Years as a Licensed Station
Published By Dónal on Tuesday September 15th, 2009 at 23:58
Yes, I know I’m about a week late on this, and I’ve been reminding other people to mention it.
On Wednesday last, 9th of September 2009, WLR FM, the local radio station for Waterford City and County celebrated twenty years as a BCI (then IRTC) licensed independent local radio station.
Congratulations to all at the station for achieving this milestone, at a time when their listenership figures are higher than ever before!
A Short History of WLR FM
Waterford Local Radio, WLR
The original WLR, which was a pirate station, launched on June 23d 1978, broadcasting from Killotteran just outside the city. This unlicensed operation was one of the longest lasting in the country and continued for just over a decade until its closure at the end of 1988 when new radio licences were to be awarded by the then Independent Radio and Television Commission (now the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland) in 1989. WLR, with a number of local businessmen on board formed a consortium to apply for the franchise to broadcast to Waterford city and county. This application had competition from two other applicants, one, the Deise Broadcasting Company involved former pirate ABC Radio and local business people including the Reid family (owners of the well-known ‘Egans’ licenced premises where ABC was based before its closure), and another application, Waterford Radio WRFM which was backed by the then Waterford Foods and The Munster Express newspaper. The IRTC held oral hearings for the Waterford licence at the Tower Hotel in Waterford city on the 27th April 1989 where all three applicants presented their case. Shortly afterwards it was announced WLR’s consortium was victorious. The licence has gone unchallenged on subsequent renewals.
Licensed by the IRTC / New Broadcast Centre
The licensed WLR FM launched on the 8th of September 1989 from studios on Georges Street above the Georges Court Shopping Centre in Waterford City centre.
The station broadcast from these studios for fourteen years until the building of it’s purpose-built Broadcast Centre, at Ardkeen in the city which was oficially opened by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern on the 2nd of April 2004 and was Ireland’s first purpose built studio complex since the building of RTÉ headquarters at Montrose in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 in 1961.
Bought by Thomas Crosbie Holdings
On April 13, 2007, Cork based Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH), owner of the Irish Examiner and 17 other Irish newspapers, announced it had acquired 75% ownership of both WLR FM and Waterford based regional station Beat 102-103, in a deal worth a combined €14 million while WLR FM Managing Director Des Whelan kept 25% of each.
Dungarvan Studios
WLR FM’s first studio in West Waterford was opened at Harbour Bay in Dungarvan in 1997 (on the Quay, near the Old Market House Arts Centre). In November 2007, the station relocated to a new larger studio on the Plaza, Dungarvan Shopping Centre (overlooking Dunnes Stores).
Recent Deaths
In the past few months, two former WLR FM presenters passed away.
Tony Weldon, was probably best known for his popular “Sunday Morning Melodies” programme and the catchphrase “get up out of the feathers”. Every week Tony began his show with the song “Morning Has Broken”. Many of his former colleagues paid tributes to him on hearing of his passing at the age of 71 on Sunday 28th of June 2009.
Ben Gavin, former chairman of the Waterford Port Company and former Mayor of Tramore died on the 27th of August 2009, aged only 51. For many years Ben presented WLR FM’s weekly religious affairs programme “Credo”, and more recently he was presenter of “Busines Brief”.
As Port Company chairman, Ben was heavily involved in the securing and organising of the Tall Ships Race held in Waterford in 2005. The chairman of the event, architect Nicky Fewer died on Thursday March 26th this year.
It was announced this week that Nicky Fewer will be replaced in the post by none other than WLR FM Managing Director, Des Whelan.
(Text above from Wikipedia is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.)
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