“ A Difference Is Only A Difference If It Makes... Ocean Fm - Making A Difference In The North West...

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“ A difference is only a difference if it makes a difference “ - Gertrude Stein Ocean FM - Making a difference in the North West since 2004 Ocean FM - Making a difference in the North West since 2004 An Application For Provision of a Local Broad-Format Sound Broadcasting Service for Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal 1 SECTION 1. 2 Index Section 2: Introduction to the Applicant Page 3 Page 7 4.2: Shareholding Structure 25 i) Existing or proposed shareholding structure of the 25 ii) Applicant, issued share capital and class/classes of shares Loan stock 25 a) Applicant’s name and contact details 7 iii) Please state: 25 b) Main Contact (For Public Purposes) 7 a) Shareholders details 25 c) Proposed Station Name 7 b) Beneficial owners 26 d) Brief Description of Programme Service 7 c) Shareholding details 26 e) List of Advisors 8 d) Voting rights 26 e) Loan stock 26 f) Shares to be issued and loan stock to be subscribed 26 iv) Shareholder details where a shareholder of the 26 Section 3: Membership of the Applicant Page 11 1. SECTION Section 1: Index Applicant is a body corporate/entity a) Members of the Applicant 11 v) Shareholder Information 26 b) When the Applicant was formed, its current legal 17 vi) Shareholders Agreement 27 status and financial standing Section 4: Ownership and Control of the Applicant Page 19 4.3: Management Structure 27 i) Description of management structure 27 ii) Details, qualifications and experience to date 28 iii) Policies in respect of: Management remuneration; 29 4.1: Board of Directors 19 Employment contracts; Share options; Pensions and i) Director Details 19 benefits; Any other relevant commitments (financial or ii) Chairperson 25 otherwise) iii) Directors to be appointed 25 4.4 Character of the Applicant 31 4.5 Additional Commitments 31 3 Index Section 5: Programming SECTION 1. Section 6: Studios and Transmission. Page 69 5.1 Programming Strategy 33 6.1 Studios 69 i) Ongoing strategies for: Programme research; Programme 33 6.2 Transmission Proposal 77 6.2.1 Negotiations with the owner/operator of site/s 77 6.2.2 Transmission plan and coverage 77 6.2.3 Technical characteristics of transmitter stations 77 production; Quality control; Compliance ii) Criteria for success 4 Page 33 35 5.2: Programme Policy Statement 36 6.2.4 Additional information 78 5.2.1 Broadcasting Philosophy 36 6.2.5 Coverage plots 81 5.2.2 Target Audience 39 6.2.6 Link network 86 5.2.3 Broadcasting day 39 6.2.7 Capital costs for transmission equipment 86 5.2.4 News 40 6.2.8 Technical expertise 88 5.2.5 Sport 43 6.2.9 Additional Commitment 88 5.2.6 Current Affairs programming 46 6.2.10 Technical conditions 88 5.2.7 Speech programming 49 5.2.8 Irish language and Irish Culture programming 53 5.2.9 Music Policy 57 5.2.10 Irish Music Policy 59 7.1 Analysis of Existing Marketplace 91 5.2.11 New Opportunities for Irish talent 60 i) Performance of existing operators 92 5.2.12 Purchase and sale of broadcast material 61 ii) Audience ratings 94 5.2.13 Other programming proposals 61 iii) Advertising revenue 95 5.3 Programme Schedule 62 iv) Market trends 98 5.4 Additional Commitments 67 v) Other relevant issues Section 7: Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Page 91 102 Index Section 8: Proposed Commencement of Broadcasting Page 127 7.2.1 Anticipated Performance of Service 106 8.1 Readiness Date 127 i) Target audience 106 8.2 Critical path analysis 127 ii) Nature of the market 108 iii) Projected listenership ratings 109 iv) Impact if listenership projections are not achieved 110 v) Advertising, sponsorship and other forms of revenue 111 potential 116 vi) Impact on existing services 7.2.2 Strategies for Achieving Proposed Listenership and 116 Section 9: Summary of Proposals Page 129 9.1 Staff 129 9.2 Programming 129 9.3 Market Analysis 130 9.4 Financial 131 1. SECTION 7.2 Demand and Potential for the Type of Service Proposed Page 104 Revenue Targets i) Channels of distribution 116 ii) Sales methods and representations 117 iii) Proposed rates 118 iv) Promotion and marketing policy 119 7.3 Overall Financial Strategy 121 7.4. Investment Proposal 122 7.5 Sources of Funding and Expenditure 122 7.6 Financial Projections 123 7.7 Staffing Matters 123 7.8 Additional Commitments 125 5 SECTION 2. 6 Introduction to the Applicant North West Broadcasting Ltd t/a Ocean FM Tim Collins, CEO Ocean FM Broadcast Centre North West Business Park Collooney Co. Sligo Tel: 00 353 71 9118100 Fax: 00 353 71 9118101 Email: [email protected] Main Contact (For Public Purposes) Tim Collins, CEO Ocean FM Broadcast Centre North West Business Park Collooney Co. Sligo Tel: 00 353 71 9118100 Fax: 00 353 71 9118101 Email: [email protected] Brief Description of Programme Service. Ocean FM is a full service local radio station providing programming that appeals to all adults, with a particular focus on people aged 25 years and older. Our service is based on a philosophy of “local first” with local news, sport, current affairs and talk programming forming the backbone of our programme schedule. 2. SECTION Applicant’s name and contact details. Our daytime programmes reflect our deep roots in communities across the North West with content of relevance to a wide range of tastes and interests. Our general music is a mix of current and older music from the 60’s to the present day. We have a significant commitment to specialist country music with almost 17 hours per week. We are the leading station in the country for playing Irish music across all genres and have received the IMRO Award for the past two years. Although we are the smallest local station in the country, our commitment to high quality content has made us one of the most decorated, with five gold awards at the most recent PPI’s and the 2013 Prix Europa Award for radio drama. Proposed Station Name. Ocean FM 7 Introduction to the Applicant 2. SECTION Advisors. Market Research: Interactions Ltd, Beach Court, Kilcoole, Co.Wicklow Market Analysis: Joe Dalton, Ard Righ Place, Arbour Hill, Dublin 7 Transmission coverage: Radio Services Ltd, 9 Arbour Vale, Oola, Limerick Transmission Support: Aisling Communications, Muff, Co. Donegal I.T. IThink Technology, NW Business Park, Collooney, Co. Sligo Architects: Haran and Associates, 50 Lwr John St, Sligo HR and Health and Safety Services: Peninsula, East Point Business Park, Dublin 3 Graphic Design and Marketing: Sean Grant, 21 Orchard Grove, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Auditors: Mulhern Leonard, Mail Coach Rd, Sligo, Co. Sligo Solicitors: McEnroe Solicitors, John St, Sligo, Co. Sligo Bank: Ulster Bank, Pearse Plaza, Pearse Rd, Sligo, Co. Sligo 8 Introduction to the Applicant “To me, Ocean FM is both informative and entertaining, which is the essence of public service broadcasting in my opinion. Throughout the course of the day I tune into Morning Ireland, Bloomberg and Sky News but never miss Ocean’s North West Today programme. I find it has its finger on the pulse when it comes to highlighting SECTION 2. local & regional issues of importance. It sounds professional and organised in its production and delivery. In my experience it sets a high standard in its coverage of community, social and political matters. This is sadly lacking in many of the broadcast and print media organisations of our time” Ray MacSharry “Ocean FM’s Margaret Carr Flynn and Kevin Blessing have worked tirelessly in relation to highlighting the issue of suicide, removing the stigma, highlighting the services available and indeed support fundraising activities which allows G.R.A.S.P Life Foundation continue to provide the much needed services in the North West. I have absolutely no doubt that their efforts have saved many lives over the past years and will continue to do so in the future.” Mary Mc Tiernan, Director of Services, G.R.A.S.P Life Foundation 9 SECTION 3. 10 Membership of the Applicant “Ocean FM has been an amazing support to North West Hospice throughout the years. As an integral part of our community, Ocean FM’s ongoing support has helped us continue to raise the funds required to provide our specialist palliative care services throughout the North West. We are tremendously grateful to all the staff and team at Ocean for their ongoing support of our work and look forward to working with them for years to come.” Bernadette McGarvey, Community Relations Manager, North West Hospice There are 24 shareholders of North West Broadcasting Ltd, (t/a Ocean FM). More than 85% of the shares are held by eight individuals. Background and experience: John Keon John is former Managing Director of Donegal Creameries and current Chairman of Ocean FM. John has a wide range of business interests and is a Director and founder of Erne Enterprise Development Company. This local enterprise company was established with the objective of revitalising the economic, social and cultural life of Ballyshannon, Rossnowlagh and the surrounding area. John has a passionate interest in sport in Co.Donegal and is closely involved with Aodh Ruadh GAA Club in Ballyshannon, as well as being a keen golfer. Tim Collins Tim has been CEO of Ocean FM since the station came on air in 2004. He is also a founder shareholder and Director of Northern Media Group which owns and operates the Q Radio Network consisting of six local stations in Northern Ireland. He is a shareholder and Director of River Media which owns six local newspapers in Co.Donegal, Co. Derry and Co.Kildare. He has served on the Boards of a wide range of organisations over the past 10 years including The Irish Hospice Foundation, Music Network, The Passion Machine Theatre Company and The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland. From 1997 to 2003, Tim held the position of Director of Public Affairs at Drury Communications. During this time, he was the principal regulatory affairs consultant to the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland as well as advising public sector organisations including The Referendum Commission. Prior to joinging Drury, he worked as full time Special Advisor to Brendan Howlin TD while he was Minister for Environment and Local Government and Minister for Health. His involvement with broadcasting began in 1989 when he presented science and environment programmes at RTE. He is a graduate of Trinity College and Kings Inns and a native of Co.Sligo. 3. SECTION (a) Please name the members of the Applicant and describe their background and experience. Martin Reilly A native of Lacken, Co. Mayo, Martin has been living in Sligo for the last 35 years. Having worked in many different sales positions for different companies, Martin finally settled on the Motor Industry and has been operating as a franchised dealer for the last 28 years. He established Martin Reilly Motors in 1985 and has held various franchises over the years. Martin Reilly Motors currently represents BMW, Hyundai and MINI and is one of the premier dealerships in the North West. Martin is also heavily involved in many initiatives in the Sligo area. He currently serves on the committee of the RNLI, Sligo Yacht Club and Sligo Racecourse. He is also actively involved with the Model Niland Centre, the Sligo Carers Association and Sligo GAA. Pat Clifford Pat Clifford is CEO of Clifford Electrical, one of the largest trade and consumer electrical wholesalers and retailers in Co.Sligo. Clifford Electical were the sponsors of the Sligo 11 Membership of the Applicant 3. SECTION Football Team for over 10 years and Pat has served as Treasurer of the Rosses Point GAA Club. He was President of Sligo Chamber of Commerce in 2002. He served as Chairman of Ocean FM from 2004 to 2013. Padraig O’Dwyer Padraig is CEO of River Media which owns six local papers in Co.Donegal, Co.Derry and Co.Kildare. He has led the development of River Media during a time of extreme turbulence in the newspaper industry and the group is trading profitably. Last year the flagship paper, The Derry News, was awarded UK Local Newspaper of the Year. He is also a founder shareholder and Director of Northern Media Group which owns and operates the Q Radio Network consisting of six local stations in Northern Ireland. Padraig has gone on to build a career in the communications industry where he has worked with Ireland’s leading business and public sector organisations as an advisor and mentor in a commercial environment for over 25 years. Padraig also has extensive business management experience and was Managing Director of leading public relations firm, Drury Communications, from 2003 to 2010. He is also a non executive director of specialist HR advisory company, Adare HRM, and was previously a Director of the Forum on Public Procurement. He is a consultant to Ocean FM where he advises on local direct sales. He has over 20 years experience in local media, having begun his career at Highland Radio and Radio Kerry. In addition to his business interests, Padraig is a Director of Dublin Simon and is a member of the Governing Authority of DCU. Noel Shannon Noel has over 20 years experience as a broadcast journalist. He worked at Midlands Radio 3 and CKR before becoming Head of News at Today FM. In 2001, he led the Today FM news team to a P.P.I. Award for it’s coverage of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre. He was part of the team that established KFM and presented the daily current affairs programme, Kildare Today, for five years. Throughout his career, Padraig has maintained a very active role in the Sligo community. He was part of the backroom team for the Sligo county gaelic football team for many years. He is currently Chairman of the Sligo Live music festival and is a very active member of Team Sligo, a joint public and private sector initiative to support the development and promotion of economic activity in the Sligo region. He has been a key part of the team at Ocean FM since its inception and a founder director on the Board of Learning Waves. Since 2010 Noel has been a judge in the annual P.P.I. awards. 12 Padraig McKeon A native of Riverstown, Co.Sligo, Padraig was educated in Summerhill College, Sligo, Dublin City University where he studied Communications and with the ACCA where he received a Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance. Padraig was a founding shareholder of Ocean FM and joined the board in 2013. Membership of the Applicant “We have been advertising our Hotel, Spa facilities and Night Clubs on Ocean FM for over five years. We find it a very effective means of reaching the people with all aspects of our business.” Seanie McEniff, Holyrood Hotel, Bundoran He joined Abbott Ireland in 1989 and served in a number of roles including Financial Controller and Operations Manager in both the Donegal Town and the AIDD Plant in Sligo. In 2006, he joined Boston Scientific in Letterkenny as Plant Controller. In 2009 he went into Public Practice, when he took over as Managing Partner in S MacRory & Co., a firm of auditors and accountants. In October 2013, he was authorised by the Insolvency Service of Ireland as a Personal Insolvency Practitioner (PIP). Well known in sporting circles, Paul had a lot of success with various teams, the highlight being an All-Ireland Senior Football Medal with Donegal in 1992. Currently Chairman of St Eunans GAA Club in Letterkenny, he has devoted a lot of time to both underage coaching and administration in a number of Clubs in the North West over the past 20 years. Niall McEvoy Niall is Head of Innovation at IT Sligo and has been living in Drumcliffe, Co Sligo since 1977. A former Army Officer, he served from 1973 to 1996, retiring with the rank of Commandant. Upon leaving the Defence Forces, he took up a position with IBEC as Employee Relations Executive, based in Donegal town. In 2001, he joined Masonite Ireland where he held the role of HR Manager Ireland and was later promoted to HR Director, Europe, in November 2006. In his HR role, Niall promoted an innovative learning partnership, which brought the IT Sligo’s Campus to the Masonite factory in Carrick-on- Shannon. To date, in excess of 50 Masonite students have gained degree level qualifications through IT Sligo. Niall was appointed to the position of Head of Innovation in IT Sligo in April 2008. This position is the institute’s link with enterprise, enterprise networks, community groups and State development agencies. Over time, the role expanded and he now heads up the Institute’s marketing and Career Services functions in addition to his enterprise liaison roles. 3. SECTION Paul Carr From Letterkenny, Paul attended St Eunans College and NUIG where he studied Commerce. He trained as a Chartered Accountant with T.J. McBride and Co in Letterkenny, qualifying in 1989. As Head of Innovation Niall has led and overseen a number of strategic initiatives in promoting innovation and entrepreneurial skills. Niall recently retired from a 10 year stint as a director of North West Hospice. Over that period, the Hospice expanded operations twice, resulting in a newly commissioned 10 bed state of the art unit. Evanna Kearns A native of Beltra, Co. Sligo and living in Collooney, Evanna is a seasoned marketing executive with 20 years of experience marketing in a variety of industries. She is currently Director of Marketing with Jaspersoft, a Business Intelligence Software company. Before Jaspersoft, Evanna co-founded a marketing consultancy company called Eval Partners with responsibility for the Company’s Marketing and Public Relations Services. Prior to founding Eval Partners, Evanna was Head of Marketing with Valista, the leading provider of digital commerce solutions, with responsibility for developing the Company’s Global Marketing Strategy. 13 Membership of the Applicant Evanna holds a First Class Honours Masters Degree in Journalism and a First Class Honours Degree in Communications from Dublin City University. She was also recently a finalist in the Stevie Awards (International Business Awards) for Women in Business and was honoured by the Blackberry Women in Technology Awards for ‘Best Woman in Technology’. SECTION 3. Sean Grant Originally from Derry, Sean attended St Columb’s College and the University of Ulster before moving to the North West of England University in Bristol where he completed an Hons Degree in Graphic Design. Sean returned to Derry and opened the first design studio in the North West, Design Point, before joining forces with Dick Phillips from the BBC. They opened Planned Media Communication in 1987, a Multi Media Company with offices in Derry and Belfast. He then became a director with the Manley Group where he was Regional Director for the North West. Sean later moved to Letterkenny where he opened Grant Design and went on to establish a successful local business which advocated good design practice. He has lectured at the University of Ulster and at present is a lecturer in the Department of Design and Creative Media at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Since moving to Letterkenny, Sean has maintained a very active role in the community, coaching in both Soccer and Gaelic at underage, and is presently an active member of both the local hill walking and cycling clubs. Sean was a founding member and shareholder of Ocean FM and has served on the board ever since. 14 Stanley Hunter Stanley was born in Sligo, and is married with 4 young children. He was educated at Sligo Grammar School and studied Agriculture at Gurteen Agricultural College, Co. Tipperary. He is currently dairy farming at Carraroe Sligo. He has been involved with the Irish Farmers’ Association since the 1980’s and helped revive his local branch where he has served as Chairman or Secretary since then. He was a member on the County Executive for 4 years as Rural Development Chairman which entailed membership of a National Committee. He has been involved with Sligo Rugby Club since 1982 and played for Connaught Schools in 1981. He has served on many committees and captained the club for 3 seasons. He is currently coaching juvenile level, having spent 2 years previously coaching youths. He took up running at the age of 45 and has completed 5 marathons raising money for the Irish Heart Foundation and Austism Ireland. He is also starting his 3rd year as Chairperson of Carbury National School Parents’ Association. Stanley has been a board member and shareholder of Ocean FM since 2004. Michael Leydon Michael runs a successful bed and breakfast in Sligo Town. He is a former Chairman of Sligo Rovers and is well known for his commitment to soccer in the Town. He is an active member of the Lions Club. He served on the Board of North West Broadcasting Ltd from 2004 to 2013. Membership of the Applicant Sean Dunnion, Cathaoirleach, CLG Dhun na nGall. Gerard Kelly Gerard is a well known business man in the North West having established a chain of successful pharmacies. He has been an active member of Ballyshannon Enterprise Committee and has extensive links in the region. He is currently retired from active business. Emma Burke A native of Boyle, Co. Roscommon, Emma was educated in Scoil Clríost and studied as an accounting technician in the Institute of Finance Training in Sandyford, Dublin. Emma worked for Ryanair Direct in Dublin in the sales and finance sector before returning to the North West to join R.J. Shannon & Co, Accountants and Tax advisors in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, where she was based for five years. Emma joined the team in Ocean FM in May 2005, and has been Head of Finance and HR ever since. In this time she has taken courses in Media Law, Human Resources, ‘What you Need to Lead’ and Health and Safety. She has been at the centre of the success of Ocean FM and is heavily involved in the overall vision for the business as it grows and develops into new areas of revenue growth from events to tours and training. In addition to her business interests, Emma has a keen interest in cookery and recently appeared on the cookery television show on TV3 called Head Chef. Out of hundreds of applicants, Emma was chosen to compete and placed fifth on the show. She was the only participant in the show that did not have training in the food sector. Emma has now settled in Ballincarrow, Co. Sligo and is getting married next year to a native Sligo man with whom she shares a great interest in the outdoors. 3. SECTION “I would like to acknowledge the great working relationship that Donegal G.A.A. County Board has enjoyed with Ocean FM over the past 9 years. Ocean FM have given tremendous coverage to Gaelic Games in the county and indeed to every event that we needed publicity for during that period. The live broadcasts of the Ulster Senior Football Championship and AllIreland Final homecomings to Donegal Town in 2011 & 2012 were particularly very much appreciated and added greatly to those historic occasions.” Packie Bonnar Packie is from Gweedore in Co.Donegal. He is a legend in the soccer world having won four Scottish titles with Celtic and played 80 times for Ireland. Since retiring from football, he has held a range of coaching roles in Ireland and abroad. Kevin Blessing A native of Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim, Kevin was educated in Drumshanbo Vocational School and then Liberties College Dublin, where he studied radio production. He has established himself as one of the hardest working and best respected production managers in Irish radio. Kevin has been the breakfast show presenter, programme and production manager at Ocean FM since its inception in 2004. Prior to joining Ocean FM, Kevin was the breakfast show and Production manager at Dublin’s Country and before that, Saturday morning breakfast show presenter on Shannonside Radio. Since he started working with Ocean FM he has been at the centre of fundraising activities for North West Hospice, GRASP Suicide, MS Northwest, Special Olympics Connacht, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Sligo Hospital Oncology Unit Trust, The Alzheimers Day Care Centre in Dunally Sligo, STOP Suicide, The Sligo Cancer Support Centre and Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. From lending his experience to these charities, Kevin has helped each of them raise tens of thousands of euro. Kevin has also been a founding member of the Jerome Mc Kiernan Memorial weekend in Dumshanbo which has been running since 2011. Over the past two years the money they 15 Membership of the Applicant 3. SECTION have raised has provided a family room to the Oncology Unit at Sligo Regional Hospital and a garden room at The MS Northwest Respite House, Woodhaven House, in Strandhill. Kevin’s love for sport and fundraising has also helped local organistions in the Ocean FM franchise area such as St Molaise Gaels, Sooey Childrens Playground, Culfadda Agri Show, St Michaels GAA Club, Bunninaden Community Centre, Ballygawley Celtic, The Sligo GAA County Board, Gurteen Markee Summer Festival, Castledargan Ladies Golf Club, Bunninaden Community Park, The An Tostal Festival and his local GAA club Allen Gaels. In 2013, Kevin was the brains behind a fundraising Mayoral Campaign drive which raised over 50K for his debt ridden local club. Niall Delaney Niall Delaney is a native of Longford Town, who has been involved in the independent local radio industry since its inception, in the late 1980’s. He is a graduate of Communications Studies at Dublin City University. He’s married, and has two teenage daughters. He began his media career in local newspapers in 1988, eventually being appointed Deputy Editor of The Longford News. He was appointed as the first ever News Editor of Shannonside FM when it was granted the licence for the Longford/Roscommon/South Leitrim franchise area in 1990. A year later, he was appointed as News Editor of North West Radio, which was granted the licence for the Sligo/North Leitrim/South Donegal franchise area, a position which he retained for 14 years, until the transfer of the licence in 2004. He was then appointed as News Editor with Ocean FM, the new 16 franchise operator, and was promoted to Station Manager a year later, in 2005. Niall is currently the presenter of the flagship daily current affairs show on Ocean FM, “North West Today”. He has been the recipient of nine national journalism and radio awards as follows; • • • • • • • • • PPI winner, 2002 - Best News Coverage PPI winner, 2013 - Specialist Speech Programme PPI winner, 2013 - Music Event ESB Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 2000 ESB Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 1998 AT Cross Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 1990 European Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 2001 John Healy Journalism Award for Local Broadcasting, 2003 Justice Media Award for Local Radio, 2013 His “North West Today” show was nominated as Best Current Affairs Show in the PPI Radio Awards, 2012, and also in 2013. Niall is involved in a number of local community and sporting organisations in a membership capacity, and is on one of the Committees organising the 2014 All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Sligo. He’s also a former member of the joint policing committee in the Sligo-Leitrim Garda Division. Tony Porter Tony is a native of and was educated in Sligo. He studied Accountancy in Dublin and worked with a large Accountancy firm but moved back to work in a practice in Sligo some years later. He is currently the Principal of Porter & Co, a long established Accounting and Business Advisory firm in Sligo. Membership of the Applicant He is a Board member of a number of successful companies and is a founding Shareholder and Director of Ocean FM Billy Mulhern Billy lives in Naas, Co. Kildare. He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and has been in practice in Naas since 1985. He is a former Chairman of County Kildare FM Radio Limited which he helped to launch in 2003. Billy has been a leading member of the Chamber of Commerce in Naas, serving in different roles including President. He also launched the Festival of Naas which co-incides with the National Hunt Festival in April every year. In his spare time Billy enjoys walking and cycling and Gaelic Football. He follows the Lily Whites. James Barrett James has been in business in Donegal for over 30 years and has been involved in a wide range of community activities. He is curently a Director of a successful building supplies business in Dungloe. He is a keen Gaelic games supporter. Richard Kervik Richard is an accountant with his own practice that specialises in business start ups, systems design and control systems implementation. He is a registered member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He has a background in a number of industries including media, manufacturing and retail. He was an investor and financial director at Channel 9 in Derry. Philip O’Brien Philip is a graduate in Business Studies at IT Sligo. He has been employed in sales at Ocean FM since 2004, becoming Sales Manager in 2007. He has a keen interest in rugby and closely follows the fortunes of Connacht Rugby. He currently volunteers at Sligo Rugby RFC where he helps in fundraising and coaching roles. He also volunteers for Sligo Tidy Towns and is a keen amateur photographer. He is in his second year in a Masters in Marketing at IT Sligo. 3. SECTION He has a keen interest in taxation and was a lecturer in Taxation to professional students at the Sligo Institute of Technology. Eamon O’Hara Eamon works at one of the largest employers in the North West, Abbott Pharmaceuticals. He has been a central part of Gaelic Football in Sligo for almost 15 years. He has been an All Star and represented Ireland in the Compromise Rules Series against Australia in 2000. More recently, he has appeared as a Gaelic Games analyst on RTE. (b) Please indicate when the Applicant was formed, its current legal status and financial standing. North West Broadcasting Ltd is a private company, limited by shares. It was formed in 2003. The company registered number is 365920. The company is in good financial standing and has had a clean audit report in each of its 10 years of existence. The company has significant cash assets, no borrowings and is up to date with all its creditors including the Revenue Commissioners. 17 SECTION 4. 18 Ownership and Control of the Applicant All our main shareholders are represented on our Board and are “Local radio is the lifeblood of regional news in Midlands-NorthWest. Without radio stations like Ocean FM I simply could not communicate my work in Europe. Ocean FM is an excellent radio station serving a key part of my constituency, namely Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim. I work with Ocean FM on a regular basis, they’re extremely professional and they run a good ship! Ocean FM are a gem of a radio station and I look forward to continuing to work with the internationally renowned team long into the future.” Jim Higgins, MEP very much involved in the success of the company. They encompass a range of expertise and experience in media, business, accounting, sport, farming and education. All were original investors in Ocean and have supported the company through the turbulent waters of the past five years. While all our Directors, without exception, have been supportive of the business of the station, they have been respectful of the editorial independence of Ocean FM at all times. Our Directors are well known in the region and deeply involved in their local communities. They have no substantial interests in, or control, over other media and their main focus is on the continued success of Ocean FM. i) Please provide the following details in relation to each Director: Name, home address, age, nationality and current occupation; John Keon, Chairman. Home address: Allingham Road, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal Age: 72 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: Businessman Background, media and other relevant experience: John is former Managing Director of Donegal Creameries and current Chairman of Ocean FM. John has a wide range of business interests and is a Director and founder of Erne Enterprise Development Company. This local enterprise company was established with the objective of revitalising the economic, social and cultural life of Ballyshannon, Rossnowlagh and the surrounding area. John has a passionate interest in sport in Co.Donegal and is closely involved with Aodh Ruadh GAA Club in Ballyshannon as well as being a keen golfer. 4. SECTION 4.1: Board of Directors Substantial interests/control of any communications media: John is a Director and Shareholder (6.19%) in Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Tim Collins Home Address: Royal Marine Terrace, Strand Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow Age: 54 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: CEO, Ocean FM Background, media and other relevant experience: Tim has been CEO of Ocean FM since the station came on air in 2004. He is also a founder shareholder and Director of Northern Media Group which owns and operates the Q Radio Network consisting of six local stations in Northern Ireland. He is a shareholder and Director of River Media which owns six local newspapers in Co.Donegal, Co. Derry and Co.Kildare. He has served on the Boards of a wide range of organisations over the past 10 years including The Irish Hospice Foundation, Music Network, The Passion Machine Theatre Company and The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland. 19 Ownership and Control of the Applicant From 1997 to 2003, Tim held the position of Director of Public Affairs at Drury Communications. During this time, he was the principal regulatory affairs consultant to the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland as well as advising public sector organisations including The Referendum Commission. Prior to joinging Drury, he worked as full time Special Advisor to Brendan Howlin TD while he was Minister for Envoronment and Local Government and Minister for Health. His involvement with broadcasting began in 1989 when he presented science and enviroment programmes at RTE. SECTION 4. He is a graduate of Trinity College and Kings Inns and a native of Co.Sligo. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Tim is CEO, a Director and Shareholder (14.64%) of Ocean FM. He is a Director and Shareholder (10%) of River Media Newspapers Ltd. He is a Director and Shareholder (15%) of Northern Media Group. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Martin Reilly Home address: Age: Nationality: Current occupation: Rosses Point, Co. Sligo 64 Irish CEO Martin Reilly Motors Background, media and other relevant experience: A native of Lacken, Co. Mayo, Martin has been living in Sligo for the last 35 years. Having worked in many different sales positions for different companies, Martin finally settled on the 20 Motor Industry and has been operating as a franchised dealer for the last 28 years. He established Martin Reilly Motors in 1985 and has held various franchises over the years. Martin Reilly Motors currently represents BMW, Hyundai and MINI and is one of the premier dealerships in the North West. Martin is heavily involved in many initiatives in the Sligo area. He currently serves on the committee of the RNLI, Sligo Yacht Club and Sligo Racecourse. He is actively involved with the Model Niland Centre, Sligo Carers Association and Sligo GAA. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Martin is a Director and Shareholder (14.78%) in Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Niall Delaney Home address: Oxfield Rd, Carney, Co.Sligo Age: 48 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: Station Manager at Ocean FM Background, media and other relevant experience: Niall Delaney is a native of Longford Town, who has been involved in the independent local radio industry since its inception, in the late 1980’s. He is a graduate of Communications Studies at Dublin City University. He’s married, and has two teenage daughters. He began his media career in local newspapers in 1988, eventually being appointed Deputy Editor of The Longford Ownership and Control of the Applicant Niall is currently the presenter of the flagship daily current affairs show on Ocean FM, “North West Today”. He has been the recipient of nine national journalism and radio awards: • PPI winner, 2002 - Best News Coverage • PPI winner, 2013 - Specialist Speech Programme • PPI winner, 2013 - Music Event • ESB Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 2000 • ESB Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 1998 • AT Cross Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 1990 • European Local Radio Journalist of the Year, 2001 • John Healy Journalism Award for Local Broadcasting, 2003 • Justice Media Award for Local Radio, 2013 His “North West Today” show was nominated as Best Current Affairs Show in the PPI Radio Awards, 2012, and also in 2013. Niall is involved in a number of local community and sporting organisations in a membership capacity, and is on one of the Committees organising the 2014 All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Sligo. He’s also a former member of the joint policing committee in the Sligo-Leitrim Garda Division. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: He is a Director and Shareholder (0.14%) in Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Padraig McKeon Home address: 690 Howth Rd, Dublin Age: 49 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: Communications Consultant 4. SECTION News. He was appointed as the first ever News Editor of Shannonside FM when it was granted the licence for the Longford/Roscommon/South Leitrim franchise area in 1990. A year later, he was appointed as News Editor of North West Radio, which was granted the licence for the Sligo/North Leitrim/South Donegal franchise area, a position which he retained for 14 years, until the transfer of the licence in 2004. He was then appointed as News Editor with Ocean FM, the new franchise operator, and was promoted to Station Manager a year later, in 2005. Background, media and other relevant experience: A native of Riverstown, Co.Sligo, Padraig was educated in Summerhill College, Sligo, Dublin City University where he studied Communications and with the ACCA where he received a Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance. Padraig has gone on to build a career in the communications industry where he has worked with Ireland’s leading business and public sector organisations as an advisor and mentor in a commercial environment for over 25 years. Padraig also has extensive business management experience and was Managing Director of leading public relations firm, Drury Communications, from 2003 to 2010. He is also a non executive director of specialist HR advisory company, Adare HRM, and was previously a Director of the Forum on Public Procurement. In addition to his business interests, Padraig is a Director of Dublin Simon and is a member of the Governing Authority of DCU. Throughout his career, Padraig has maintained a very active role in the Sligo community. He was part of the backroom team for the Sligo county gaelic football team for many years. He is currently Chairman of the Sligo Live music festival and is a very active member of Team Sligo, a joint public and private sector initiative to support the development and promotion of economic activity in the Sligo region. 21 Ownership and Control of the Applicant Padraig was a founding shareholder of Ocean FM and joined the board in 2013. SECTION 4. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Padraig is a Director and Shareholder (1.5%) of Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Noel Shannon Home address: Clongownagh, Milltown, Newbridge, Co. Kildare Age: 43 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: Communications Manager, Irish Water. Background, media and other relevant experience: Noel has over 20 years experience as a broadcast journalist. He worked at Midlands Radio 3 and CKR before becoming Head of News at Today FM. He was part of the team that established KFM and presented the daily current affairs programme, Kildare Today, for five years. He been a key part of the team at Ocean FM since its inception and has served for a number of years on the Board of Learning Waves. Since 2010, Noel has been a judge in the annual P.P.I. awards. Background, media and other relevant experience: Padraig is CEO of River Media Newspaper Ltd; which owns six local papers in Co.Donegal, Co.Derry and Co.Kildare. He has led the development of River Media during a time of extreme turbulence in the newspaper industry and the group is trading profitably. The Group’s flagship paper, The Derry News, won Weekly Newspaper of the Year at the Northern Ireland Press Awards in 2010 and also won the Weekly Newspaper of the Year award at the 2011 UK Society of Editors Regional Press Awards. Padraig was also one of the founders of Northern Media group which owns the Q Radio Network, six local stations in Northern Ireland. Padraig is a consultant to Ocean FM, where he advises on local direct sales. He has over 20 years experience in local media, having begun his career at Highland Radio and Radio Kerry. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: He is a Director and Shareholder (4.27%) in Ocean FM. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Padraig is a Director and Shareholder (23.5%) of Ocean FM. He is CEO, a Director and Shareholder (10%) of River Media Newspapers Ltd. He is a director and shareholder (15%) of Northern Media Group. He is a minor shareholder (0.13%) in Sunshine Radio. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. 22 Padraig O’Dwyer Home address: Ballymaleel, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Age: 48 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: CEO, River Media As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Ownership and Control of the Applicant “Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind worked with Ocean FM at one of their country music concerts to raise money for the charity. It has helped to raise much needed awareness for the tireless work that the Irish Guide Dogs do for the blind.” Ann Mc Padden, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Background, media and other relevant experience: Pat Clifford is CEO of Clifford Electrical, one of the largest trade and consumer electrical wholesalers and retailers in Co.Sligo. Clifford Electical were the sponsors of the Sligo Football Team for over 10 years and Pat has served as Treasurer of the Rosses Point GAA Club. He was President of Sligo Chamber of Commerce in 2002. He served as Chairman of Ocean FM from 2004 to 2013. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Pat is a Director and shareholder (11.75%) of Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Sean Grant Home address: 21 Orchard Grove, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Age: 56 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: Lecturer and Consultant in Graphic Design Background, media and other relevant experience: Originally from Derry, Sean attended St Columb’s College and then at the University of Ulster before moving to the North West of England University in Bristol where he completed an Honours Degree in Graphic Design. Sean returned to Derry and opened the first design studio in the North West, Design Point, before later joining forces with Dick Phillips from the BBC, they opened Planned Media Communication in 1987, a Multi Media Company with offices in Derry and Belfast. He then became a director with the Manley Group where he was Regional Director for the North West. Sean later moved to Letterkenny where he opened Grant Design and went on to establish a successful local business which advocated good design practice. 4. SECTION Pat Clifford Home address: Ballincar, Co. Sligo Age: 54 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: CEO, Clifford Electrical He also lectured at the University of Ulster and at present is a lecturer in the department of Design and Creative Media at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Since moving to Letterkenny, Sean has maintained a very active role in the community, coaching in both Soccer and Gaelic at underage and is presently an active member of both the local hill walking and cycling clubs. Sean was a founding member and shareholder of Ocean FM and has served on the board ever since. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Sean is a Director and Shareholder (5.84%) of Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Stanley Hunter Home address: Carrowkeal House, Ballisodare, Co. Sligo Age: 47 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: Farmer 23 Ownership and Control of the Applicant Background, media and other relevant experience: Stanley is from Sligo, was educated at Sligo Grammar School and is married with 4 young children. SECTION 4. He studied Agriculture at Gurteen Agricultural College, Co. Tipperary and is currently dairy farming at Carraroe Sligo. He has been involved with the Irish Farmers’ Association since the 1980’s and helped revive his local branch where he has served as Chairman or Secretary since then. He was a member on the County Executive for 4 years as Rural Development Chairman, which entailed membership of a National Committee. He has been involved with Sligo Rugby Club since 1982 and played for Connaught Schools in 1981. He has served on many committees and captained the club for 3 seasons. He is currently coaching juvenile level, having spent 2 years previously coaching youths. Stanley took up running at the age of 45 and has completed 5 marathons, raising money for the Irish Heart Foundation and Austism Ireland. He is also starting his 3rd year as Chairperson of Carbury National School Parents’ Association. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Stanley is a Director and Shareholder (1%) of Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Tony Porter Home address: Age; Nationality: Current occupation: 24 Ballyweelin, Rosses Point, Co. Sligo 59 Irish Chartered Accountant Background, media and other relevant experience: Tony is a native of and was educated in Sligo. He studied Accountancy in Dublin and worked with a large accountancy firm but moved back to work in a practice in Sligo some years later. He is currently the Principal of Porter & Co., a long established Accounting and Business Advisory firm in Sligo. He has a keen interest in taxation and was a lecturer in Taxation to professional students at the Sligo Institute of Technology, Sligo. He is a Board member of a number of successful companies and is a founding Shareholder and Director of Ocean FM. Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Tony is a Director and Shareholder (4.23%) of Ocean FM. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. Eamonn O’Hara Home address: Tourlestrane, Co. Sligo Age: 37 Nationality: Irish Current occupation: Sales Manager Background, media and other relevant experience: Eamon works at one of the largest employers in the North West, Abbott Pharmaceuticals. He has been a central part of Gaelic Football in Sligo for almost 15 years. He has been an All Star and represented Ireland in the Compromise Rules Series against Australia in 2000. More recently he has appeared as a Gaelic Games analyst on RTE. Ownership and Control of the Applicant Involvement in any sound broadcasting service: iii) Please state: The names and home addresses of all shareholders of the Applicant As above. Whether appointed in a representative capacity: No. ii) Please indicate who among the Directors is or is envisaged to be appointed Chairperson. John Keon is currently Chairman and has agreed to continue in this role. iii) Please provide the same information as in i) above for any other individual whom the Applicant is considering to appoint a Director. No other person is being considered as a Director at this time. 4.2: Shareholding Structure i) Existing shareholding structure The Share Capital of the Company is €10,000,000, €700,000 of which has been issued. All shares are ordinary shares with equal voting and dividend rights. No other classes of shares have been issued. John Keon Tim Collins Martin Reilly Pat Clifford Padraig O’Dwyer Sean Grant Tony Porter Noel Shannon Padraig McKeon Billy Mulhern Gerard Kelly Niall McEvoy Eamon O’Hara Michael Leydon James Barrett Packie Bonnar Paul Carr Stanley Hunter Evanna Kearns Richard Kervik Niall Delaney Emma Burke Philip O’Brien Kevin Blessing Allingham Rd, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal 3 Royal Marine Tce, Bray, Co. Wicklow Rosses Point, Co. Sligo Ballincar, Co. Sligo Ballymaleel, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Orchard Grove, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Ballyweelin, Rosses Point, Co. Sligo Milltown, Newbridge, Co. Kildare 690 Howth Rd, Dublin 22 Woodlands, Naas, Co. Kildare Keshcorran House, Ballinfull, Co. Sligo Drumcliffe South, Co. Sligo Tourlestrane, Co. Sligo Pearse Rd, Sligo, Co. Sligo Green Corner, Dungloe, Co. Donegal Larchfield Ave, Newtown Mearns, Glasgow Lough Nagin, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Carrowkeel House, Ballisodare, Co. Sligo Deerpark, Union, Co. Sligo Marina Drive, Maypark, Co. Waterford Oxfield Rd, Carney, Co. Sligo 15 Temple Manor, Ballinacarrow, Co. Sligo Union Walk, Ballisodare, Co. Sligo Hillcrest Grove, Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim 4. SECTION Substantial interests/control of any communications media: Eamonn is a Director and shareholder (1%) in Ocean FM. ii) Loan stock No loan stock has been issued. The names and addresses of the beneficial owners, where shareholdings are in the name of a trustee or nominee. Not applicable. 25 Ownership and Control of the Applicant The total number of shares (per class where relevant) and the issue price subscribed by each shareholder (including details of any premium paid) and the percentage each shareholding represents of the total issued share capital of the Applicant. SECTION 4. Name John Keon Tim Collins Martin Reilly Pat Clifford Padraig O’Dwyer Sean Grant Tony Porter Noel Shannon Padraig McKeon Billy Mulhern Gerard Kelly Niall McEvoy Eamon O’Hara Michael Leydon James Barrett Packie Bonnar Paul Carr Stanley Hunter Evanna Kearns Richard Kervik Niall Delaney Emma Burke Philip O’Brien Kevin Blessing Ordinary Shares 43,366 102,544 103,494 82,276 164,634 40,903 29,640 29,936 10,817 12,208 8,447 903 7,074 1,082 10,817 7,074 8,447 7,215 3,538 9,667 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Percentage 6.19% 14.64% 14.78% 11.75% 23.5% 5.84% 4.23% 4.27% 1.5% 1.74% 1.2% 0.13% 1.0% 0.15% 1.5% 1.0% 1.2% 1.0% 0.5% 1.4% 0.14% 0.14% 0.14% 0.14% Since 2004, six shareholders have sold their shares and four new shareholders have joined. A full spreadsheet detailing the the initial share issue, is included in the confidential appendix. 26 The percentage of the voting rights attached to each such shareholding as a percentage of all the votes which may be cast by the shareholders of the Applicant at general meetings All shares carry equal voting rights. The percentage of voting rights held by each shareholder is set out above. The amount of loan stock subscribed to by each shareholder The company was capitalised in 2004 through the share subscription. No loan stock has been issued. If the Applicant is not yet constituted, please indicate the number, class/classes and price of shares to be issued to each investor, and the amount of loan stock to be subscribed by each investor. Not applicable. iv) Where a shareholder of the Applicant is a body corporate/entity, please provide the names, addresses and percentage of shares held by the shareholders of that entity. Not applicable. v) Please indicate in relation to each of the existing or proposed shareholders of the Applicant. Substantial interests held (directly or indirectly) in relation to any communications media. Ownership and Control of the Applicant “It is a definite asset to have the local radio station to advertise and support local events. It has been a huge benefit to our fundraising. Many thanks.” Fiona McKiernan, The Jerome McKiernan Memorial Funding Committee Control (held directly or indirectly) of any communications media Tim Collins and Padraig O’Dwyer are Directors of and each hold 10% of River Media Newspapers Ltd, a company registered in Northern Ireland. This company owns four newspapers in the Republic of Ireland, The Inish Times, The Letterkenny Post, The Donegal Post and The Kildare Post. Padraig O’Dwyer is CEO of River Media Newspapers Ltd. Tim Collins: Founder Director and 15% shareholder in Northern Media Group which operates six local radio licences in Northern Ireland under the title, Q Radio Network. Padraig O’Dwyer: Founder Director and 15% shareholder in Northern Media Group which operates six local radio licences in Northern Ireland under the title, Q Radio Network. Padraig also holds a small shareholding (0.13%) in Sunshine Radio. He is a former Director and former shareholder in County Kildare FM Radio Ltd. 4. SECTION Tim Collins and Padraig O’Dwyer are Directors of and each hold 10% of River Media Newspapers Ltd, a company registered in Northern Ireland. This company owns four newspapers in the Republic of Ireland, The Inish Times, The Letterkenny Post, The Donegal Post and The Kildare Post. Padraig O’Dwyer is CEO of River Media Newspapers Ltd. Noel Shannon is a former Director and former shareholder in County Kildare FM Ltd. Billy Mulhern is a former Director and former shareholder in County Kildare FM Ltd. Recent financial history/current financial status vi) Shareholders agreement All our shareholders are in good financial standing and are fully tax compliant. North West Broadcasting Ltd is fully tax compliant, has no borrowings and has substantial cash reserves. Involvement in any sound broadcasting service including the name of the service, the nature of involvement (i.e. position/role held); and period of involvement (commencement date and date of departure). Other than the involvement in North West Broadcasting Ltd as set out in this application, a number of our shareholders have either past or current involvement in other sound broadcasting contracts, including: Our shareholders agreement covers standard matters governing management of the company and reserved issues; board composition; transfer of shares; pre-emption rights and other shareholder protections. It has governed the affairs of the company since 2004. A copy is included in the confidential appendix. 4.3: Management Structure i) Management structure Ocean FM is managed on a day to day basis by CEO, Tim Collins, and an experienced management team detailed below. Adherence with our business plan and our financial 27 Ownership and Control of the Applicant performance are monitord by the Board which meets every two months. In between meetings, Tim liaises with the Chairman, John Keon, on significant matters. SECTION 4. The management structure of the station is set out below: Tim Collins is full time CEO and present in the station at least four days/week, spending another day on the road or in Dublin meeting clients. He is supported by one of the most experienced teams in local radio and together they have developed Ocean FM into an efficient and effective company. Because of the small number of staff employed at the station, there is regular daily informal contact between the management team and staff. There are four formal meetings in the calendar: Twice yearly full staff meetings where JNLR and financial performance are discussed and new developments explored. Weekly Programming meeting attended by the CEO, Programme Director and Production Manager. Weekly Sales Meeting attended by the CEO, Sales Manager, Business Development Manager, Telesales and Digital Manager, Finance Manager, Production Manager, Telesales Executives and Account Executives. Monthly technical meeting attended by the CEO, Programme Director, Production Manager and Technical Support staff. 28 ii) Please provide in relation to each of the following individuals, or their equivalents, their full name, home address, age, qualifications and experience to date, in particular that which relates to the broadcast media: Chief Executive Officer Tim Collins, 3 Royal Marine Tce, Bray, Co.Wicklow Age: 54 Qualifications: Tim is a qualified medical doctor and barrister. Experience: He has worked in business for 17 years, nine years as CEO of Ocean FM and, prior to that, in consultancy. He worked as a Senior Advisor to two Ministers in three Governments in Environment and Local Government and in Health and Children in the 1990’s. He began his media career in RTE in 1989. He is an active member of the board of The Independant Broadcasters of Ireland. Ownership and Control of the Applicant Our Auditors, Mulhern Leonard, also provide support and advice in relation to systems and controls. Qualifications: DCU Degree in Communication Studies Experience: Niall has been working in Independent Radio since the late 1980’s. He was Deputy Editor of the Longford News before becoming News Editor at Shannonside FM. He later became News Editor at North West Radio. He remained in this position at Ocean FM and became Station Manager and Programme Director in 2005. He is the recipient of multiple awards over his career in radio. Compliance Officer Tim Collins is Compliance Officer. See information above. Financial Controller Emma Burke, 15 Temple Manor, Ballinacarrow, Sligo, Co Sligo. Age: 31 Qualifications: Accounts Technician, Institute of Finance Training, Sandyford. Emma has attended a range of relevant courses run by Learning Waves on finance and HR. Experience: Emma has worked in accounting and finance for 15 years. She joined Ocean FM in 2005 and since then has led the day to day accounting and finance function. This includes management of creditors, debtors, overseeing traffic, budgeting and production of monthly management accounts and key management information. She is key member of the management team. Emma is assisted by a practising Chartered Accountant, Eddie Geraghty, who oversees preparation of management accounts and preparation of budgets. He is retained on a part time contract with the station. iii) Please specify the Applicant’s policy in respect of: Management remuneration; All our managers, including Executive Directors and shareholders are on modest salaries that reflect the very difficult trading environment in the independent radio sector over the past five years. These are detailed in the appendix to this document. 4. SECTION Programme Controller Niall Delaney, Oxfield Rd, Carney, Co.Sligo Age: 48 While currently, none of our managers receive bonus, commission or any additional or special payments, these are subject to annual review. Employment contracts All of our employees, both full time and part time, have comprehensive contracts of employment. A sample contract is included in the appendices. Share options Ocean FM has no formal share option scheme in place. However, the four most senior managers recently became shareholders. As other employees reach seniority we will offer them the opportunity to purchase shares. Pensions and benefits Ocean FM offers access to a PRSA scheme to all employees. We also offer access to Group Private Health Insurance. 29 Ownership and Control of the Applicant Any other relevant commitments (financial or otherwise). 4. SECTION Our “train station” philosophy When people visit our studios, one of the first things that strikes them is how busy it is and the number of people who work with us. Most are permanant staff but our numbers are almost always boosted by students on work experience or postgraduate students completing projects on media-related subjects. While it can be a bit chaotic at times, we like it because of the melting pot of ideas and innovation it inspires. It’s also our most potent recruitment tool. We see how people fit in with our team and what skills they could bring and they in turn get to see first hand how we work, and whether it is for them. A number of our staff were initially introduced to the station on work experience. On leaving college or having completed post graduate qualifications, they applied for jobs and were given full time positions. We have close links with two great Third Level institutes, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT. We plan to further develop these in the coming years in terms of student placements but also in developing innovative programming in the education area. Our links with IT Sligo are particularly close, where our staff have lectured on marketing and event managment courses and are frequently asked to participate in events within the College. We are currently working with IT Sligo on a series of broadcasts from secondary schools in the region to highlight the work of the schools and third level issues such as careers in science. 30 JobBridge We were an early adopter of JobBridge. As a small business with plans to grow but scarce resources, the scheme was a perfect fit. Using the scheme, we recruited our first two telesales executives. We trained them both here and in Northern Media Group and established this new area of our business. Both are now on permanent contracts with the station. We have also used JobBridge to recruit additional staff in our newsroom to give us the flexibility to do more programming. Our first JobBridge recruit in news is now on a permanant contract and our second, just started work on a temporary contract which we hope will become permanent. Staff development We have a young staff and know if we want them to stay and make a long term career with the station, we have to develop their skills and give them experience doing a wide range of tasks. As the business has developed, there have been good opportunities to progress and we are determined that this will continue. Like all stations, we are fortunate to have access to Learning Waves and we make good use of the programme. We also want our staff to have a healthy lifestyle. We encourage participation in sport and have a scheme where we pay the entry fee for any event they want to compete in. It is not unusual now to see Ocean FM T-shirts among the starters at a 5k road race, a 50K bike race or a triathlon. The Cycle to Work Scheme has been a big factor in encouraging participation in these events among staff. Ownership and Control of the Applicant i) Has the applicant ever been convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty? v) Has the applicant ever been convicted of an offence under any legislation by which Broadcasting and/or Wireless Telegraphy is regulated in this or any other jurisdiction? No “Shane Smyth has been a huge support since the very early days of the band, from play the record to being at the gigs and his unwavering enthusiasm and support has been great all along. It was great to square the circle and come back to play Sea Sessions in his home town last summer. Viva Shane Smyth!” The Strypes. No ii) Has the applicant ever been restricted or disqualified as a Company Director, or convicted of any offence under the Companies Acts 1963-2006 (as amended) in this jurisdiction or under equivalent legislation in any other jurisdiction? No iii) Has the applicant ever been adjudicated a bankrupt, become insolvent or entered into a voluntary arrangement with creditors, or had a receiver appointed to any of his assets, in this or any other jurisdiction? No vi) Has the applicant ever had a license or contract issued by a broadcasting licensing body or any other statutory body suspended or revoked in this or any other jurisdiction? 4. SECTION 4.4 Character of the Applicant No vii) Is the applicant aware of any reason why it may not be a fit and proper person to be awarded a contract? No 4.5 Additional Commitments Not at this stage. iv) Has the applicant ever been a director of a company to which a receiver was appointed, which went into compulsory liquidation, creditors’ voluntary liquidation, examinership or which made any arrangement with its creditors or class of creditors? Both Tim Collins and Padraig O’Dwyer, as Directors and shareholders of River Newspaper Holdings were party to an extensive restructuring of that business and are happy to provide further information if requested. 31 SECTION 5. 32 Programming i) Please detail the ongoing strategies which the Applicant proposes to implement in relation to: Programme Research Our station is shaped around the needs and interests of our listeners. As these change and evolve, we are aware that we must adapt our output to match. Our experience tells us that a combination of audience feedback and evidence-based research is the best way to achieve this. We will continue to pursue a number of parallel strands in this area. JNLR/Media Star JNLR provides the most comprehensive research available on radio listening, giving measurable quarterly indications on how many people are listening to our station and a breakdown of audiences across the day. In order to drill down into the data collected through JNLR, Ocean FM also subscribes to the Media Star package, which allows detailed and customised analysis of all data contained within the survey. This provides an invaluable flexibility in monitoring which types of programming appeal most to which kinds of audience. This resource also allows us to benchmark and assess the impact of any changes in programming. Ocean FM Research In addition to this quarterly quantitative analysis, Ocean FM also periodically undertakes its own formal research to gauge the opinion of listeners – a practice that we are committed to continuing into the future. In the last number of years, this activity has included research waves such as focus groups, listener and advertiser surveys and regular phone and web polls. The method used is determined by the type of information required and the desired sample group (i.e. regular listeners, non-listeners, businesses, older or younger age groups etc.). In recent years, we have also built up an extensive email database and intend to use this in the future to tap into audience opinions on programming and to encourage engagement with the station. We monitor listener reaction to all shows via text, phone and email. Our staff have personal networks across this franchise area, and we will continue to engage regularly with sectoral interests across the North West to get their feedback - be it in the area of business, sports, government or community. 5. SECTION 5.1 Programming Strategy Research among our advertisers will also continue periodically facilitating the development of new products and identifying programming approaches that provide the best fit for the needs of businesses in the North West. We communicate regularly with our listeners through Social Media and continuously interact with listeners via Facebook and Twitter. This real-time feedback is invaluable. We will develop more online resources to conduct surveys and collect data. Programming Committee Our commitment to responding to the feedback gained through our research activities is beyond question. Our Programming Committee meets every three months, to review the output of the station and assess any feedback or suggestions for new programmes or slots. In the last number of years, we have finetuned our programme schedule to meet audience demand – for example, introducing the weekly “Rovers Review” as a result of an appetite among a large portion of our audience for more in-depth coverage relating to Sligo Rovers Football Club; adding “Up and Running” a regular business and innovation-focussed programme to serve the interests of the wider business community and featuring a new consumer slot on our daily magazine show. 33 Programming SECTION 5. Industry Experts Ocean FM will also continue to call on the services of recognised industry experts when necessary. Programme consultant, Mark Storey, has periodically fed into the programming strategy at the station. Music programming expert, Andy Matthews has also assisted us in identifying and implementing the right music mix for our audience. Going forward, these experienced radio professionals will help us ensure that the programming and music strategies at the station continue to be informed by developments and innovations across the radio industry – allowing us to adopt or adapt those that are the correct fit for our listeners. approach, a team of experienced and skilled staff and studios and equipment that is fit-for-purpose and well maintained. Programme Production The Production Manager will continue to conduct air checks each day. Weekly analysis of performance and feedback is also given to presenters, researchers, reporters and the production team as regards music output, news and sport, speech content and presentation style. Listener interaction with the station is also taken into account and station policy is to respond with due respect and gravity to listener concerns and complaints. The bedrock of our service is local programming and accordingly. The vast majority of programmes will continue to be produced in-house at Ocean FM. In the main, programming will be produced in the Ocean FM studios in Collooney, Donegal and Manorhamilton. Ocean FM aims to lead the way in local radio when it comes to making programming of distinction, which may be outside the norm for local stations. In the past, we have used the Sound and Vision Broadcasting Fund to support local independent producers and in-house teams in producing award-winning special programmes and series. Continued access to this fund allows us to add depth and richness to our schedule, growing the listening options available to our audience without compromising on quality. We believe that quality should always be a hallmark of our output. This flows from a flexible, creative and professional 34 Quality Control Ocean FM strives to match the highest standards of programming quality and this is the overall responsibility of the Station Manager and Production Manager. In an increasingly fragmented and competitive media environment, we realise that achieving high standards is a commercial necessity. In terms of output quality, our ambition is to rank alongside the best in the business. In news and current affairs, we observe ethical and responsible reporting, providing balance and guaranteeing right of reply. Former Head of News at Today FM, Noel Shannon, will continue to be closely involved in News and Sports output at the station giving a fresh view on editorial approaches, delivery and quality. In order to ensure that high standards are maintained at the station, Ocean FM will continue to invest in ongoing training to keep abreast of developments, technical and otherwise, across the radio industry. This will be achieved through continued membership of the BAI’s Learning Waves initiative and ad hoc skills development within the station. Programming “Coiste Chontae Liatroma CLG acknowledge the wide coverage of our sporting activities at club and County level as carried by local radio station Ocean FM. This ongoing radio coverage by Ocean FM greatly promotes our activities.” Diarmuid Mac Suibhne, Rúnaí Coiste Chontae Liatroma CLG We will continue to take compliance very seriously across the team at Ocean FM. This comes from the top down in our organisation – as evidenced by the fact that our CEO (a trained Barrister) is our Compliance Officer as the BAI records will show. Our exemplary track record in this area is a sign of our dedication, with less than a handful of minor breaches incurred across the last number of years and a number of years with no breaches at all. A number of procedures are in place to ensure compliance with all the necessary codes and obligations. All advertising and sponsorship is vetted by the Production Manager before they go an air. If in any doubt, or in the case of contentious issues, he refers these to the CEO for approval. Periodic meetings are held with staff to advise them of any changes in the advertising and sponsorship codes and any other obligations. The CEO and Station Manager will also continue to review station output and policies regularly to ensure a balanced and impartial approach across all areas. Ocean FM is already fully compliant with the BAI’s new complaints procedures and has engaged with a number of compliance initiatives from both the BAI and the BCC. ii) Criteria for Success The most reliable and comprehensive measure of how many people are listening is delivered through the JNLR. This provides independent feedback of listenership broken down by timeblock. The audience figures and statistics delivered by the JNLR will be supplemented by Ocean FM’s own audience research which can be tailored to focus more closely on specific areas of performance and will also be used to provide a qualitative view of the success of the station. However formal research is not the only avenue through which performance should be measured. Audience feedback is always an important barometer, and the support of the advertising community is an indication of their confidence in the performance of a station. 5. SECTION Compliance with the statutory requirements and sound broadcasting contractual obligations. We are vigilant in the area of compliance and regularly assess our output to ensure that it is in line with the programming commitments we have made – this is the basis of our relationship with our audience. In addition, acceptance of our values and recognition from communities and local interests across the region is an important measure of whether the station is really delivering for the audience and seen to be of relevance to them. Recognition from media industry peers also provides some indication of success. Ocean FM has been nominated for, and won, numerous programming awards, both at National and International level in the last number of years. We will continue to strive to produce programming that stands out and is worthy of formal recognition from the best in our industry. The criteria will include: • How many people are listening to the programme? • Is the programme compliant with our programme policy statement? • Is listener feedback positive or negative? • How well does the programme sit within our brand values? 35 Programming 5.2: Programme Policy Statement 5.2.1 Broadcasting Philosophy. Please detail in the form of a statement the Applicant’s overall broadcasting philosophy and vision for the radio service. BROADCASTING PHILOSOPHY: In this section, we concentrate on explaining what programming we currently broadcast and why. We make no promises and make no commitments that we are not already delivering on. Were we not confident in the quality of our current programme schedule, we might promise to do more or do things differently. However, our market research confirms what we already know, that what we are doing today is the optimum mix and right for the tastes and interest of our audience today. It is not the same programming mix we brought to air nine years ago. It has evolved in response to changing tastes and listener demands. It has also evolved because of the culture of innovation we have fostered among our team. We have not been afraid to try new things and to challenge ourselves. And, it is not the same programming we will be broadcasting in 2-3 years’ time. The only promise you will find in this section is this: to always keep pace with our listeners’ tastes and interests and to continue to innovate and excite. We are the place where people in our area come for vital local information such as travel information, weather alerts, school closures, emergencies and breaking news. We have to do this well, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. We are also the place where people come to be informed about what’s happening in their community. Whether it’s an amateur drama in a parish hall or a protest march about fracking, we will cover it. Our programming must be of the highest quality. While we are the smallest station in the country, we aspire to match the largest in programme quality. While our programming is for everyone, it must be distinctive and original. We should never rest on our laurels. Everything we do should be regularly challenged and improved. We recognise that our listeners are not a homogenous group. Whether they are urban or rural dwellers, young or older, male or female, gay or straight, we have a responsibility to address the issues that matter to them. We are a local station so our content must be locally focussed and relevant to our franchise area. Even within our small area, there are geographic and cultural differences. Whether a listener lives in Kilcar or Enniscrone, Manorhamilton or Sligo Town, we have responsibility, as far as practicable, to serve their needs. We exist to serve the needs of our listeners. It’s about them, not about us. We respect the special place the Irish language occupies in our culture and will do everything we can to foster it. Our guiding principles: 36 Local news, current affairs and local sport are the backbone of service. Doings these things well is our first priority. Programming • Digital listening will further fragment audiences, some preferring live content and some, customised content. • The distinction between newspapers, radio and television is becoming blurred. The public are interested in content and don’t care whether the originator is a newspaper, an online publisher or a radio station. • The recession has created structural changes in the media market that are now built in. All has changed! • Advertising and marketing spends are becoming more Our vision No one could have predicted the pace of change in the media world in 2004 when we first began broadcasting. Social Media and smart phones were not invented and the digital revolution was some distance in the future. fragmented. More TV channels and an explosion of online publishers have pulled audiences in all directions. • Internet and mobile digital advertising will continue to grow and pull revenue away from traditional media. A radio business that remains solely reliant on a one way, FM platform and traditional radio content will struggle to survive in this new world. • While radio and TV audiences generally remain high, there is strong evidence that younger people are disengaging from traditional media. • Social Media are here to stay. Providers such as Bebo may come and go, but younger people, in particular, have deeply integrated it into their everyday lives. • While traditional radio stations will survive in larger franchise areas where they can capture a larger listenership, stations in smaller franchise areas such as ours will have to evolve and broaden our commercial footprint to continue to resource the quality of programming we aspire to in the years to come. We have a responsibility to reflect the unique culture of our area and to foster and recognise new talent in music, drama and the broader arts. We will continue to be recognised by our listeners as part of their community, involved with them and helping to support and connect. We will always be honest with our listeners, fair to our contributors and a good employer for our staff. And we will always try to make a difference! No one can predict the direction the media market will take over the next five to ten years but there are some things we do know: • More people will do more things using mobile devices. • Faster broadband speeds will allow more people to access our content via the web and on mobile devices. 37 Programming 5. So what do we do? SECTION We have begun to change our business from the FM radio station that we launched nine years ago, to a “platform neutral” local content provider. We produce local content in written, audio, photographic and video formats for FM and web platforms on 102.5/105FM and www.oceanfm.ie. And because the media market in the North West is so small and the available revenue is limited, we have also begun to leverage our skills and expertise in other ways. We want to become the leading local service provider in the digital economy in the North West. Our future will be influenced by how well we implement this strategy. Our vision for our business is for a strong FM station with a strong and loyal listenership at the centre of a broadly based local media business that is a strong local employer in the North West and centrally involved in the local digital economy. 38 Our vision for Ocean FM is for a commercially successful local radio station: • With a strong and loyal listenership, • Producing high quality content, • That is part of a broadly based, multi media business, • and, centrally involved in the digital economy in the North West. Programming Declan Foley, Berwick, Victoria, Australia is for a local station. As can be seen from the table below, there is broad agreement that the main features of our station are the ones that people in this area want. High listenership levels show that the service offered by Ocean FM already appeals to audiences in this area. Our original schedule was based on extensive audience research across the North West. Since then, the programme schedule and music policy have been updated, based on research and in consultation with the BAI. As a result, we have developed a diverse schedule in order to appeal to the largest possible audience and to cater for special or sectoral interests in this area. The success of this strategy is borne out when we examine the listenership to the station, this is spread across all age groups: 13% of listeners to the station are aged 25-34, 16% are aged 3544, 17% aged between 45 and 54, 20% between 55 and 64 and 29% are over 65. Ocean FM is proud to have an experienced and committed team. Our staff members are constantly out and about, involved in countless activities and communities across the North West. As representatives of the station, they gain audience feedback constantly. As locals themselves, they are part of the fabric of this area and instinctively know, in most cases, what works for our listeners. This kind of connection is also important in delivering programming that appeals and is of relevance to our target audience. We have tested our station proposition in an independent quantitative survey recently carried out in this franchise area by Interactions Research. Taking the main features of our station, we asked respondents to indicate how important each 5. SECTION “As a former Sligo person, now residing in Australia, Ocean FM is an important and valuable connection to the North West for me and my family. I am also only too well aware of the importance of Ocean to innumerable Sligo people, both at home and abroad. When my old Sligo neighbour, Eugene Gillespie, was killed after a burglary at his home, Ocean gave the community a focal point during that horrific week, and assisted greatly in giving a sense of security to the elderly of the North West.” 5.2.2 Target Audience. Please explain why, in your view, the proposed service will be of relevance and appeal to the target audience. *The only element to score less than 60% is “comprehensive sports programming” – the reason being that this proposition appeals far more strongly to men that to women, by a ratio of 2 to 1, 68% of men believe that comprehensive sports programming is an important element for a good local station. 5.2.3 Broadcasting day. 5.2.3.1 The total number of broadcasting hours per day: 24 Hours 5.2.3.2 The hours of live programming (start and end) per day: 07:00 - 00:00 (Monday - Saturday), 08.00 – 00.00 (Sunday) 5.2.3.3 The hours of automated programming (start and end) each day: 00:00 – 07:00 (Monday - Saturday), 00.00 – 08.00 (Sunday). 39 Programming 5.2.3.4 The percentage of broadcasting hours dedicated to: 1. Music programming; 2. Speech-based content; 3. News and current affairs; and 4. Advertisements For the 07.00-19.00 period and for the total broadcast day. SECTION 5. 07.00 – 19.00 Total Broadcasting Day Music Programming 36% 48% Speech – Based Content 20% 22% News and Current Affairs 32% 20% Advertisements 12% 10% Opt-Out Programmes We know how important it is to cater to people in all corners of the franchise area. We use our two frequencies to achieve this, where we provide opt out news for Sligo Leitrim on 102.5 FM and for Donegal on 105 FM. Building on news headlines and bulletins, we also delve into the stories that are of most relevance to our listeners, providing comprehensive analysis and reporting in relation to these. 5.2.4 News. Please set out the approach envisaged for news programming, and in particular: 5.2.4.1 The types of news to be broadcast (local, national, international, etc.) and their relevance to the target audience Our approach to news programming is underpinned by our “local first” philosophy. There is a wide range of national and international news sources available to listeners in the North West; however, we know that people here highly value a comprehensive, reliable and independent source of local news and this cannot be got elsewhere. Our research showed that 71% of listeners in the franchise area are interested in local news. In order to meet our listeners needs as fully as possible, we are committed to being first with local news across all platforms on air, on-line and on Social Media. 40 To deliver on these promises, we resource our news team properly to allow our reporters attend as many local news events as possible and to pursue major stories in depth. Proof of the success of our approach to news is the fact that 75% of people in the North West feel that Ocean FM provides good coverage of local news. This figure reaches an astonishing 99% among Ocean FM listeners. Even among non-listeners, 66% of respondents still agree that the station provides good local news coverage. We will not ignore national or international news, this is also important to our listeners, although it is more comprehensively covered by other stations in our area; we do, wherever possible, seek a local angle to national stories which would make them relevant to our franchise area. Programming “It is truly professional, objective, accurate and fair in its reporting and in how it conducts discussions on the air waves on issues that are often quite controversial…the North West is very fortunate to have the services of Ocean FM and to have someone with the competence and personality of Niall Delaney in charge.” Our Programme Director, Niall Delaney, has 26 years worth of local and national links in his battered contact book; and there is no better source for news in our area. The roots of Ocean FM reporters run deep across the North West. Ocean FM is the natural hub for breaking news in the North West. We are so well established as breakers of local news that sources gravitate towards us with major stories, in addition to our reporters seeking them out. Local, independent and credible reporting provides the backbone of our news service. Upholding Fairness in Broadcasting Fairness, objectivity and balance are fundamental to our approach to all programming, and the fact that we have no breaches of the Code in this area is testament to this. We have enthusiastically supported development of standards for fairness in broadcasting and our Programme Director participated in the drawing up of the Code. 5.2.4.3 The number and duration of news bulletins and programmes (weekday and weekend) Please demonstrate with reference to the above how the applicant will comply with the statutory news and current affairs requirement (2 hours of broadcasting time between 07.00 -19.00 and 20% across the total broadcast day). Weekday News and Current Affairs The tables below illustrate that Ocean FM complies, by a wide margin, with the 20% news and current affairs content requirement across the broadcasting day and that 2 hours of news and current affairs content are always broadcast between 7am and 7pm. Time The newsroom is in contact with Garda stations in the North West twice a day, and we have good working relationships with public representatives, community organisations, local activists and the lifeboat and rescue services. As regards provision of a comprehensive and trusted local news service that is targeted squarely at audiences in this franchise area, our team is completely self sufficient and cannot be beaten. Within our news team we have journalists dedicated to gathering and broadcasting Donegal news and Sligo/Leitrim news. National and International news is supplied through our contract with Newstalk. Their rip and read service and packages can be called upon whenever needed and will continue to be used to complement local news. News Content – Monday to Friday Length 07.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 07.30 News Headlines 1 minute 08.00 Christopher Jones, Bishop of Elphin 5. SECTION 5.2.4.2 The sourcing of the various types of news Main Morning News – Local and National, Obituaries 10 minutes 08.30 News Headlines 2 minutes 09.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 10.00 News Bulletin – Local and National, Obituaries News Bulletin Opt Out for Donegal 8 minutes 11.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 12.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 13.00 Main Lunchtime News – Local and National, Obituaries Main Lunchtime News Opt Out for Donegal – Local and National, Obituaries 15 minutes 14.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 41 Programming SECTION 5. 15.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 10.00 16.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes Obituaries 10 minutes 17.00 11.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes Main Evening News – Local and National, Main Morning News – Local and National, Obituaries 12.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes Main Evening News Opt Out for Donegal – 13.00 Local and National, Obituaries 15 minutes Main Lunchtime News – Local and National, Obituaries 10 minutes 18.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 14.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 19.00 Network News 4 minutes 15.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 20.00 Network News 4 minutes 16.00 Local News Bulletin 21.00 Network News 4 minutes 17.00 Main Evening News – Local and National, 22.00 Network News 4 minutes Obituaries 10 minutes 23.00 Network News 4 minutes 18.00 Network News 4 minutes 00.00 Network News 4 minutes 19.00 Network News 4 minutes 3.5 minutes 20.00 Network News 4 minutes Time Current Affairs Content – Monday to Friday Length 09.00 North West Today 2 hours 11.00 Ocean Life 1 hour 11.00 Destination Donegal (Opt Out for Donegal, Friday only) 1 hour 21.00 Agri Week (Thursday Only) 30 minutes 21.30 Outdoor Pursuits (Thursday Only) 30 minutes 02.00 North West Today 2 hour 21.00 Network News 4 minutes 22.00 Network News 4 minutes 23.00 Network News 4 minutes 00.00 Network News 4 minutes Time Current Affairs Content – Saturday & Sunday Length 09.30 Up and Running (Saturday) 30 minutes (1 hour once a month) 10.00 North West Rewind (Saturday) 1 hour 09.30 Agri-Week (Sunday) 30 minutes 20.00 Weekend News and Current Affairs Time News Content – Saturday & Sunday Length 07.00 Network News 3.5 minutes 08.00 Network News 3.5 minutes 09.00 Local News Bulletin 3.5 minutes 42 Arts House (Sunday) 1 hour Programming Ocean FM is mad about sport! We have a young staff, keen to be out and about, and each has a sports passion that drives them, regardless of their role at the station. It might be expected that our Head of Sport is also Captain of his local hurling side; however, our production team also hosts a fivea-side expert, our business development manager is an expert surfer, and our afternoon presenter and CEO are dedicated triathletes. We bring this energy and passion to our listeners everyday. Accordingly, sports coverage at Ocean FM reflects the hugely varied sporting interests across the North West. Although Ocean FM is the smallest station in the country, we are nonetheless committed to covering sporting codes across three different counties. This is no mean feat, and has taken us to far flung shores, from New York and London to Sweden and the Ukraine in recent years. In doing so, we literally go the extra mile to bring the most important sporting events live to the people of our franchise area, when travel would be impossible for the vast majority. From audience feedback, it is obvious that this service is hugely appreciated by people across Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. is a soccer stronghold. Coverage of Sligo Rovers and other soccer clubs in the area is a must and there is strong interest in this. Gaelic Games are also a lynchpin – Donegal were AllIreland champions in 2012 and GAA clubs are the lifeblood of many communities across the North West. Like the rest of the country, rugby is a growing sport here and there is considerable interest at a grassroots level. Ocean FM regularly broadcasts Sligo rugby club matches live to our listeners. Our research shows that this kind of local sports programming and live match coverage appeals strongly to audiences in the North West. 5. SECTION 5.2.5 Sport. Please set out the approach envisaged for sports programming Although the figures show the appeal of sports across the franchise area, a look at the overall figures for sports underestimates the level of interest among certain groups. Men have a much greater interest in sports than women in all areas of sport – 70% of men are interested in local sports coverage and 66% are interested in live match coverage whereas the figures for female listeners are 35% and 47% respectively. 5.2.5.1 The types of sports to be covered and their relevance to the target audience We cover the major codes popular in the North West – soccer, GAA, and rugby. A measure of the quality of this coverage is that the team has won a Bronze Medal at the PPI awards in 2013 and was nominated for the overall award in 2012. The major population centre in our franchise area, Sligo Town, 43 Programming live commentary and updates. This contrasts with the coverage of Castlebar Celtic’s local station, MWR, who provided topline updates on the day of the match only. SECTION 5. Because we are aware of these differences, we also endeavoured to add a flavour to our sports programming which appeals more strongly to women, giving airtime to women in sport whenever we can. For example, we followed the campaign of the Sligo Ladies Junior Team when they won the All Ireland Junior title in 2006 and the Donegal Ladies Team when they were victorious in winning the All Ireland Intermediate Title in 2010. We also feature the FAI Cup campaigns of local ladies teams. Our beginner’s triathlon initiative had a high proportion of female participants and encouraged a number of local women to plunge into the sport. Our commitment to women’s sport is unequalled by other local stations – and we strive to be inclusive in this area. A case in point is the recent Senior Women’s FAI Cup Final between Castlebar Celtic and Raheny United. The Castlebar team features a large number of Sligo players. As a result Ocean FM hosted a special preview Outside Broadcast with the team, Chairman and Secretary a few days before the match. On the day of the match our Sports Editor provided 44 We have built links with clubs of all kinds across the franchise area, in both mainstream and minor sports. Our sports reporters are mindful to include minority sports in coverage wherever there is a story to be told. People across the North West know that whether it is boxing or handball, triathlon or martial arts, Ocean FM will support and relay their clubs’ successes and events. In the last two years alone we have covered Sligo Races, the West of Ireland Golf Championships, the An Post Cycle, Donegal and Sligo Stages Rallies, live boxing from Belfast and the Warrior of the Sea Endurance Swimming Race. In addition to this news-driven coverage, our “Club Focus” programme offers a broadcasting platform to local sports clubs of all sizes and kinds. The idea for the show came from engagement with different sporting organisations across the franchise area and it has been hugely successful. The template for the show has since been adopted as a national initiative, with stations across the country copying the format. When asked for feedback on sports programming, 49% of listeners in our survey felt that comprehensive sports programming was important for a local station and 53% agreed that Ocean FM delivered this. Again, the gender divide is significant here with 68% of men agreeing both that Ocean FM had comprehensive sports coverage and that this was an important element of programming for a local station. In the coming months, Ocean FM is set to build on the success of “Club Focus”. Our new weekly sports trivia quiz, “Pole Programming Michael McGee, SIigo Handball PRO. OCEAN FM MAIN SPORTS PROGRAMMES 5.2.5.2 The format, duration and frequency of sports coverage (weekdays and weekend) Rovers Review: Sunday, 6pm to 7pm. The following sports bulletins feature on Ocean FM Monday to Friday. Time Sport Length 07.30 Sports News 3 minutes 08.00 Sports News 4 minutes 08.30 Sports News 3 minutes 09.00 Sports News 2 minutes 13.10 Main Lunchtime Sports Bulletin 5 minutes 14.00 Sports News 2 minutes 15.00 Sports News 2 minutes 16.00 Sports News 2 minutes 17.10 Main Evening Sports Bulletin 18.00 – 00.00 Hourly Syndicated Sports with News The Final Whistle: Friday, 6pm to 7pm. Ocean FM’s essential listening sports magazine. Presenter, Darragh Cox, is renowned for his comprehensive knowledge of sport and every Friday, he leads listeners through a review of the sports action from the week gone by and gets out the crystal ball for the busy weekend of sport ahead. 5. SECTION “I would like to thank Ocean FM sincerely for broadcasting all handball fixtures, results, reports, interviews which has been very important to us in Sligo G.A.A Handball. This has helped the sport greatly in the areas of promotion and getting new members who otherwise would not have taken up the sport.” Position”, is currently going into production. It will draw sports clubs from all codes and all parts of the Ocean FM franchise area, challenging them to pit their wits against each other for title of the North West’s Smartest Sports Club. Cementing our links with sports organisations of all kinds, the series will be recorded in front of live audiences across the franchise area and ensures that the station remains supportive of sports at the grassroots level. (Seasonal – February to November) This is our Sligo Rovers “blog” live on air, peopled by the fans and dedicated to them. The programme has become such a vital part of the fan culture that we have had regular requests from the Sligo Rovers Manager to come on air and talk to the fans directly. The programme acts as a Social Media hub for fans across the region, and is the lifeline for debating the ins and outs of the beautiful game in the North West. Saturday Sports Beat: Saturday, 2pm to 6pm. A lively and comprehensive view of all sports action in the franchise area, Saturday Sports Beat provides a mix of sports news and reports, live match commentaries and a sprinkling of musical favourites. 5 minutes 3.5 minutes In addition to these sports bulletins, the major sports-focussed programmes at the station are as follows: Sunday Sport: Sunday, 2pm to 7pm. Ocean FM gets into the thick of it on the busiest day of the week, bringing live commentaries, news, views and reports and a major sports round up between 6pm and 7pm. In addition to these regular programmes, our schedule accommodates other major sporting fixtures and special events when necessary. We are the only station, locally or nationally to provide weekly live commentary on the League 45 Programming of Ireland, bringing all Sligo Rovers away matches to our listeners. As a result we normally broadcast one mid-week away match every two weeks, although this can increase if the club also features in FAI Cup competitions or any other Cup competitions (EA Sports Cup, Setanta Cup, League Cup). SECTION 5. On the 3rd of November, Sligo Rovers won the FAI Cup, an incredible fourth national title in a row. Illustrating the integral part that Ocean FM plays in sports in our area, the station was once again asked by the Club and Sligo Borough Council to co-ordinate the homecoming event. A round-the-clock homecoming special was hosted by Ocean FM, to celebrate the amazing achievement of the team. The professionalism of the Ocean FM staff and the in-depth coverage provided by the station was publicly commented on by many. At weekends, from January to October, we prioritise live commentaries of as many local GAA games as possible – ranging from Provincial Championship, All-Ireland Championship, National Football League, County Club Senior/Junior/ Intermediate Championships, McKenna Cup for Ulster and FBD League for Connacht. As we have three counties in our franchise area, we cover as many matches as we can involving all three. In these cases, and particularly during the summer months, we could be live on-air with sport and commentaries until 9pm on certain nights. We use opts-outs extensively to ensure that we meet demand in all three counties of our franchise area – at the height of the summer season we could have three different live commentaries available to listeners with, for example, separate commentaries on our 102.5 and 105 frequencies and live-streamed on www.oceanfm.ie. 46 This responsiveness is also crucial for major sporting events, which capture the public imagination and are the glue around which communities unite. For example, Ocean FM provided round-the-clock links and coverage from the Donegal GAA camp in Dublin and the incredible homecoming of the team with Sam Maguire in 2012, something our listeners will not forget in a hurry. This coverage earned Ocean FM a Bronze Medal at the PPI Radio awards in 2013. 5.2.6 Current Affairs programming. Please set out the approach envisaged for current affairs programming, and in particular: Current affairs is a key strength of our programming. If you want to find out what makes people here tick, what gets them fired up or what moves them to compassion, just tune in to North West Today on any morning. The programme has come to be regarded by other media, both nationally and locally, as the standard bearer for breaking news, inside stories and high profile interviews relating to current affairs in Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. Our incisive and relevant Election and Referendum coverage is also highly valued. In fact, Ocean FM was the only local station to host a full-scale debate on the recent Seanad Referendum. We take politics seriously at Ocean FM. Enabling people to make informed choices about politics is a cornerstone of democracy and we do everything we can to promote this. We have hosted local debates on every Irish and European Referendum held since 2004. Every General Election and By-Election in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal South West and European Election in the North West Region has been the subject of dedicated on-air debate and analysis and we Programming “I’d like to acknowledge Ocean FM for being such fantastic supporters of Sligo Rovers, down through the seasons.” Tommie Gorman, RTE Northern Editor, and Member of Management Committee, Sligo Rovers Our current affairs programming offers a platform for the local issues that pre-occupy audiences in the North West. Sometimes we set the agenda, othertimes we amplify the talk on the street. Instead of preaching to our audiences, we highly value local interaction and listener participation – putting local voices and opinions on air. Our current affairs programming is broad and varied, giving voice to shades of opinion from every quarter. “This radio programme…addressed the issue of why society was still so divided on the basic issue of human rights, especially in relation to the Traveller community. It also raised the very legitimate question as to whether there has been a ‘normalisation of racism in Irish society towards the Travelling people….Niall’s no-nonsense report asked all of the hard questions in relation to this controversial topic.” - Law Society Justice Media Award citation for Niall Delaney’s programme regarding resettlement of Traveller family in Donegal on North West Today. Ocean FM are news-breakers, not news takers and the quality of the work we do in this area means that stories that start with us often end up in other local or national media. A good example is that of Lissadell House. We started covering the brewing controversy over Lissadell House in 2008, when it was far below the radar. As the story developed, we led all national and local media. Our coverage exposed the huge number of faultlines related to the case and teased out the issues related to the case from every angle right up to the final Supreme Court decision in November 2013. A few other cases in point – a Junior Minister who hung up live on air when faced with a few home truths, a vital cancer services campaign that grew legs on our station or the highly charged local issue of fracking which has been truly put under the microscope here. These have been not only taken up by national media but some have also found their way to the floor of the Dáil. We have twice been nominated for P.P.I. Radio Awards for Current Affairs. Our Station Manager, Niall Delaney was recently awarded the Law Society’s Justice Media Award when an extraordinary interview with a well known local councillor revealed the seriousness of racial issues in our area. Undeniably, Ocean FM is a local station serving the public good, while always keeping an eye on engaging its audience. 5. SECTION also cover all Local Elections – with debates in 5 Electoral Areas in Sligo, 2 in Donegal and 2 in Leitrim – in depth. 5.2.6.1 The format, duration and frequency of such programmes (weekdays and weekends) OCEAN FM MAIN CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES North West Today: Monday to Friday, 9am to 11am. Inviting full and frank debate of all issues across Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal, “North West Today” is driven by the local news agenda. Vigorous and incisive discussion teases out whatever current affairs issues are top of mind, and those that some might prefer were not. North West Today sets the standard for news in the region and gives the most comprehensive and informed look at what is going on across the three counties. 47 Programming Destination Donegal: (Donegal Opt Out). 5. SECTION Monday to Friday, 11am to 12 noon. Every week, matters in Donegal are put under the current affairs spotlight in this current affairs and magazine programme. Debate, discussion and Donegal news are the order of the day. North West Rewind: Saturday, 10am to 11am. The cream of the crop from during the week, this programme is no token gesture towards current affairs at the weekend. North West Rewind has the highest listenership of any weekend programme at the station and is a must for those with an interest in current affairs. Agri Week: Sunday, 9.30am to 10.00am; Thursday 9.00pm to 9.30pm. The North West has a strong rural economy and agricultural issues remain important to our listeners. This is a topical look at the farming issues that are most relevant to our audience – whether it is CAP reform, mart prices or local or national agricultural or environmental policies. Up and Running: Saturday 9.30am to 10.00am, (9.00am to 10.00am once a month). This weekly programme throws the spotlight on current economic and business issues in the North West. Here we celebrate success, highlight issues and their possible solutions, examine start ups and established business and look at innovative ideas, sectors and models developing in our area. 48 Up and Running – Playing our part in economic recovery: After five years of negativity on the national airwaves, our team felt that it was time to focus on some of the good news business stories from our area. Together with I.T. Sligo and the local business community, we came up with the idea of “Up and Running” – a show which aims to instil local pride through the stories of innovation, success and plucky local start-ups in the North West that have bucked the trend. 5.2.6.2 The relevance of these programmes to the target audience. The research undertaken by Interactions in this franchise area showed that there is a demand for local current affairs programming among audiences. As indicated on the graph below, over 50% of all respondents are interested in local current affairs/discussions. Ocean FM is delivering what people want, with over half of all people in the franchise area agreeing that Ocean FM “has good current affairs programmes”. We can see that regular Ocean FM listeners put a particularly high value on this programming strand, with 75% of respondents in this group agreeing that Ocean FM has good current affairs programmes. Programming Senator, Susan O’Keeffe 5.2.7 Speech programming. Please set out the approach to speech-based programming that does not have news, current affairs or sport as its focus (arts and entertainment, culture, history, education, minority interests, etc.). In particular, please detail: Speech programming is a hugely important part of the schedule at Ocean FM. Our expectations in this area are high – we must entertain, inform, inspire, excite, and provoke thought. To live up to this expectation, we have developed a diverse set of hard working, high quality programmes. As a result, Ocean FM has developed a reputation for cutting edge, imaginative and inventive speech programming. This excellence has been recognised by our peers and independent organisations across Ireland and Europe. In the past three years alone, Ocean FM’s speech programming has been recognised by the following awards, including the coveted Prix Europa – this is the first time that a local station from anywhere in Europe has won this award. Ocean FM’s Awards In The Last Three Years Winner – Prix Europa for Drama 2013 Winner - Best Magazine Programme, PPI Radio Awards 2013 Winner - Best Specialist Speech Programme, PPI Radio Awards 2013 Winner – Music Special, PPI Radio Awards 2013 Winner – Craoltóireacht le Gaeilge, PPI Radio Awards 2013 Winner – Best Drama, PPI Radio Awards 2013 5. SECTION “Ocean FM’s daily current affairs programme offers relevant and timely analysis of both local and national issues. Politicians and public alike get a fair chance to speak. Election or referendum debates are hosted either in studio or in the Oireachtas studio. The channel also provides a strong, self-originated news service and dedicated business and agriculture/agribusiness weekly programmes. This is local radio as it should be - in tune and in touch with its community.” As belts have tightened, our listeners are more conscious than ever of getting the best value for their money and this includes protecting themselves when it comes to purchases of all kinds. Sensing an appetite among the public, we introduced a regular consumer affairs slot to our schedule. Our presenter, Claire Ronan, follows up specific cases, deals with legislation, identifies best value products and tackles misconceptions around all areas of consumer protection and commercial practices. The slot has been a huge success, generating a huge amount of local debate and profile around these issues. Ocean FM has now developed a reputation as the go-to place for advice in consumer protection and Claire has become a regular guest on RTÉ 1 Television. Silver Medal Winner – Station of the Year, PPI Radio Awards 2013 Bronze Medal Winner – Sports Story, PPI Radio Awards 2013 Merit Award – Justice Media Awards, Law Society of Ireland 2013 Silver Medal Winner – Craoltóireacht le Gaeilge, PPI Radio Awards 2012 Silver Medal Winner – Station of the Year, PPI Radio Awards 2011 Bronze Medal Winner – Music Special, PPI Radio Awards 2011 5.2.7.1 The format (documentary, magazine etc.), duration, content and frequency (weekly, monthly, etc.) of such programmes. The following speech based programmes feature every week on Ocean FM. OCEAN FM MAIN SPEECH-BASED PROGRAMMES Ocean Life: Monday to Friday, 11am to 12 noon. The full breadth of life and leisure in the North West is discussed on this relaxed magazine style show. Features include travel, legal issues, consumer affairs, health matters, cookery and technology. Ocean Life also has a strong community and charity focus and provides a platform for minority interests and disability issues. 49 Programming The Lazy Afternoon: 5. SECTION Monday to Friday, 12noon to 4pm. Francie Boylan anchors this show, with Michelle Gildea on hand to add some spice to the mix. The team get out and about during the week and feature all that is best about living in the North West. Defined by Francie’s personable approach and offbeat humour, the show also thrives on listener interaction, with comments and stories from across the three counties keeping listeners entertained. “The Lazy Afternoon” was selected as winner of Best Magazine Show at the PPI awards this year, beating off competition from RTÉ, Newstalk and 2FM. Arts House: This show had a clean grasp of its audience and managed to be humorous without being contrived. Sunday, 8.00pm to 9.00pm. Arts House features all colours of artistic life from Sligo, North Leitirm and South Donegal. The North West has a vibrant and varied artistic life, ranging from national and international professionals to community and amateur groups. This is the most comprehensive round up, review and analysis of the artistic, literary, craft and cultural scene available in the area. Arts House was the Gold Medal winner in the specialist speech category at the PPI Radio Awards in 2013. Judges Citation for “The Lazy Afternooon”, Gold Award, Best Magazine Show, PPI Radio Awards, 2013. Intuitively innovative approach to cultural experience that results in really entertaining radio. Community Diary: Monday to Friday, 11.30am, 2.30pm, 5.30pm. Features everything that is happening at a grassroots level across Sligo, North Leitrim and Donegal. Whether a local charity gig or a parish social, Community Diary is how people in our franchise area get the publicity they need. Judges’ citation for “Paddy at the Proms”, Gold Award at PPI Radio Awards, 2013. Outdoor Pursuits: Thursday, 9.30pm to 10pm. The North West has a firmly established and well-deserved reputation among outdoor and adventure enthusiasts of all kinds. Outdoor Pursuits allows listeners to explore the wealth of opportunities on their doorstep and encourages them to get active, explore their surroundings and test their limits. 50 Sunday Service/Mass: Sunday, 10.30am to 11.15am. Interdenominational broadcasts feature each week. Our schedule also regularly features additional special speech programmes and series. These series are essential to adding to the range of programming available to audiences in our area and embrace a surprisingly broad range of topics and formats. We have worked for a number of years to build capacity across our team in order to ensure that the quality of this output compares with the best in national and international radio. Most recently, we aired a thought-provoking week-long series on “Ocean Life” under the title “Diversity Sligo” which looked at the lives of a number of very different immigrants, all based in the Sligo area. The programme really got the heart of immigrant life, showing the widely varying situations that Programming A striking array of topics has been dealt with in our specialist speech programming over the years. We have looked at famous writers and artists with a connection to the North West – for example Spike Milligan, Bram Stoker and W.B. Yeats - delved into issues such as religion, disability, emigration and health matters and put the spotlight on historical landmarks such as the shipwreck of the Spanish Armada in 1588, Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery and Lissadell House. 5.2.7.2 In the case of a special/ documentary series, the minimum number envisaged per month/annum. Ocean FM has a dedicated slot for drama and documentaries, from 9.00am to 9.30am each Sunday. These types of programmes greatly add to the richness of our schedule and it is Ocean FM’s ambition to retain this diversity. We believe that our listeners are motivated by, and interested in, a broad range of topics – as varied as everyday life across our franchise area. The opportunity to undertake this type of programming also re-invigorates the team, increases motivation and sparks new interest in experimenting and exploring new approaches. In building skills such as paying attention to soundscape, finding innovative ways to tell stories through sound, interview and research techniques that lead to in-depth coverage and really get under the skin of an issue, no amount of training can substitute for practical experience in the field. This also distinguishes these programmes from other output at the station and broadens choice for listeners. Producing this kind of programming, at the level that we expect of ourselves, requires significant resources. This is very difficult for a small local station. In the main, we have relied on outside funding to produce special /documentary series – in particular looking to the BAI’s Sound and Vision Broadcasting Fund. We have a full time Sound and Vision producer, Aisling Heraughty, to ensure best use is made of this funding. We also believe that continued funding from Sound and Vision is essential to realise the investment our core staff have already put into enhancing their skills and to maintaining and improving the quality of programming of this nature available to listeners in the North West. 5. SECTION people from beyond our shores find themselves in (some working in high paid jobs, others trapped in the direct provision system of the state for years). The programmes highlighted the contributions they make to everyday life here and the challenges they face in carving out a new life. “Dealing with a historical subject… this play is full of contemporary life. The seamless storytelling develops a classic Homeric theme with humour and humanity. The jury was convinced by the highly elaborate ensemble performance and use of multilingual dialogues, which delivers the poetry in a rhythmic and surprising way, supported by evocative music with both Spanish and Irish motifs. We congratulate Ocean FM, a very small Irish station, for supporting this debut radiodrama.” Citation from Judging Panel for “Francisco” – Winner of Prix Europa 2013 Sound and Vision provides a unique opportunity to explore the many different ways we can interact with our listeners, to create and innovate in programming and to delve into subjects that might otherwise be ignored. We have been enthusiastic supporters of the scheme since inception and have so far produced and broadcast almost 30 series and programmes in our own right under the scheme. To our knowledge, this contrasts with the performance of other stations – for example, over the life of the scheme, Midwest Radio has itself 51 Programming produced only one programme through Sound and Vision and broadcast 15 by other producers, while Highland Radio has never produced a programme in-house and has broadcast 16 by independent producers. SECTION 5. We are currently preparing to air a 25-part series which delves into the fascinating, varied and often hidden heritage of twenty five Great Houses in the North West. Dealing with subjects as diverse as architecture, local history, genealogy, archaeology, flora and fauna, the aim is to introduce the people of the North West to their heritage through an examination of these enigmatic and distinguished buildings and their estates. We would like to maintain a steady pipeline of projects through Sound and Vision and any other available funding sources. In order to do so, we intend to regularly develop 10 or 15 part series, in the mould of “Great Houses of the North West” in addition to single documentaries and smaller series. We are hungry to provide this kind of programming and will embrace whatever funding opportunities are offered. The minimum number of series that can be produced depends on the funding available. In the coming year, we can commit to filling our drama/documentary slot for at least 37 weeks but have ideas in the pipeline that should provide programming beyond this. Our policy is to make programming that is open and inclusive. Questions of sexuality, religious difference, ethnicity or cultural background are all given the consideration that they deserve as part of our society. We aired “Voices of the Globe” relating the experiences of those living under the direct provision system in the North West, which won the Metro Eireann Media and Multicultural Award. We regularly provide 52 opportunities for our LGBT communities to give their views on air, have been commended for our treatment of issues relating to Travellers and minority groups including immigrants to the North West. In this way, we believe that we can provide a voice for those underrepresented or marginalised in our community. 5.2.7.3 The tolerence of these programmes to the target audience. All of our speech based programming is inspired by and focussed on the local culture of our area – whether we are bringing the flavour of an important local event to listeners or throwing the spotlight on hidden gems of our history and culture. This approach shapes our speech programming as relevant to our listeners - reflecting local concerns and resonating with the everyday experience of people living here. The breadth and diversity of our speech programming is something that listeners value, with 82% of those surveyed expressing the opinion that a “wide range of entertaining programmes” is important for a local station. A very high proportion (63%) also expressed interest in documentary programming. Programming “The success of Francisco in winning the Prix Europa is a tremendous example of local radio and local communities working together.” Michael Colreavy, TD, at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications Irish culture is often defined in a very narrow sense - linked strictly to traditional music and language. However we prefer to take a broader view – Irish culture is who we are and what we do. Anything that is uniquely generated here, that reflects our ideas, values and heritage and that represents the distinct character of the North West - from Gaelic games to local bands and the visual arts to drama. Taking this as our starting point at Ocean FM, we believe that our schedule is permeated with Irishness and Irish culture, without us needing to sign-post or segregate this programming. audience to whom it would otherwise be inaccessible. The themes of these programmes are carefully chosen to also appeal to fluent Irish speakers. 5.2.8.1 Programmes in the Irish language Ocean FM beat off competition from Raidió na Gaeltachta and other Irish language stations to win the PPI Gold Award for Craoltóireacht le Gaeilge in 2013 and the Silver in 2012. This demonstrates our commitment to delivering high quality programming in the Irish language. 5. SECTION 5.2.8 Irish language and Irish Culture programming. Please indicate the amount and type of programming to be broadcast Oidhreacht: Daily. 1-2 minutes x 5 times Although Ocean FM has a small pocket of designated Gaeltacht area within its franchise, the overall number of Irish speakers in the Sligo/North Leitrim/South Donegal area is relatively small. Fluent and motivated Irish speakers are well-catered for by Raidió na Gaeltachta. Unfortunately, for those who do not use the language on a regular basis, or who have Irish only to the level of primary or basic secondary school, the majority of RnaG’s programming is too advanced. It is our view that too much Irish language programming preaches to the converted it is aimed at those who are already fluent. These short pieces delve into the meanings and history associated with local townlands across Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. This series has proven very popular with Ocean FM listeners. In fact, it is the accessibility of the simple Irish used in the pieces and their repetition that has made them so popular – many listeners tell us that they are slowly re-learning their school Irish through listening to them and due to local demand we are about to issue the series on CD. Cén Chiall Atá Le Sloinne: Laethúil. Nóiméad amháin x 8. In general, our Irish language programming targets those that have an interest in the language and are open to improving their level of Irish but are not proficient. As a result, we favour simple and short bursts of Irish content, using accessible language, structured so that the listener can follow the gist of the piece even if they don’t understand every sentence or phrase. Essentially, the presenter guides the listener through the programme to ensure that they remain engaged. In this way, we hope to bring these elements of Irish culture to an Bunaithe ar rath na sraithe ‘Oidhreacht,’ tá sé i gceist againn mír nua a chraoladh sna míonna seo amach romhainn. Tugann an tsraith blas d’ábhar suimiúil an ghinealais don éisteoir. Déanann gach mír iniúchadh ar shloinne coitianta atá bainteach le hiar-thuaisceart na hÉireann agus pléann sé a chiall, a bhunús is a stair. Chomh maith leis an mír Ghaeilge, craolfar mír Bhéarla am eile ar an lá céanna, ionas gur féidir le daoine comparáid a dhéanamh idir an dá leagan de agus chun tuiscint 53 Programming agus suim sa Ghaeilge a mhúscailt i measc an lucht éisteachta san iar-thuaisceart. SECTION 5. What’s in a Name?: Daily, 1 minute x 8 times. (4 as Gaeilge and 4 in English each day). Building on the success of “Oidhreacht”, it is our intention to introduce this new segment in the coming months. The series provides a taster on the enduring and captivating subject of genealogy. Each segment examines a popular or famous surname associated with the North West of Ireland and outlines its meanings, origins and history. In addition to the original Irish piece, a parallel translation in English will also be broadcast in separate slots on the same day, allowing people to compare the two versions and thereby further stimulate understanding of and interest in the Irish language among the broader public in the Northwest. Ursuline College Every year Ocean FM and the Ursuline College Secondary School work together to research, script and produce a piece of radio in Irish that relates to the local area. The quality and originality of the pieces produced has been very impressive to date and these programmes have won the Comórtas Clár Raidió, Gael Linn, a Gold Medal at the PPI Radio Awards in 2013 and a Silver Medal in 2012. Seachtain na Gaeilge Ocean FM has participated in regular Seachtain na Gaeilge programming initiatives. Each year we have also produced a number of different and original programmes and slots to highlight Seachtain na Gaeilge and to promote the language in our area. Soup agus Soap The Ocean FM studios have provided a terrific facility for myself and my students over the past few years. We have won many Gael Linn and Conradh na Gaeilge Irish Language Radio Programme awards, a PPI Silver Award in 2012 and the ultimate PPI Gold Award in 2013. This would not have been possible without the professional help and hard work of Kevin Blessing. Kevin and the team at Ocean FM have been ever-willing to give of their time and skills. It is thanks to them that these students have been able to compete on a national level and bring home the gold! Martha Lee, Irish Teacher, Ursuline College Sligo. 54 We are currently developing an improvised Irish language soap, broadcast daily at lunchtime in short instalments. This initiative has grown from an experimental idea, developed as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge last year. Rossa O’Snodaigh of traditional band, Kila and Sorcha Fox, actress and script writer with Ros na Run, are collaborating with us on this new venture and we hope that it will become a regular part of our schedule. Both are resident in Manorhamilton and have worked with Ocean FM on special programming in the past. The series will be recorded in our Manorhamilton studios. Programming Cois na Tine: Sunday. 7pm to 8pm. (60% Irish Language). This show is presented by longstanding members of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann and Irish language enthusist, Vince Hearns. Our area is steeped in traditional Irish music and Cois na Tine shows that this tradition is alive and well. This bilingual programme includes traditional lore and chat and features live music sessions. Ocean FM embraces the special place that our area holds in the life of the Irish musical tradition. We have highlighted the proud legacy of iconic local musicians such as Michael Coleman and James Morrison through dedicated documentary series and support the activities of Áras Coleman, the hub for traditional culture of all kinds in the North West. We are currently preparing to air a series on the unique traditional music of the Travelling people of the North West, combining gems from the archives of Áras Coleman and recording, for the first time, some of the authentic voices and Travelling musicians of our area. Is gar do chroí Ocean FM an áit lárnach atá ag an gceol traidisiúnta sa taobh seo tíre. Mar gheall ar sin, tá béim curtha againn, i sraith fhaisnéise, ar oidhreacht bhródúil na gceoltóirí cáiliúla áitiúla, leithéidí James Morrison agus Michael Coleman agus tugaimid tacaíocht rialta do na gníomhaíochtaí a bhíonn ar bun acu i gCeoláras Coleman, croílár an chultúir thraidisiúnta anseo san iar-thuaisceart. Um an dtaca seo, táimid ag obair ar shraith nua faoi cheol an Lucht Siúil san iar-thuaisceart, le meascán de mhíreanna ón gcartlann i gCeoláras Coleman, chomh maith le taifeadtaí, don chéad uair riamh, de roinnt amhránaithe agus ceoltóirí de chuid an Lucht Siúil ón gceantar seo. The essence of traditional Irish Music is that it is played live. We invite musicians from all local traditional festivals to play live on air, particularly during the Summer Festival season. We continue to innovate and explore means to produce programming into which Irish is woven in a creative way that appeals to listeners. A recent example is Francisco, where the use of Irish and English together in the piece was favourably commented on by the judging panel in Berlin. 5.2.8.3 Programmes relating to Irish culture. 5. SECTION 5.2.8.2 Bilingual programming, indicate the approximate amount of Irish therein; It is very difficult to quantify how much of our schedule relates to Irish culture, it permeates our programming. For example, our speech and current affairs programming host debates on different elements of Irish culture every day. Nonetheless, we have set out here some main scheduled programmes that fall within this sphere. PROGRAMMES RELATING TO IRISH CULTURE Ocean Life: Monday to Friday, 11am to 12pm. The Lazy Afternoon: Monday to Friday, 12noon to 4pm. Both our magazine programmes has regular features on the Arts in the North West including the Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo, The Abbey Centre in Ballyshannon, The Glens Centre in Manorhamilton and the Model Arts Centre in Sligo Town. “Play Irish” on Ocean Drive: Monday to Friday, 6.00pm to 6.30pm. Every weekday, Shane Smyth hosts an Irish act live in studio or features a pre-recorded piece with an Irish artist. This is an exceptional opportunity to feature Irish musicians of all colours and show off the depth of Irish musical talent available. 55 Programming Ocean Country Jamboree: Monday to Friday, 7pm to 10pm. This programme has a particular focus on Irish Country and Western – a genre of music that is distinctly Irish and has deep roots in our area. Our presenters are embedded in the Irish Country scene and do not just play records – artist’s interviews are a regular feature and the programme has been central in launching the careers of a number of local Irish Country and Western Stars. SECTION 5. Arts House: Sunday, 8pm to 9pm. Arts House features all colours of artistic life from Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. The North West has a vibrant and varied artistic life, ranging from national and international professionals to community and amateur groups. This is the most comprehensive round up, review and analysis of the artistic, literary, craft and cultural scene available in the area. Arts House was received a Gold Medal at the PPI Radio Awards in 2013. Oldies and Irish : Sunday, 12 noon to 2pm. Marion Fitzgerald is one of the best loved personalities in the North West and has a special relationship with the elderly and those in hospital, making place for them on the airwaves in this show. Every Sunday, she opens her doors to listener requests with an emphasis on Irish acts and ballad artists. The Irish Album: Sunday, 9pm to 10pm. Karen Spellman hands the initiative to Irish acts with an hour of new Irish music tracks and the best home-grown talent. 56 In addition to these mainstays of the schedule, Ocean FM has a steady stream of special programmes and broadcasting initiatives that highlight and celebrate all that is special about the cultural life of our area. Some of this is produced with the assistance of the Sound and Vision Broadcasting Fund and some evolves through our interaction with groups and organisations in our area, all reflect the incredible vibrancy of the people and culture of the North West. The examples below give a flavour of this. Punch and Kickham: Written by Diarmuid O’Brien (The Panel) and brought to life with respected local actors of the stature of Maria Mc Dermott Roe, John O’Dowd and the crew from The Lazy Afternoon. Punch and Kickham followed two hapless Sligo detectives, striving incompetently to keep the streets of Sligo safe. Fleadh Cheoil: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be taking place in Sligo in 2014. Ocean FM is already planning a week of comprehensive programming bringing key performances, a flavour of the atmosphere and all essential information relating to the Fleadh to our listeners and visitors to the County. We are active members of the Fleadh Cheoil Organising Committee. Sligo Schools Got Talent: This show has fostered and featured talented teenagers from every corner of our franchise area, and was expanded to include the whole of the North West in its second and subsequent years. Offering a platform for all, the series sheds light on the extraordinary wealth of talent and positive energy that our school-goers possess. Sligo Live: Sligo Live is the biggest and most ambitious alternative and roots music festival in the North West. Every year, Ocean FM partners with Sligo Live to promote the festival and its acts. Programming Máire Garvey, Dip in the Nip Rory O’Connor, Sligo Live Tubbercurry Old Fair Day: Ocean FM supports Tubbercurry Old Fair Day, the biggest traditional festival in this part of our franchise area. The station broadcasts live from the event, encouraging those that are out and about to take to the airwaves and bringing a flavour of local traditional crafts, skills and arts to our listeners. Yeats Day and the Tread Softly Festival: W.B. and Jack Yeats are cultural icons for this area and hugely important to many facets of life in the North West – cultural, economic and societal. Ocean FM liaises closely with the organising committee to highlight the festival programme and features samples of the best on air. Rory Gallagher Festival: Ocean FM always has a presence on the ground at the annual Rory Gallagher Festival in Ballyshannon. The station gets in on the action, celebrating Ballyshannon’s most famous musical son with locals and fans from across the country. Special Documentary series at the station have embraced all facets of local and Irish heritage and culture: Spike Milligan, Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, an Irish take on The Proms, Bram Stoker, Sligo Gaol, The Fighting 69th Brigade, minority religions in the North West, The World Rally Championship in the North West, emigration, the history of independent radio in Ireland and many more. 5. SECTION “Ocean FM have been an important and steadfast supporter of the Dip in the Nip since it started in 2009 and have been an enthusiastic partner in all Dips, and on their own initiative made a number of minidocumentaries of live Dips that were very well received.” Over the past nine years Ocean has been a fully committed partner of Sligo Live, recognising that, like yourselves, Sligo Live is an integral part of the community. The genuine enthusiasm of your presenters and in depth coverage of the festival and the artists playing it have played a major part in embedding the event in the hearts and minds of the community. We sincerely hope we can continue to work together over the coming years. 5.2.9 Music Policy. Please describe in detail the proposed policy in respect of the music programming and how it will be of relevance to the target audience. A clear definition for each music type/genre or category should be included. All traditional music festivals in our area including the Michael Coleman Traditional Festival, the South Sligo Summer School and the James Morrison Traditional Music Festival are featured on Ocean FM. Ocean FM’s music policy is focussed and reflective of the ever changing needs and wants of the Adult 25+ radio listener in the Sligo, Leitrim and South Donegal area. Ocean FM has clearly identified its potential audience and the music has been carefully chosen not alone to reinforce the popularity of Ocean FM in the past but with additional refinements to ensure its future appeal. The Ocean FM music policy is based on the “formative years” of our potential listener. The music policy base for Ocean FM targeting a 25+ Adult is the period from 1980 to 1990. Allingham Arts Festival: Now in its third year, The Allingham Art’s Festival receives the full support of Ocean FM. Reflecting the unique mix of disciplines that gives the festival its character, from Ballad signing competitions to cultural debate to local drama coverage, Ocean FM embraces all. Ocean FM’s music policy is designed to be popular with the target listener and at the same time being distinctly different to other operators with the market; this is what gives us our unique music appeal. We feel that, recent improvements made to the music policy at Ocean FM have not not only broadened 57 Programming our appeal but have also strengthened the bond with our existing listenership and improved the offer for potential listeners. SECTION 5. In creating the music policy for Ocean FM, we have identified songs that fit with the format and also create an identifiable consistent and entertaining adult contemporary sound over a 24 hour 365 day period. We are constantly monitoring our music output to guarantee that the music we play is always fresh and focussed. We operate a strict rest and rotate music policy which maintains, improves and builds the listener loyalty and time spent listening to Ocean FM. The following table highlights the Music Policy structure of Ocean FM and the era from which the music played on Ocean FM is based on the 7am to 7pm period. The table also details the percentages of each category that will be played on Ocean FM. We also ensure that a minimum of 30 % of the music we play on Ocean FM will be of Irish origin. Although the music policy of Ocean FM is primarily era-based, included within these eras is a broad genre mix of music styles including – Pop / Rock / Power Ballad / American Country / Irish Country / Traditional Irish / Easy Listening / Popular Reggae and R+B. Ocean FM Music Music Era PPS % Genre Category 58 Hot Currents 1 year 20% Current Recurrent 1 to 3 years 30% Recent Millenium 4 to 10 years 90’s 10 to 20 years 40% Contemporary 80’s 20 to 30 years Late 70’s 30 years + Older 70’s + 60’s 60’s + 70’s 10% Old Gold Country Music For some listeners, Ocean FM is synonymous with Country music, our station plays 16 hours of Country a week, with Ocean Country Jamboree taking centre stage from 7pm to 10pm and every Saturday morning Ireland’s King of Country, Pascal Mooney broadcasting from 11am to 2pm. The station provides a highly valued platform for new and local Country artists and has been to the forefront in championing upcoming talent. There is a huge demand for this music among our audience, with 85% of regular Ocean FM listeners saying that they are interested in this genre. As a result, our evening listenership is higher than most other local stations. This demand has also spawned a number of complementary activities by the station, such as the release of our Ocean FM Country Music Awards CD and a very successful series of Country music concerts. Traditional Music Traditional music is also important to the identity of this franchise area. In addition to a weekly programme putting the spotlight on Traditional Music, we have broadcast a number of special features and series on the Traditional Irish music of our franchise area and cover important festivals such as Michael Coleman Traditional Festival, the South Sligo Summer School and the James Morrison Traditional Music Festival. Traditional band, Kila, were an integral part of our flagship cultural project for 2013, Francisco, with their specially devised traditional score, breathing life into the series. Programming Other specialist music strands are also core to our offering. In 2013, we won a PPI Radio Award for our Music Special, focussing on classical music, and we broadcast a weekly classical music programme. We also cover all manner of musical events in our franchise area, embracing a huge range of tastes and styles. These include the Celtic Fringe Festival, the Sligo Jazz Festival, the Seán Mac Diarmada Festival in Killyclogher, the Sea Shanty Festival and the Sligo Choral Festival. 5.2.10 Irish Music Policy. Please define the Irish music that will be aired and, as a percentage of the total music output, the amount of Irish music that will be played in the 07:00-19:00 period and in the total broadcast day. Ocean FM defines Irish music as “music of Irish origin, by which we mean any music written, recorded or performed by Irish artists or music by non-Irish artists recorded in Ireland. We are the country’s leading station for commitment to Irish music. As recognised by IMRO, we play more up and coming and established Irish and traditional artists and music than any other station. Every evening, between 6.00pm and 6.30pm, Ocean Drive surrenders the airwaves to an Irish act. “Play Irish” has provided the first rung on the ladder for countless new acts, has been the engine in breaking new music for many existing Irish artists and is an institution when it comes to live Irish music in the North West. We are one of the few local stations operating IMRO’s “Play Irish” scheme and are the only station to have received the IMRO award for commitment to Irish music for two years running. 5. SECTION Other Specialist Music “From our first single to the most recent, the fundamental starting point of any Irish band is the Play Irish campaign – it’s where Irish DJ’s take Irish bands seriously and was a great start to Frantic Jack’s career” Frantic Jack “Ocean FM and their play Irish feature have proven innovative and extremely beneficial for any budding new original Irish artist. I have found this to be a fantastic platform for getting my music heard by a local audience, something which proves almost impossible for new artists when working with national broadcasters.” Shane McLaughlin, Runner up on The Voice of Ireland 2013 “This award reflects the commitment of everyone in Ocean to supporting Irish music” Victor Finn, IMRO Ocean FM commits to playing a minimum of 30% music of Irish origin – both contemporary and traditional – between 7am and 7pm and across the broadcasting day. We consistently exceed this percentage and see no reason for this to change. “The Play Irish campaign was one of our first radio experiences on Ocean FM and a great starting point for any Irish band.” The Academic 59 Programming 5.2.11 New Opportunities for Irish talent. Please detail how the proposed service will create new opportunities for Irish talent having regard to music, drama and entertainment and in particular, in respect of Irish culture. SECTION 5. Throughout the past 10 years, Ocean FM has been a strong supporter of emerging and established local talent and we will continue to keep this as a focus. We provide opportunities to local performers and artists wherever possible. We have dedicated slots in our schedule, weave them into our key programmes and we regularly develop special initiatives in the area. We are conscious of the role that we can play in developing and reinforcing the cultural strength of the North West. In addition to our regular activities, we have sought to support artistic communities through funding from the Sound and Vision Broadcasting Fund, collaborating with local groups and artists to produce radio drama, comedy and music programming which adds to the vitality of the arts in the region and fosters an appreciation for this type of programming among our audience. Radio Drama The North West of Ireland is a hub for artistic activity and many writers, actors and artists of national and international standing are based on our doorstep. In recognition of this fact, Ocean FM sought to build creative partnerships with these artistic communities, with the aim of producing innovative and imaginative programming for our listeners. These efforts are now bearing fruit, with the station broadcasting a number of ground breaking and innovative dramas in recent years. In 2013, the station was awarded the Prix Europa for its radio drama “Francisco”, written and directed by local writer Donal O’Kelly and scored and performed by locally-based members of 60 traditional band Kila. This is the first time a local station has ever been awarded the prestigious prize, which recognises the best in radio across Europe. Ocean FM were absolutely crucial to the development of “Francisco” for recording and broadcast. The major European broadcasters are now looking to Ocean FM’s model for radio drama development….According to a Prix Europa convenor, in fifteen years working on the festival she had never seen a production attain so many ten-outof-tens. That’s thanks in large part to Ocean FM giving us the liberty to make something simultaneously innovative and accessible, an organic artistic creation rather than an industrial product. And I’m looking forward to growing the partnership into the future. Donal O’Kelly, Writer and Director, “Francisco”. We have also collaborated with John O’Dowd of Truewest Productions in bringing the powerful and atmospheric piece “Mary Motorhead” to radio. The piece recently won the “Best Drama” prize at the PPI Radio Awards this year. These relationships continue to evolve and our network is expanding to include other artists in the area. Our open and collaborative approach has brought genuine freshness and vitality to this programming and offers something really different for listeners in the North West. Focussing on the younger generation, Ocean FM embraced the idea of “Sligo School’s Got Talent” a number of years ago and it has proved a great success in encouraging and fostering young performers in all genres of entertainment. We have been supporting the initiative ever since and the concept has more recently been adopted by RTE. We also run poetry and essaywriting competitions for young, school-goers. Programming Eamon Fitzpatrick, PRO, ‘Unite for Life’, Sligo-Leitrim Robbie McNabb, Our Schools Got Talent Our daily “Play Irish” slot on Ocean Drive is a mainstay of the schedule. Regular slots also feature on Ocean Life, The Lazy Afternoon and Arts House – embracing performers from all areas of the arts including music, drama, comedy and entertainment. Ocean FM has a reputation for supporting and encouraging new and established country acts across the North West, and Ocean Country Jamboree offers a crucial lifeline for these performers. Our Country Concerts have been instrumental in the breakthrough of a number of new artists in this genre. Placement and training initiatives also support upcoming talent and open the airwaves to a wider pool. Ocean FM originated the idea of “T.Y. Radio” together with schools in our area, offering groups of Transition Year students the opportunity to learn how to make a radio programme. Our policy is to offer regular work experience placements to those who approach us when considering a career in radio. A partnership with Leader has also led to the “Gillaroo” programme, where young people on both sides of the Border are trained and resourced with the aim of producing a radio programme, dealing with themes of heritage or history that appeal to them. The final production is then broadcast on Ocean FM. 5.2.12 Purchase and sale of broadcast material. Please detail the proposed policy in relation to the purchase and sale of broadcast material, both from other broadcast organisations and independent producers. 5. SECTION “On behalf of the ‘Unite for Life’ group in SligoLeitrim, I would like to acknowledge the fair manner in which our group were treated by the Ocean FM news staff and by Niall Delaney. The professionalism and courtesy which was shown to us at all times is much appreciated..... where would we be without local radio!” Over the past three years Our Schools Got Talent has raised almost €90,000 for Special Olympics Ireland and ISPCC/ Childline. The competition has grown from a single county event in Sligo to an All Ireland event with the final televised by RTE television last March. The support of Ocean FM has been a major factor in the development and success of the event. The initial tentative steps back in 2010 received the fulsome backing of the Directors and staff, and their assistance with the development of the community aspect and student/school participation model proved invaluable with the eventual rollout nationally of the Schools Talent Search competition. There is little room for purchased material on our airwaves due to Ocean FM’s local-first approach - programming made outside our station rarely has a real relevance for our listeners. In addition, we have limited budget to purchase outside programming. We do not intend that bought material would have any substantial place in our schedule. We do make efforts to sell original programming made by the station where we think there may be an interest and will continue to do this. 5.2.13 Other programming proposals. If relevant, please describe any other programming proposals which are proposed to carry on the service. To date, Ocean FM has broadcast, on an annual basis, from the Oireachtas studios. We have had discussions with members of the Oireachtas, to pursue the idea of producing a more regular programme from the Oireachtas studios with all local T.D.s and Senators. We will continue to look at this option for the future. Ocean FM co-operates with schools and training bodies across Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal to educate and excite students about working in the media environment. These ongoing initiatives will continue and will be extended wherever possible. 61 Programming 5.3 Programme Schedule. Please provide a typical sevenday programme schedule setting out the proposed hours of broadcasting and details of programme content with SECTION 5. explanatory notes as to how the programmes meet with the various commitments as outlined in the Programme Policy Statement and generally, the diversity of programming in the franchise area. PROGRAMME SCHEDULE: MONDAY TO FRIDAY 62 FEATURES 07.00 - 09.00 The Breakfast Club with Kevin Blessing The perfect wake up mix of music, local information and entertainment, this is the go-to place for essential local info such as school closures and road works. Kevin Blessing introduces another new day at Ocean FM. Local news and sport bulletins, traffic updates, local information, weather outlook, surf reports 09.00 – 11.00 North West Today with Niall Delaney Niall Delaney presents a controversial and thought-provoking mix of news-driven current affairs, which debates the latest issues of the day in Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. Head-to-head debates, listener comments and interaction, election and referendum debates 11.00 – 12.00 Ocean Life with Margaret Carr Flynn The full breadth of life and leisure in the North West is discussed on this relaxed magazine-style show. Features include travel, legal issues, consumer affairs, health matters, cookery and technology. Ocean Life also has a strong community and charity focus and provides a platform for minority interests and disability issues. Local and community news, consumer affairs, gardening, travel, legal issues, health matters, cookery and technology, Arts Round Up, Oidhreacht 11.00 – 12.00 Destination Donegal with Daniel Browne (Friday Only, Donegal Opt Out) Every week, matters in Donegal are put under the current affairs spotlight in this current affairs and magazine programme. Debate, discussion and Donegal news are the order of the day. 11.30, 14.30, Community Diary 17.30 Everything that is happening at a grassroots level across Sligo, North Leitrim and Donegal, whether a local charity gig or a parish social. Topical debate, in-depth coverage of important stories in Donegal Programming 06.57, 11.57, FEATURES Oidhreacht 15.57, 19.20, These short Irish Language pieces delve into the meanings and 02.03 history associated with local townlands across Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. 12.00 – 16.00 16.00 – 19.00 The Lazy Afternoon with Francie Boylan and Michelle Gildea Francie Boylan anchors this show, with Michelle Gildea on hand to add some spice to the mix. The team get out and about during the week and feature all that is best about living in the North West. Defined by Francie’s personable approach and off-beat humour, the show also thrives on listener interaction, with comments and stories from across the three counties keeping listeners entertained. 16.00 – 18.00 Contemporary and informative drivetime show, where classic and (Fridays) easy listening favourites, with an emphasis on Irish artists, set the music playlist. Every weekday, Shane hosts an Irish act live in studio or features a pre-recorded piece with an Irish artist. 18.00 – 19.00 The Final Whistle with Darragh Cox (Friday) Ocean Drive with Shane Smyth Ocean FM’s essential listening sports magazine. Presenter, Darragh Cox, is renowned for his comprehensive knowledge of sport and every Friday he leads listeners through a review of the sports action from the week gone by and gets out the crystal ball for the busy weekend of sport ahead. 19.00 – 22.00 Ocean Country Jamboree with John Ryan and Bernie Kane 19.00 – 21.00 From Irish Country and Western to Classic Country, this is Country (Thursday) music at its best. Featuring stalwarts of the scene, upcoming acts and, of course, reserving a special place for those voices from our area. Oidhreacht, theatre review, local “amdram”, competitions, the show for live studio interviews for any personality visiting the North West. 5. SECTION PROGRAMME SCHEDULE: MONDAY TO FRIDAY “Play Irish”, local traffic and travel, cinema reviews, competitions, entertainment review, local bands live on air. Live commentaries, fixture list, results update. Oidhreacht, live interviews, artist of the week. 63 Programming PROGRAMME SCHEDULE: MONDAY TO FRIDAY SECTION 5. 64 21.00 – 21.30 Agri-Week with Therese Madden (Thursday) 21.30 – 22.00 The North West has a strong rural economy and agricultural issues remain important to our listeners. This is a topical look at the farming issues that are most relevant to our audience – whether it is CAP reform, mart prices or local or national agricultural or environmental policies. (Thursday) The North West has a firmly established and well-deserved reputation among outdoor and adventure enthusiasts of all kinds. Outdoor Pursuits allows listeners to explore the wealth of opportunities on their doorstep and encourages them to get active, explore their surroundings and test their limits. 22.00 – 00.00 00.00 – 02.00 The Wave with Andrew Mooney This show has a strong emphasis on local bands and new Irish music. 02.00 – 04.00 North West Today Repeat of the day’s earlier edition 04.00 – 07.00 Ocean Dawn An early morning mix of easy listening music to ease listeners into a new day FEATURES Mart reports from across Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. Outdoor Pursuits with Francie Boylan The Love Cruise with Des McAleer and Pauric Byrne A laid back music programme, to ease everyone down and unwind after a long, hard day. Links with IT Sligo, local band news. Oidhreacht Oidhreacht Programming 07.00 – 09.30 Ocean Breakfast with Seamus McManus 14.00 – 18.00 Saturday Sports Beat with Darragh Cox Waking up the weekend with a mixture of easy and Ronan Moyles listening music. The show includes a surf A lively and comprehensive view of all sports report, a review of the papers, and a look at action in the franchise area, Saturday Sports community events over the weekend. Beat provides a mix of sports news and reports, live match commentaries and a 09.30 – 10.00 Up and Running with Daniel Browne sprinkling of musical favourites. Includes the This weekly programme throws the spotlight main evening news and Obituary Notices. on current economic and business issues in the North West. Here we celebrate success, 18.00 – 00.00 Ocean Weekend Party with Ciaran Carty highlight issues and their possible Saturday night is party night, with a music mix solutions, examine start ups and reflecting the disco era of the 70’s, the 80’s established business and look at innovative and the 90’s, as well as today’s hot hits. ideas, sectors and models developing in our area. 10.00 – 11.00 North West Today Rewind A look back at some of the highlights and important issues raised on North West Today over the past week. 11.00 – 14.00 The Paschal Mooney Show with Paschal Mooney The best in country, with a sprinkling of 60’s, 70’s and Irish traditional music with the selection dictated by listener choice. Includes the main lunchtime news and Obituary Notices. 5. SECTION OCEAN FM PROGRAMME SCHEDULE: SATURDAY 00.00 – 08.00 Night Moves Overnight easy-listening music show featuring Classic Hits from the last 30 years. Three Studios and two main frequencies We make extensive use of our facility to opt out on the Donegal 105 FM frequency, including several news bulletins every day, a weekly current affairs programme and regular match commentaries. We also make extensive use of all three studios with at least six hours programming per day coming from Donegal and Manorhamilton being used at least weekly. 65 Programming OCEAN FM PROGRAMME SCHEDULE: SUNDAY 5. SECTION 08.00 – 09.00 Sunday Classics with Michael O’Donnell Our classical music expert presents a selection of popular classics. 09.00 – 09.30 Drama and Documentaries Ocean FM’s innovative and award winning drama and documentaries feature every Sunday morning with the support of Sound and Vision 09.30 – 10.00 Agri Week with Therese Madden A topical look at the farming issues that are most relevant to our audience – whether it is CAP reform, mart prices or local or national agricultural or environmental policies. 10.00 – 10.30 Sunday Reflection A soothing music slot in keeping with the reflective nature of Ocean’s Sunday morning programming. The programme features the main morning news bulletin and Obituary Notices. 10.30 – 11.15 Sunday Service Weekly service broadcast live from throughout the region. 11.15 – 12.00 Hospitals Requests with Marion Fitzgerald A dedicated programme especially for those sick in local hospitals, as well as residents in nursing homes. 66 12.00 – 14.00 Oldies and Irish with Marion Fitzgerald This popular request driven programme is Irish in musical content and features ballad artists from all musical strains. Includes main lunchtime news and Obituary Notices. 14.00 – 18.00 Sunday Sport with Darragh Cox, Ronan Moyles, Tommy Clarke, Keith O’Dwyer, Pauric Byrne, P.J. Leddy and Pauric Hilferty Ocean FM gets into the thick of it on the busiest day of the week, bringing live commentaries, news, views and reports and a major sports round up between 6pm and 7pm (seasonal). 18.00 – 19.00 Rovers Review (Seasonal: March to November) This is our Sligo Rovers “blog” live on air, peopled by the fans and dedicated to them. The programme acts as a Social Media hub for fans across the region and is the lifeline for debating the ins and outs of the beautiful game in the North West. 19.00 – 20.00 Cois Na Tine with Vince Hearns A weekly programme of Irish traditional music and chat, in an area steeped in such music tradition. The programme is bi-lingual, and includes live trad sessions. Programming 21.00 – 22.00 The Irish Album with Karen Spellman Karen Spellman hands the initiative to Irish acts with an hour of new Irish music tracks and the best home-grown talent. 22.00 – 01.00 The Amazing Eighties with Mick O’Donovan Three hours of the best hits from, arguably, the best music decade of them all! 01.00 – 02.00 Night Moves A mixture of soft rock and easy listening favourites. Listeners can write, e-mail or text their all-time favourite rock classics and easy listening choices. The ever-changing media landscape is a huge challenge to traditional radio stations – driven by the economic downturn and the ubiquity of new media. The way in which people now access content has completely changed from the time when local radio was established. We strongly believe that content needs to be platform-neutral for stations to thrive and Ocean FM has begun moving in this direction. But this is an expensive process. Given additional resources, Ocean FM would accelerate work to have our station at the heart of a multi platform media business with the ability to deliver in line with our audiences changing needs. This would include the provision of on-line video content, extending the function of our “Films 4 U” service, live online coverage of news and sports events and a larger library of podcast programmes. 5. SECTION 20.00 – 21.00 Arts House with Therese Madden Arts House features all colours of artistic life from Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. The North West has a vibrant and varied artistic life ranging from national and international professionals to community and amateur groups. This is the most comprehensive round up, review and analysis of the artistic, literary, craft and cultural scene available in the area. 5.4 Additional Commitments. Please set out any additional commitments in the context of the programming proposals above which the applicant will deliver on in the event of an economic upturn during the term of the contract. There is a huge thirst for sports coverage across the three counties of our franchise area and further development across platforms would also allow the provision of a parallel sports service where demand exists. Similarly, should the resources be available, Ocean FM believes that the addition of a dedicated Courts Reporter to our news team would broaden and strengthen the news offering at the station. 02.00 – 04.00 North West Today Rewind Repeat of the Friday’s edition of North West Today 04.00 – 07.00 Ocean Dawn Classic Hits from the last 30 years. 67 SECTION 6. 68 Studios and Transmission Please provide a detailed scaled drawing of the studio area together with an overall plan of the studio and office complex that is proposed. Please include the following information: 2. Ocean FM Donegal Studios Gruagorm House Donegal Town Co. Donegal “Ocean FM is a very important platform for Community and Voluntary Groups like Special Olympics. It affords us an opportunity to get our message out there, whether it is a fundraising event or a sporting event.” 6.1.1 The proposed location (including the name and address) and total floor area available. In cases where it is proposed to locate on a number of floors or in separate buildings, please specify the floor area of each section. Michael Carty, Regional Fundraising Coordinator, Special Olympics These three locations ensure that we are best placed to serve each of the three counties covered by our franchise area and are easily accessible by the public and by staff. 6.1.2 A description of the proposed building including details of its construction, age of building, permitted classes of use, level of access to people with disabilities and why in the applicant’s view it is suitable for use as a radio studio and/or office location. The details are: Details on the following pages. Ocean FM has been headquartered at our modern, purpose built broadcast centre in Collooney, Co.Sligo since our launch in 2004. In addition to our studios in Collooney, we also have modern studios in Donegal Town and Manorhamilton, Co.Leitrim. Floor area: 162 sq/m 3. Ocean FM Leitrim Studios Library Corner Manorhamilton Co. Leitrim 6. SECTION 6.1 Studios Floor area: 65 sq/m 1. Ocean FM Broadcast Centre North West Business Park Collooney Co. Sligo Floor area: 270 sq/m 69 Studios and Transmission 6. Ocean FM Broadcast Centre, Collooney SECTION This modern building situated in a business park at the junction of the main Sligo, Dublin and Galway Roads is accessible from all parts of the franchise area and close to Sligo Town. The building is fabricated from concrete, steel frame and “Kingspan” sections and was constructed in 2004. The area is zoned ‘commercial’ and the building has full planning permission for use as a radio station. The building has access for people with diabilities including wheelchair access to all areas. It has operated successfully as the headquarters of Ocean FM for the past nine years. 70 Studios and Transmission This landmark modern building is situated on Upper Main St. in the centre of the Town. It was constructed in 2003 from steel and concrete. The studios are on the first floor and have full planning permission for use as a radio station. The building is equipped with a modern lift and has full disabled access. 6. SECTION Ocean FM Donegal Studios, Donegal Town It has operated successfully as the Donegal Studios of the station for the past nine years. 71 Studios and Transmission Ocean FM Leitrim Studios, Manorhamilton 6. SECTION This modern building was constructed in 2003 and is situated at Library Corner, close to the centre of Manorhamilton. It is a commercal unit and opens on to the street. It has full planning permission for use as a radio studio. The building has full disabled access. It has operated successfully as the Leitrim studios of the station for the past nine years. 72 Studios and Transmission All three premises comply fully with Part M of the Building Regulations and the NDA Buildings for Everyone Guidelines. The acoustic treatment of the studio construction is as follows: The studios have been constructed using methods that ensure sound isolation of at least 55db/A. Interior walls are double leaf, comprising multiple layers separated by heavy acoustic panels. Where partitions coincide with structural walls, a triple layer was used, with the central leaf integral with the structure. The internal walls are mounted on a resilient foundation and the floor of the studio is carried on a long fibre type mineral wool blanket which reduces floor borne vibrations. Double layer, 15mm plasterboard with staggered joints was used to clad the partitions with exposed surfaces plastered. Internal wall surfaces are studded and filled with sound absorbing compacted mineral wool, faced with hardboard perforated to allow tailored absorbtion across the audio frequency spectrum. Wall coverings are fire retardant hessian with ash trim. Observation windows are quadruple glazed with substantial air spaces between panes and acoustic absorbing materials on the reveals. Doors are solid construction in accordance with fire regulations with acoustic isolation through the use of magnetic seals and rising thresholds. Door frames have been constructed to ensure there are no bridges between the adjacent wall leaves. Entrances to the main studios in Sligo and Donegal are via sound lock with high isolation doors. 6. SECTION 6.1.3 A detailed drawing that includes the dimensions of the proposed studios, technical facilities, news, office and administration areas. In particular, details of the manner by which it is proposed to construct the studios, together with details of the acoustic treatment are required. 6.1.4 Outline of the proposed heating, ventilation and standby power plant should also be provided and where such equipment is to be located. Main office areas in all three buildings are heated via electric storage heating. Studios do not require heating due to the heat produced by studio equipment. The Sligo and Donegal studios are ventilated via ducts fitted above the acoustic ceilings fed by elastic suspensions to an exterior air conditioning plant situated in the rack room and fed to the exterior of both buildings. The rack room in Sligo also has its own stand alone air conditioning unit. The Manorhamilton studio is ventilaed via an extractor duct in the acoustic ceiling linked to a fan. The main studios in Sligo are equipped with a UPS and 40kva standby generator. All studios are fitted with suspended acoustic ceilings and internal roofs isolated from the building’s existing structures. Cable trays are fitted above the acoustic ceilings and drops made inside partitions. 73 Section 6 - Studio and Transmission 6.1.5 The security mechanisms proposed to guard against unauthorised access to the on-air studio. SECTION 6. All three studios are equipped with intercom/key fob release locks, CCTV cameras and a fully monitored alarm system. 6.1.6 Please provide a list, including costs, of the principal technical equipment that is to be installed, together with available test and deviation limiting equipment. We have listed below the equipment currently in use in our studios. This has been maintained and upgraded or replaced as necessary over the past nine years. Prices are original purchase prices. Ocean FM Broadcast Centre, Sligo Main on air studio: Euro 1 Custom designed furniture with acoustic inlay, floor and t/top equipment racks, interview table etc. 4200 1 Myriad Main Studio PC plus 2 x LCD monitors and V3 keyboard 2000 1 Myriad V3 Full Licence 1800 1 Shure SM7B microphone 5300 1 Alice AIR2000 split desk, 18 channel 14846 1 Alice DA6-2 distribution amplifier 380 3 Beyer DT100 headphones 380 1 BeyerDT150 headphones 330 3 Beyer M201 Guest mics 690 2 Marantz CD5400 CD players 800 4 Heavy duty anglepoise mic stands 352 1 Pair Omnimount speaker brackets 200 1 Pair Tannoy Reveal studio monitor speakers 270 1 Sonifex RB HDG distribution amplifier 360 2 Tascam MD350 MD players 796 74 News studio: 1 Custom designed furniture with acoustic inlay, floor and t/top equipment racks, interview table etc. 1 Myriad Newsroom PC plus monitor and keyboard 1 Myriad V3 Full Licence 2 AKG C4500B Microphone 1 Alice DA6-2 distribution amplifier 1 Alice TLK-10 talkback station 2 Heavy duty mic stands 1 Pair omnimount speaker brackets 1 Pair tannoy Reveal studio monitor speakers 1 Alice Series A 12 channel desk 2 MD reporters kits incl mics 1 Telephone hybrid 1 Prs Beyer DT100 headphones 2 Sony STSE570 tuners 1 Tascam MD350 MD players Euro Production studio: 1 Custom designed furniture with acoustic inlay, floor and t/top equipment racks, interview table etc. 1 Alice Series A split desk, production version 1 Myriad production PC plus two LCD monitors and keyboard 1 Alice DA6-2 distribution amplifier 1 Pair omnimount speaker brackets 1 Pair tannoy Reveal studion monitor loudspeakers 1 Rane headphones distribution amplifier 2 AKG C4500B microphone 2 Marantz CD5400 CD players 2 Heavy duty mic stands 2 Tascam MD-801 MD players 4 Pairs Beyer DT100 headphones Euro 3175 900 1800 1060 380 850 176 200 270 6500 1512 600 110 340 398 3820 6000 1800 380 200 270 360 1060 800 176 796 440 Studios and Transmission Ocean FM Donegal Studios Main on air studio: 1 Custom designed furniture with acoustic inlay, floor and t/top equipment racks, interview table etc 1 Myriad Studio PC with monitor and keyboard 1 Myriad v3 Full licence 1 AKG C4500B microphone 1 Alice AIR2000 split desk, 18 channels 1 Alice DA6-2 distribution amplifier 3 1 3 2 4 1 1 1 2 Beyer DT100 headphones DT150 headphones Beyer M201 guest mics Marantz CD5400 Heavy duty anglepoise mic stands Pair Omnimount speaker brackets Pair Tannoy Reveal studio monitor speakers Rane headphone distribution amplifier Tascam MD50 MD players 330 140 690 800 352 200 270 360 800 News studio: 1 Custom designed furniture with acoustic inlay, floor and t/top equipment racks, interview table etc. 2 AKG C4500B microphones 1 Alice DA6-2 distribution amplifier 1 Alice TLK-10 talkback station 2 Heavy duty mic stands 1 Pair Omnimount speaker brackets 1 Pair Tannoy Reveal studio monitor speakers 1 D and R Airmate desk 2 MD reporters kits inc mic 1 telephone hybrid 1 Pair Beyer DT100 headphones 1 Samson Servo 120 monitor amplifier 2 Sony STSE570 tuners 1 Tascam MD301 MD player Euro Rack room: 2 42U steel racks 1 Studio air con system, Mitsubishi 1 Alice Airswitch 3 router 2 Alice DA6-2 Distribution amplifier 1 Alice TLK-10 talkback station 1 Alice TLK-CCU talkback central controller Euro 1100 25000 720 760 850 290 6. SECTION Rack room: Euro 3 42U steel racks 200 1 Studio air con system. Mitsubishi 30000 1 Myriad server 2500 1 Alice Airswitch 3 router 720 5 Alice DA6-2 distribution amplifier 1900 1 Alice MSU-10 transmission monitor 1350 1 Alice TLK-10 talkback station 850 1 Alice TLK-CCU talkback central controller 290 1 Andrew 4ft gridpack 1.4GHz antenna 1245 2 Comrex Vector POTS Codecs 11430 1 Dialog4 C-taxi ISDN Codec 4200 2 Dialog4 VP-Pro 128 ISDN Codec 9000 1 Gentner TS612 Telephone system w 3 studio phones 6,000 1 Krone interconnect system 3000 1 Moseley 4Ch Starlink 1.4 Ghz STL Tx 12360 1 Myriad logger 2500 1 Orban Optimod-FM 8400 processor/limiter 12990 6 Radio controlled clocks 228 1 News Satellite dish and receiver 6250 2 Marantz ST4000 tuners 340 1 Toshiba CTX100 PABK system 10000 3200 1060 380 850 175 200 270 1550 1512 600 110 205 340 400 Euro 4200 1500 1800 530 15000 380 75 Studios and Transmission 6000 3000 2250 228 340 10000 7500 6.1.8 In cases where an applicant proposes to use existing studio, office or computer equipment or buildings, please specify the age of the equipment/facilities proposed, the life expectancy of the equipment and the plan to replace and refurbish such equipment/facilities during the lifetime of any new contract, in addition to all of the information requested above. Ocean FM Leitrim Studios Euro 1 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 3200 1590 380 400 4500 264 200 270 2054 220 205 170 800 1200 We have a policy of preventive maintenance where all equipment is regularly serviced by our inhouse technical support team with the assistance of external specialist IT and studio/transmission contractors. 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 SECTION 6. Gentner TS612 telephone system Krone interconnection system Orban Optimod-FM 8200 ST Radio controlled clocks Marantz ST4000 tuners Panasonic PABX system 5.8Hz wifi link Custom designed furniture with acoustic inlay, floor and t/top equipment racks, interview table etc. AKG C4500B microphones Alice DA6-2 distribution amplifier Broadcast Technology CD630 CD Player Dialog4 VP-pro 128 ISDN Codec Heavy duty mic stands Pair Omnimount speaker brackets Pair Tannoy Reveal studio monitor speakers D and R Airmate desk Piars Beyer DT100 headphones Sampson Servo 120 monitor amplifier Sony STSE570 tuner Tascam MD301 MD players PC with LCD monitor 6.1.7 Please provide a list of the itemised costs for building refurbishment, studio construction, office fixtures, fittings and IT. Over the past nine years we have regularly painted and refurbished our main studios and this is not a significant future cost. This year we re-carpeted the entire Collooney complex. 76 Equipment subject to wear and tear such as headphones and mics have all been gradually replaced over the past nine years. Where equipment has failed or come to the end of its life, it has been replaced. Where equipment has become obsolete it has been replaced. For example, in order to upgrade our main playout Myriad software to the V3 version, 18 months ago we replaced our main server and all our studio, production and news PC’s at a cost of €20,000. In September this year we carried out a complete refurbishment of our Alice desk in our main studio, replacing the power supply and sliders at a cost of approx. €1,000. Likewise, office PC’s including key work stations such as traffic have all been upgraded in the past two years at a cost of €4,500. Over the next five years we anticipate spending an average of €12,500/annum replacing and upgrading studio equipment including eventually moving to a digital IP based console and routing system. Studios and Transmission 6.2.1 Have you entered into negotiations with the owner/ operator of the site/s regarding arrangements for the licence period? If so provide details. If not, state what arrangements are anticipated/envisaged? We have well established relationships and existing contracts with all our site owners/operators. We have provided letters in the appendix indicating that all owners/operators are happy to continue this relationship. 6.2.2 Please provide the rationale for the transmission plan that includes a general description of the proposed coverage and of areas that may receive marginal or unsatisfactory reception. The franchise area is topographically challenging especially in South Donegal which is a mountainous area with an indented coastline. It is also a small franchise area with a requirement to be able to reach South Donegal and Sligo/North Leitrim separately on opt out frequencies. at the site two years ago when RTE built a new mast. Coverage from Truskmore is excellent across Sligo and North Leitrim. One small blackspot was the centre of Tubbercurry where our 102.5FM signal was weak inside premises/homes. We recently secured permission from the BAI/Comreg to develop a new site at Tubbercurry. This transmitter is now operational and coverage in the Town is much improved. We are satisfied that the combination of Truskmore and Tubbercurry gives us close to 100% coverage of Sligo/North Leitrim. 6. SECTION 6.2 Transmission Proposal Overall our two main frequencies, 102.5FM and 105FM and three infills is an efficient use of spectrum. 6.2.3 A table of the main technical characteristics of the proposed main transmitter stations: Site Site Name Coordinates ASL Site Height Antenna ERP Height AGL per pol In our early years we broadcast from Barnesmore Gap and this location provided very good coverage into South Donegal. When we were required by the BAI to move from this site, the next best location with planning permission and services was the Vodafone site at Mountcharles. We are satisfied that the combination of Mountcharles, Glencolmcille and Ballyshannon gives us coverage to approx. 90% of the population of South Donegal. Ballyshannon IG87636177 52m 15m 13dBW Glencolmcille IG540868 265m 40m 17dBW Mountcharles IG876791 148m 20m 36.9dBW 53m 33dBW 15m 20dBW Truskmore Chaffpool Our main site for Sligo and North Leitrim is Truskmore. This elevated site is operated by RTE. We upgraded our antennae IG759473 640m IG55491113 131m 77 Studios and Transmission 6.2.4 The following additional information should be provided SECTION 6. Site: Glencolmcille Antenna pattern: Site: Ballyshannon Antenna pattern: Audio feed: Off air. Backup power: This site is located on the roof of the Abbey Arts Centre and benefits from a reliable power supply. Owner: Abbey Arts Centre/Donegal County Council Planning permission: Yes Suitability: This site is on the roof of a prominent public building and is easily accessible. 78 Audio feed: Link fed from Truskmore with off air backup. Backup power: Yes. We share the RTE building and power supply. Owner: RTE Planning permission: Yes Suitability: This is a busy RTE site and is fully accessible. Equipment is located within the RTE building. Studios and Transmission Site: Mountcharles Antenna patteren: 6. SECTION Site: Truskmore Antenna pattern: Audio feed: Backup power: Owner: Planning permission: Suitability: Link fed from Truskmore with IP Codec back up. Yes. We have our own generator. Vodafone Yes The site is well established with good road access. Our cabin is very secure and situated in a fenced compound. Audio feed: Link fed with IP Codec backup. Backup power: RTE power supply with onsite generator. Owner: RTE Planning permission: Yes Suitability: The site is well established with good road access. Our cabin is very secure and situated in a fenced compound. 79 Studios and Transmission Site: Chaffpool. Antenna pattern: SECTION 6. Details of the band pass filter/combiner system and directional coupler proposed to ensure compliance with the licence terms: Each site has its own independent antenna system including bandpass filter and directional coupler. The bandpass filters are double cavity design. We use FDB series filters manufactured by Label Italy. The Directional Coupler and line section is from Coaxial Dynamics. Letter of consent from the transmission site owner/operator. See Appendix. Audio feed: Backup power: Owner: Planning permission: Suitability: 80 Off air No Thomas McGuire Yes The site is close to the road with good access. The cabin is very secure and is situated in a fenced compound. Studios and Transmission a) An image of the composite coverage that can be achieved using all of the transmission sites proposed by the applicant. 6. SECTION 6.2.5 Computer predicted coverage plots, superimposed on a suitable map, must be provided. Prediction model: ITU 1546-3 Clutter attenuation in accordance with: ITU 1546-3 Resolution of terrain database: 10Km Height of receive antenna above ground: 10 Metres 81 Studios and Transmission b) An image of the “best server’’ coverage based on the defined minimum field strength for mono reception. SECTION 6. 82 Studios and Transmission 6. SECTION c) An image of the “best server’’ coverage based on the definite minimum field strength for stereo reception. 83 Studios and Transmission d) An image of the level of “simultaneous coverage’’ that is provided and an indication of the number or percentage of the total number of transmitters that serve an area based on the minimum value for mono reception. SECTION 6. 84 Studios and Transmission 6. SECTION e) An image of the level of “simultaneous coverage’’ that is provided and an indication of the number or percentage of the total number of transmitters that serve an area based on the minimum value for stereo reception. 85 Studios and Transmission 6.2.6 A description and diagram of the link network should be provided that includes an indication of the level of protection or back-up systems that will be deployed. The total capital cost and associated annual charges should be provided. SECTION 6. Audio feed from our main studios in Collooney to Truskmore is via MW (Moseley Links) with IP Codec as main backup. This is supplemented by a local audio playout Truskmore is linked to Donegal Studio via MW (Moseley Link) with IP backup.Truskmore is linked to Mountcharles via MW (Moseley Link) with IP Codec back up and local audio playout. Truskmore is linked to Glencolmcille via MW with off air back up. Ballyshannon and Chaffpool are both off air feeds. Manorhamilton studio is linked to Collooney via ISDN. The total capital cost of the link system has been approx. €50,000. We recently replaced one of our Moseley links at a cost of €7,500 and upgraded our IP backup at a cost of €4,000. Annual charges are: Comreg: €3000.00 86 6.2.7 Itemised capital costs for the proposed transmission equipment. All costs listed below are original purchase costs. Ballyshannon: 1 Broadcast Warehouse TX 50W transmitter 1 Coaxial Dynamics directional coupler w/extractors 1 Sigma SDH 100 dipole 1 Band Pass Filter 2 Triax 6 element receive antenna 1 Sony STS-E570 modified tuner w/composite o/p Euro 1600 465 200 785 100 170 Glencolmcille: 1 Broadcast Warehouse TX 50W transmitter 1 Coaxial Dynamics directional coupler w/extractors 1 Sigma SDH 100 dipole 1 Moseley Starlink 1Ch RX 1 AEV 4500 RDS encoder 1 Triax 6 element receive antenna 1 Sony STS-E570 modified tuner w/composite o/p Euro 1600 465 200 9140 1350 100 170 Mountcharles: 6 Cellflex antenna tails 1 42U equipment rack 1 3 way power splitter 1 Andrew Gridpack 4ft antenna 1 Coaxial dynamics directional coupler 3 Katheirn dipoles in stainless steel 1 Soniflex PSplay IP codec (standby) 1 5.8ghz wifi link (standby) 1 Double cavity TX bandpass filter 2kW 1 Eddystone 2kW TX 1 Moseley Starlink 2Ch RX Euro 780 610 546 1245 465 2970 1200 1000 1100 5265 9140 Studios and Transmission 2390 1329 5500 Truskmore: 1 11KVA UPS 1 42U equipment rack 3 Kathrein 2 element yagi antenna system (Main) 1 Three way power splitter 1 Leads/cable/connectors/brackets 1 Coaxial Dynamics directional coupler w/extractors 1 Double cavity TX bandpass filter 1kW 1 Katheirn dipole antenna (standby) 2 Elenos 1kW 1000 1 AEV 4500 RDS encoder 1 1.4ghz Andrew Gridpak dish 1 Moseley Starlink 4ch RX/2 Ch TX w/2 ch audio d/o 1 Mosley S19003Q microwave link TX (Donegal Glen Feed) 1 Orban 8218 Stereo Coder 1 Sonifex PSplay IP codec (standby) 1. 5.8ghz wifi link (standby) 1 Broadcast cabin with ventilation system Euro 440 610 3580 1395 4000 465 1100 900 5265 1329 5400 16415 Chaffpool: 1 Pole and steelwork 1 Broadcast cabin 1 Elettronika 250 watt mpx Transmitter 1 Bandpass filter 1 EME Directional coupler 1 Label AKS dipole antenna TX 1 Sony modified MPX FM receiver 1 Triax FM5 RX antenna 1 Cable/connections etc Euro 1200 1700 2500 785 500 300 500 100 500 8000 2390 1200 5000 15000 We have a policy of preventative maintenance, where all equipment is regularly serviced by our in-house technical support team with the assistance of external specialist transmission contractors. Equipment subject to wear and tear has all been gradually replaced over the past nine years. Where equipment has failed or come to the end of its life, it has been replaced, and where equipment has become obsolete, it has been replaced. 6. SECTION 1 Orban 8218 Stereo Coder 1 AEV 4500 RDS encoder 1 Broadcast cabin During the move from Barnesmore to Mountcharles in 2007, much of our external equipment was replaced at a cost of €4,000 and a new 2 kw transmitter was purchased at a cost of €8,000. When RTE built its new mast on Truskmore in 2009, we replaced our antennae and splitters at a cost of almost €12,000.We have just replaced one Moseley MW link at Truskmore at a cost of €8,000. Our Tubbercurry site is new, having been brought on stream this year. Our two main transmitters at Truskmore and Mountcharles have inbuilt back up/redundancy in case of failure. While some of our equipment has been in service for nine years, there is no reason to replace it until it reaches the end of its useful life. Our policy of maintaining our equipment means that some equipment will not need to be replaced for a number of years and it is difficult to anticipate when, or at what cost, at this stage. We have made an allowance in our projections for an annual capital spend of €12,500 on replacing transmission equipment. 87 Studios and Transmission 6.2.8 Details of the technical expertise available to the applicant group. SECTION 6. Our in-house technical support team comprises of Ciaran Carty and Kevin Blessing, both of whom have worked in broadcasting for over 15 years. Our IT infrastructure is managed by I-think technology who are based beside us in North West Business Park. Our transmission network is managed by Peter Barnett of Aisling Communications, who is one of the most experienced transmission specialists in the country. 6.2.9 Additional Commitments. We are happy that our existing studio and transmission commitments serve the franchise area well and are suited to its size and three county footprint. 6.2.10 All VHF-FM transmitter installations must conform to the technical conditions set out in Com Reg Technical Document 12/04a. We are happy to confirm this. 88 Studios and Transmission SECTION 6. 89 SECTION 7. 90 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan “Tackling the issue of suicide is one that is constantly challenging. We would like to thank Ocean FM for their contribution towards tackling the issue. On many occasions Ocean FM have been very forthcoming in granting us opportunities to take part in radio interviews and programmes dealing with both the suicide issue and the services we provide. It has been shown that calls to our helpline increase each time we take part. These extra calls are more lives saved.” Brian Rooney, Secretary, STOP Suicide Please set out, with supporting documentation and research, your analysis of the radio market in the proposed franchise area: Introduction The Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim franchise area is served by a number of national stations (RTE Radio 1, 2FM, Lyric FM, Raidió na Gaeltachta, Newstalk and Today FM), a regional station (i-Radio NW) and the local station (Ocean FM). Each of these stations meets different needs and serves different audiences in the North West, although there is some degree of overlap in the case of national stations. Our market research assessed why people in the franchise area listen to each of these stations. Based on their responses, we are able to characterise the radio market in the North West as illustrated in the diagram below. This shows the different position that each station holds within the radio market in the North West. Their positioning is determined by the age of their target audience and the main focus of their content – from those seen to deal with national concerns to those concentrating more on local content. i-Radio is firmly positioned as a younger person’s station. As two regional stations (NW and NE) combined, covering a very broad geographic area, it also functions more like a national than a local station. 2FM, Today FM, Newstalk and Lyric FM are national and appeal to older audiences than i-Radio, with 2FM at one end of the age spectrum and Newstalk at the other. Ocean FM is firmly positioned as the local station and a good provider of news and information, a function that RTE Radio 1 fills at the national level. 7. SECTION 7.1 Analysis of Existing Marketplace. Listenership in Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim At 94%, the North West has a high overall listenership to radio, indicating a healthy and competitive market. Ocean FM is clearly the station of choice for audiences in the North West and has the lion’s share of listeners, with a listened yesterday/ reach figure of 51%. All national stations combined do not attain this level of listenership with only 46% reach between them. Listened Yesterday – Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitrim Source: JNLR Q2, 2013* Any Radio 94% Any National 46% Home Local (Ocean FM) 51% RTE Radio 1 23% 2 FM 9% Lyric FM 4% Today FM 16% Newstalk 6% i-Radio North West 24% 91 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan *Note: All JNLR figures used in this document are drawn from Quarter 2, 2013, as these were the most up to date set of figures available when work commenced on this application. Where figures from Interactions Research are used these are always for respondents aged 25+ unless otherwise stated. SECTION 7. Tipp FM 41 % Shannonside Northern Sound 40 % Galway Bay FM 39 % KCLR 35 % Midlands Radio 3 35 % i) The performance of existing operators; South East Radio 35 % Ocean FM Ocean FM has by far the highest listenership of any station in the Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitirm area. It is the only station delivering local content and plays a range of music from all eras. Because of this broadly based approach, it appeals to listeners from all age brackets, particularly those over 25. Of those people who listen to Ocean, 13% are aged 25-34, 16% are aged 35-44, 17% aged between 45 and 54, 20% between 55 and 64 and 29% are over 65. The high level of support for the station can be seen when we look at listenership levels compared to other stations. Ocean rates in the Top 3 local stations in the country. Listened Yesterday/Reach. Source: JNLR Q2 2013 Station Reach Highland Radio 65 % MWR 59 % Ocean FM 51 % Radio Kerry 51 % Limerick’s Live 95 45 % Clare FM 47 % WLR 46 % 92 East Coast Radio 25% LMFM 25% KFM 24 % Listeners see Ocean as a valued provider of local content and it is for this reason that most people who nominate the station as their No.1 choice tune in. In our survey, 64% of listeners choose Ocean for “local news and information” and to “keep in touch with the local area”. Our independent research also revealed that Ocean FM scores well across a broad range of specific programming measures with exceptional scores in a number of areas. Those elements that are most valued by audiences are provision of good local news (75%); good local information (69%); community focus (68%); and the wide mix of music played (62%). These programming elements distinguish Ocean FM from other offerings in the area and are the unique selling points of the station. The station is not only recognised for providing this programming, which cannot be sourced elsewhere, it is also valued because it does so in a professional way – with 64% of respondents agreeing that Ocean FM is a “professional, trustworthy station”. Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Even among respondents for whom Ocean FM is not their No.1 choice station, high satisfaction levels were also recorded. Again, respondents agree that the station provides good local news (65%), good local information (57%), a community focus (58%) and plays a wide mix of music (52%). This shows that these listeners recognised that the station excels in these areas, indicating that they choose not to listen because they are interested in other kinds of programming – for example, exclusively up to date music or national affairs which are found on other stations. Radio One RTE Radio One remains the strongest of the national stations with a reach of 23% in this area. This is in line with the reach for Radio One across the country, which stands at 24%. During the day, it provides mainly speech based programming and music features more strongly in the hours between 8pm and 7am. According to our research in the franchise area, Radio One is valued mostly for its national coverage - 32% of respondents listen to keep “up to date with national affairs” and it is this need that it serves best in the North West. Almost 20% of listeners also tune in for each of the following reasons: “listen for good talk radio”; “to get going in the morning”, and for “presenters I can relate to”. Nonetheless, these all stem from Radio One’s primary function as the provider of national news and information. 7. SECTION Overall it is clear that Ocean FM serves audiences in this area well, providing a quality local alternative to the regional and national stations available in the area. When asked, 83% of respondents said they would prefer Ocean FM to remain on air. Today FM Today FM is the second most popular national station in the franchise area and appeals to a slightly younger market than Radio One. According to our research, its appeal is not overwhelmingly dictated by any single programming element: 24% listen for the “mix of talk and music”, 23% “listen for light entertainment”, 18% listen “to get going in the morning” and 19% listen to be “up to date with new music”. It seems that this is a catch-all nationally focussed station for a broad age group, appealing across areas to do with entertainment and music. 93 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 2FM 2FM is designed to serve audiences between the ages of 15 and 35. Its market penetration has been affected by the introduction of i-Radio NW and its listened yesterday/reach figure now stands at 9%. Our research shows that listeners to 2FM choose it for music (21% “listen to be up to date with new music” and 19% tune in to “listen to the music I like”), with no other category featuring strongly. SECTION 7. i-Radio Since its establishment, i-Radio has built a strong listenership (24%) in the North West. This growth is in line with other regions where youth licences have been introduced. As in other areas, this growth has been predominantly among younger audiences, with interest in the station decreasing with age (i-Radio has a reach of 55% of listeners under 35, but only 10% of those over 35). Listeners to this station are attracted by the music offering and the absence of serious content: 26% “listen to be up to date with new music” and 26% listen “to avoid news”. Newstalk At 6% reach, Newstalk has a relatively low listenership in this area and this figure has been static for some time. Those who do chose Newstalk have similar interests to Radio One listeners, although the station does not appeal across as many categories as Radio One. 20% of listeners tune in to be kept “up to date with national affairs” and 18% listen “for good talk radio”. It would appear that audiences with an interest in national affairs have not made the transition away from Radio One in substantial numbers and those with an interest in local affairs choose Ocean FM. Raidió na Gaeltachta Raidió na Gaeltachta acts as a local station for people living in Gaeltacht areas. This franchise area does not have a substantial Irish-speaking population. The service is seen as a niche station in the area, aimed at a very specific community of listeners. Lyric FM Like Raidió na Gaeltachta, Lyric FM is seen to be a niche station catering to a very specific interest. Not surprisingly, listeners tune in to “escape from it all” and to “avoid news”. ii) Audience ratings The ratings for all stations in the Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitrim area can be found in the table below. Listened Yesterday – Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitrim. Source: JNLR Q2, 2013 Any Radio 94% Any National 46% Home Local (Ocean FM) 51% RTE Radio 1 23% 2 FM 9% Lyric FM 4% Today FM 16% Newstalk 6% i-Radio North West 24% 94 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan When a comparison is made with a broad cross section of local stations, the same result can be seen and the listenership for all national and regional stations in these franchise areas lie within a few percentage points of those in the North West franchise area. The only exceptions here are Radio One in the Highland Radio area, which has an exceptionally low figure of 10%, and 2FM and Today FM in the Limerick franchise area which have much higher listenerships than in the North West. Franchise Radio 2FM Today FM Newstalk Regional Area One Highland Radio 10 9 10 3 20 Radio Kerry 21 14 10 5 20 WLR 21 8 15 5 27 Live 95 23 17 21 8 20 KCLR 27 13 16 7 25 Ocean FM 23 9 16 6 24 7. SECTION “On my own behalf and on behalf of my colleagues in Sligo Borough Council, I want to thank Ocean FM sincerely for your excellent coverage, both of the FAI Cup Final and the victorious homecoming and celebrations. I have heard many people remark on the standard of the coverage provided by you over the course of these exciting days, and I fully concur with these sentiments.” When compared with the audience figures for all stations nationally, we can see that the ratings for this franchise area are in line with national trends; nationally RTE Radio One is at 24%, 2FM at 11%, Lyric at 3%, Newstalk at 8%, and Today FM at 13%. Source: IAPI BASE However, from mid 2008 onwards, the Irish economy experienced a period of sharp decline with advertising expenditure falling by a reported 40% from €1,615m in 2008 to €969m in 2012. Mayor of Sligo, Councillor Matt Lyons iii) Advertising revenue From the 1990s until mid 2008, the Irish economy witnessed an unparalleled economic boom, which led to an increase in the number of media operators in Ireland, an increase in the ownership of Irish media by foreign companies, and an increase in advertising spend across all media. During the period 19982007, advertising expenditure grew from €501m to €1,822m. Source: Nielsen Ad Dynamix/ IAB 95 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Latest figures from Nielsen Ad dynamix research show that the total advertising market in Ireland is worth an estimated €969 million for 2012. However, it is generally accepted by industry observers that the Nielsen Ad dynamix estimate is understated as it does not measure/include sponsorship and promotions expenditure and local direct revenue. SECTION 7. Source: Nielsen Ad Dynamix / IAB The experience of Ocean FM in the Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitrim franchise area between 2008 and 2011 mirrored the national picture but bucked the trend in 2012 when we grew local direct advertising revenue and developed a number of new revenue streams. Source: Nielsen Adspend/IAB Radio advertising in 2012 was an estimated €83m with the medium typically accounting for a 9% share of all Irish advertising expenditure. This 9% share is a relatively high share in comparison to other EU countries and is reflective of the role and importance which radio has as a medium in Ireland, where it is very popular amongst consumers and advertisers. Mirroring the performance of the total advertising marketplace, radio advertising has experienced a major decline, with revenues falling by 45% from €150m spend in 2008 to €83m spend in 2012. 96 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan While the empirical evidence suggests we are, we have attempted below to independently verify how much revenue is available to us in Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim. The table below details the levels of advertising expenditure per adult for 2012 and is broken down across all media formats in the country. However, when we looked at whether this “per capita” expenditure would correlate to media revenue in the Ocean franchise area, it was obvious it grossly over-estimated revenue for all local media in our area. We believe this is due to the gulf that has opened up between the East and West coast in terms of the local economy and where national expenditure is focussed. While house prices are rising in the greater Dublin area, they continue to fall elsewhere. While new businesses are opening up in towns and cities in the East, here in the North West we are still seeing business closures and high levels of unemployment. (For example: It seems, not a week goes by without a new restaurant opening in Dublin, while just two months ago, Sligo’s most high profile and award-winning restaurant, Source, closed its doors). During the recession, many national brands pulled out of smaller population centres such as Sligo and Donegal and have yet to return. This has the impact of reducing the region’s share of national spend further. 7. SECTION The question, for the purposes of this part of the application, is whether Ocean is currently exploiting the available revenue in our franchise area to its fullest extent. Taking this into account and in consultation with our media consultant, Joe Dalton, we have factored the available ad spend/adult down by 20%. Ocean FM franchise area: 2012 National Advertising expenditure breakdown: Ad spend/adult Adult pop.Adv. Revenue Local & €7.34 81,000 €595,000 Local Press €15.8 81,000 €1,280,000 regional radio Sources: Neilsen Ad Dynamix, IAB, JNLR July-June 2013 97 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 7. SECTION The extrapolated figure of €595,000 comprises national/ agency revenue that was available to be earned by Ocean and i-Radio in this franchise area. Ocean FM in 2012 earned net agency revenue of €325,000 with local direct revenue of a further €920,000, leading to a total national and local advertising revenue of €1.25m. When we added revenue from other non-advertising sources, the final 2012 figure came to €1.67m. We looked at the figures quoted by Highland Radio in their recent application for a franchise area that is significantly larger than the Ocean franchise area and which is the same size as the MWR area (pop: 101,000). Ocean’s revenue of €1.67 million in 2012 compared favourably to Highland, who in the same year earned total revenue of €1.68m. The only other significant local advertising medium in our franchise area is local press. The figure of approx. €1.3m accords with our own direct analysis of the value of display advertising in the six local papers in our area. This does not include circulation revenue. This means the total local press and radio advertising/sponsorship and promotions revenue available in our local market is approximately €2.5m/annum. This does not include spend on direct mail, on-line, cinema, outdoor or national media, including TV and radio originating from businesses based in our franchise area. A good example is the Aurivo Co-op who own the Connacht Gold brand. They spend significant sums advertising on Ocean FM but a larger amount on national TV. This national spend is not available to local media outlets. 98 As we explain below, until the economy recovers and local spend grows, there is limited opportunity for Ocean to grow traditional local advertising revenue. On the positive side, revenues at the station have grown significantly in the past 18 months and this is due mainly to increased revenue from “other” sources. iv) Market trends The Economy The single biggest issue currently facing the radio marketplace is the economy and its future performance. The Celtic Tiger period which delivered huge levels of economic growth and advertising expenditure may have long since disappeared, but many of the media which it helped launch and sustain still exist today and compete against each other for ever diminishing levels of advertising expenditure. The general outlook among most commentators for the economy for the next three years is one of low growth and continued high levels of unemployment. Advertising expenditure and GNP are inextricably linked, and this is reflected in the levels of advertising expenditure over the last five years which have fallen by 40%. A poor outlook for the economy is likely to result in stagnant levels of advertising expenditure for the foreseeable future. Advertisers are spending less, but are demanding more value for the money that they are spending. Despite a poor economic outlook and competition from other major media such as online, television and newspapers, radio is still well positioned to compete in this challenging environment, mainly because the medium offers advertisers some unique benefits and value for money which other media find hard to equal. It is for this reason that we expect radio to at least maintain its share of advertising expenditure. Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan However, fewer young adults are listening to Radio While radio listening remains relatively high for all adults in the country, a worrying trend emerging within the radio Gordon Ryan, Head of Development & Business Operations, IT Sligo Source: JNLR July-June reports marketplace is that the number of young adults who listen to the radio is falling, as they consume media in new ways, through social networking on the Internet or by downloading music and listening on iPods and other similar devices. For example, in 2005 the JNLR reported that 83% of 15-24 year olds in the country tuned into the radio each weekday. However, the latest 2013 JNLR report showed that 78% of 15-24 year olds now listen to the radio each weekday. This reflects a decrease of five percentage points compared to just a one percentage point decrease (85% vs 84%) for all adults and a no decrease for adults over 35 years of age (86% vs 86%) over the same period. Young audiences are essentially the lifeblood for any medium and the concern for radio is that young people could easily lose the habit of listening to radio in much the same way that they stopped reading newspapers. These are Ocean’s future listeners and, like all local stations, we are concerned about this trend. 7. SECTION “Ocean FM is a key media and marketing partner for IT Sligo. Local radio channels our message to the widest audience, which includes students, parents and adults learners. We strengthened our partnership by sponsoring the Ocean FM roadcaster which played a major role in building IT Sligo’s innovative brand. Our collaboration on Ocean FM’s business programme “Up & Running” has showcased the many and varied enterprises across the region, helping to restore business confidence.” Radio listenership remains relatively strong While most other mainstream media such as newspapers, magazines and television are losing consumers to the digital sphere or because of recession induced cutbacks, the most recently published JNLR report shows that radio listening is relatively healthy and that the medium remains a strong preferred choice amongst Irish adults. According to JNLR, 84% of Irish adults listen to the radio each and every weekday with the majority of adults tuning in for over 4 hours per day. The daily listenership figures rises to 94% in the Ocean franchise area. There is no sign yet that overall radio listening is set to decline. The robustness of radio listening is no doubt helped by the nature of radio which is ambient, provides companionship and which cannot be easily matched by other media. Internet radio listening is set to increase Although only a relatively small amount of Irish consumers currently listen to radio via the Internet, a recent study from America indicates that Internet radio listenership is set to increase over the next few years, especially amongst younger audiences. The study, commissioned by the digital audio advertising network, TargetSpot, found that 42% of American households with broadband Internet listen to Internet radio and that nearly half (47%) of those surveyed are spending less time listening to broadcast radio than they did a year ago. With the increased availability and ownership of Internet connected devices such as smartphones and tablets, it is predicted that Internet radio listening is set to increase in the Irish market, albeit from a relatively low current base. Ocean has taken steps to keep abreast of these changes with the development of a mobile friendly web site and a range of online initiatives. 99 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 7. Digital listening may help to open up new market SECTION opportunities The traditional radio broadcast market is beginning to change, with many consumers starting to embrace and trial different forms of digital listening. New digital services are now offering many listeners the ability to effectively create their own radio stations, download their own content, or to communicate and share content with friends or other members of social networks. New mobile devices are increasingly offering consumers more enhanced storage capacity and connectivity compared to previous generations of devices, making it far easier for consumers to access on demand music or speech content. The increasing penetration of fixed and wireless broadband in the country will also help to generate new opportunities for audio content distribution. Ocean has developed a significant digital presence with traffic to our website growing exponentially to its current figure of 50,000 unique visits/month, improved podcasting, an improved web cam and initiatives such as the stand alone web site that accompanied our award winning drama, Francisco. advertising revenue on www.oceanfm.ie as well as developing new web services for advertisers including www.oceandeals.ie and the Radio Player. Source: Nielsen Ad Dynamix/ IAB Social Media The growth in the use of Social Media among all age groups but particularly younger people has perhaps been the most striking Radio advertisers are switching to Internet advertising Despite overall listening remaining high, radio advertising expenditure has declined by over 45% over the last five years from an estimated €150m spend in 2008 to an estimated €83m in 2012. Rapid growth in radio advertising revenue up to 2008 has given way to decline in revenue and a static share of the advertising market. Meanwhile, Internet advertising has grown rapidly over the last five years. In 2011, Internet advertising overtook radio advertising to become the third largest advertising medium (behind print and television) in the country. Industry forecasts suggests that this growth trend is likely to continue, putting huge pressure on the radio market. Ocean has recognised this trend and taken steps to grow 100 change in the broader media market over the past five years. More than 50% of adults have a Facebook page, 20% are on LinkedIn and 23% on Twitter. This trend is an opportunity for radio, as the original social medium, where interactivity is part of what we do and proximity to our listeners is a major selling point. Radio is at its best in reaching thousands of listeners, one at a time. Stations that incorporate Social Media into the everyday communication with their listeners will deepen and grow the relationship. Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan “We have been advertising with Ocean FM since 2004, and during that time, we’ve seen our business rapidly grow. Would I credit it all to Ocean FM? Well, maybe not all of it, but they certainly have been a major partner in our growth. As far as I’m concerned, Ocean FM is the best bang for our advertising buck that we get.” Padraig Oates, Managing Director, Oates Breheny Financial Group, Sligo Increased advertising regulations and restrictions The amount and level of advertising regulations and restrictions is set to increase in the future with the introduction of new rules on alcohol and food marketing. This trend is already impacting on radio revenues with, for example, the restrictive rules on financial advertising which are undermining the ability of radio to compete with web, TV and press. Relocation of Irish marketing departments to the UK A major structural change in the Irish advertising marketplace over the last number of years has seen the relocation of many “Irish marketing departments” to their UK based office. Brands like Guinness, Bulmers, Vodafone, O2 and Aer Lingus are now using UK based advertising companies for campaigns appearing here in Ireland. The concern is that Irish radio will see a reduction in revenue as in the UK, radio is generally viewed as a poor secondary/regional advertising option and that this is reflective in its low 4% share of total advertising expenditure. (compared to a much higher 9% in Ireland). Increased competition from UK “opt-out” television stations Over the last number of years, the cost of television advertising has fallen dramatically due to the increased availability of UK satellite TV stations now offering low cost opt-out advertising breaks for the Republic of Ireland. The over-supply of television advertising airtime created by optout satellite stations has resulted in very low prices which now compete on a par with radio advertising prices. With the announcement in early November by UTV of its new Republic of Ireland channel, this fragmentation and downward pressure on rates is set to increase. These national trends will all impact on the North West but have to be overlayed on trends that are particular to local markets. These include: • The decline of local newspapers: A survey of the main titles in our franchise area reveals circulation declines of an average of 20% over the past four years. This trend is set to continue as existing readers age and the trend of younger people accessing their news online intensifies. • Pressure on advertising rates: The decline in the fortune of local press has resulted in a race to the bottom where press rates are now at unsustainable levels and putting pressure on radio. • Local economy: As we have said, the economy along much of the West/North West coast is flat at best and showing no signs of recovery. 7. SECTION OTHER TRENDS These trends present an opportunity for local radio to grow its share of the market based on strong listenership levels but offer limited opportunity to grow total revenues in the short to medium term. High quality local content Finally, we believe the most significant trend among listeners is the drift in interest from national to local. Perhaps triggered by the relentless negativity on national media over the past five years, many people are focussing instead on local and community matters.The enemy of high quality Irish content is cheap external content, whether it’s a UK tabloid competing with a local paper or a re-run of a US soap competing with Irish-generated content. The growth of digital TV and online content has made the fight so much harder for national media. 101 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 7. SECTION Where we compete best with this external content is in tapping in to the growing sense of community and producing content that connects and explains what it is to be local. Ocean’s space is the local space and we compete here by being better and being local. v) Any other issues which you consider to be relevant to the competitive assessment of the marketplace. As we alluded to in this section and in Section 5, the primary driver of local radio listenership in this franchise area is an interest in high quality local content provided by local presenters who are involved with, and part of, the local community. In 2004, Ocean FM went on air offering precisely this local content and has delivered on all its commitments. We said we would be a stand alone station for Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim delivering programming that was 100% locally produced, by and for the people of this area, and that is what we still are today. What’s more, in their application in 2004 for the Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitrim licence, North West Radio did not propose to do anything different if they had been successful in renewing the licence. The proposed programme schedule in their application consisted of 10.5 hours of networked programming between 7am and 7pm each day and 22.5 hours in each 24 hour block. While we have little insight into what will be proposed by this same group this time round, we have noted what they have said in recent newspaper interviews. “The area is not large enough to sustain a stand alone service, which is why, with the assistance and expertise of our sister station Midwest Radio, we have the experience and resources to expand the station in a way that a stand alone operator simply can’t do. There is an old fashioned saying that you cut the cloth according to the measure. The reality is that, in what is one of the smallest franchise areas in the country, a stand alone radio station simply has too much cloth and the quality of the service ultimately suffers” Tommy Marren, Coast FM, Donegal Democrat 26/9/13 We replaced a station that was mainly based in Ballyhaunis in Co.Mayo. In the year before going off air, the only locally produced (i.e. made in the North West for the North West) programming broadcast by them were three half hour news bulletins, amounting to 1.5 hours between 7am and 7pm. All the bits in between, the current affairs and magazine programming and the music programming was networked with or from Midwest Radio. 102 “It will be very difficult for stations the size of the one that is there at the moment to survive on their own in recessionary times”. “ The (Coast FM) bid will be strengthened by their plan to run Coast FM and Midwest as co-operating twin stations as they did before” Paul Claffey, Coast FM, Sligo Weekender, 25/1/13 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 1 The last time the Coast FM group held the North West licence, their station was profitable and yet none of these resources were re-invested in local programming. They were happy to continue with a networked service that was a poor second to what has been achieved by Ocean FM since taking over the licence. 2 Local radio is called “local” for a reason. It is small scale and while we often suffer the jibes of our colleagues in the national media about death notices and “lost dog” radio, the reality is that someone in Westport has little interest in a lost dog or funeral details from Killybegs. It is a challenge to be local and relevant in a franchise area covering all or parts of three counties without adding another very large county to the mix. 3 Over the past two years alone, Ocean FM has been the most decorated local station in Ireland with five Gold PPI Awards, twice runner up in Station of the Year, two IMRO Awards, A Justice Media Award and winner of the Prix Europa. By any yardstick, the quality of the programming produced by the smallest station in the country more than holds its own against that of our larger neighbour. 4 The BAI in its Commercial Radio Licencing Plan 2012-2013 decided that the Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitrim licence should be advertised as a stand alone contract for one licence, in contrast, for example, to the Shannonside and Northern Sound licences which were advertised as one contract for two licences. This decision was presumably based on a belief that the North West licence was viable as a stand alone contract and did not need to be part of a network. When the BAI called for submissions on this plan, MWR did not make a submission and did not seek to raise the issue of viability then, despite being given a clear opportunity to do so. 5 In the independent survey carried out on our behalf by Interactions, we asked a simple question of Ocean listeners and non-Ocean listeners – would they prefer the original North West Radio to Ocean FM? The answer was an unequivocal no from a very large majority. Only 16.7% of respondents said they would prefer North West Radio to Ocean FM. 6 Ocean FM has made a trading profit in 2012 and will do so again in 2013. In common with many other smaller stations, Ocean sustained losses between 2010 and 2011 but in spite of this, has maintained significant cash reserves. In the face of a continued deterioration in the advertising market, the station grew revenue by over €300,000 in 2012. We agree with Coast FM on one thing: it is tough and Ocean FM will never be a “cash cow” unless it is a branch office of a larger group. In spite of this, we are well underway to transforming Ocean into a multi platform local media business that is both viable and sustainable for the long term. 7 The only way to increase profit in this franchise area is to grow revenue, which in the current climate is challenging, or cut costs. The largest cost is staff and we have to assume that a station run by Coast FM will employ fewer people as they will share staff with Midwest Radio. We also have to assume that at least half of our staff would lose their jobs should Ocean lose its licence and quality would suffer with the loss of connection to and resonance with the local community 7. SECTION The comments above ignore a number of realities: 103 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 8 SECTION 7. Compliance with the General Commercial Communication Code is an important public policy imperative. There is a marked contrast between the attitude and track record of Ocean FM to compliance and that of the previous incumbent. If the Code is important, then this is a pertinent issue. 9 Finally, The Broadcasting Services Strategy sets out a number of key objectives including ensuring plurality in viewpoint, outlet and source, and diversity in control. Effectively merging Midwest Radio with the North West licence, as Coast FM has proposed, would run directly counter to these objectives. The strategy also highlights the importance of fostering creativity and innovation, which has been a major focus of our programming and perhaps our greatest achievement over the past nine years. 7.2 Demand and Potential for the Type of Service Proposed. interests and issues. Our station and presenters are part of the communities we serve. This model has evolved through nine years experience in this area and from listener opinion gained through formal research and informal feedback. The most recent survey carried out for Ocean FM by Interactions Research (in preparation for this application process) shows that listeners in this area want a broadly based service with a wide mix of programming and music. The following table lists the elements that those surveyed believed to be essential to a good local station. Even when we isolate the opinions of those who did not list Ocean FM as their first choice station, the results were still very similar – demonstrating that regardless of whether or not the station is to their taste, this mix of programming elements is the one that all people in this area believe to be important for a local station. Please explain, providing supporting documentation and research, the reasons why you consider that there is a demand for the service proposed and how the service will contribute to the diversity of broadcasting services and programming available in the proposed franchised area: 104 Overview Ocean FM has been designed to meet the needs of the widest possible cohort of listeners across Counties Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim. To achieve this, our station’s programming is broadly based – speech ranges from light entertainment to news and current affairs and to special interest programmes. Music spans a number of eras in order to appeal across the generations. Ocean FM is also of and for the people of the North West, reflecting local culture, Clearly the backbone elements of our service – broadly based and varied programming, high quality local news and sport, a wide selection of music and local involvement are what the people of the North West want. When we delve further into the specifics of our schedule, the research also shows that there is a high demand for the individual elements that define our station. Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Shane Mitchell, Sligo Live The level of interest in sport is dictated strongly by gender, nonetheless across the whole sample, 52% are interested in local sport and 47% interested in live match coverage. These figures rise to over 70% and 66% respectively when looking at male respondents exclusively. Ocean FM takes pride in the level of excellence it brings to specialist speech programming and in this we are different from other local stations - we are one of the only local stations to have a regular documentary slot. This also corresponds with demand - 63% of those surveyed confirm that they are interested in documentaries. This blend of programming elements with a local focus is clearly popular among listeners in the North West and is not available from any other station in our area. Ocean FM offers a real alternative to the regional and national services here. We also offer niche programming that appeals to communities of interest and caters for sectoral interests and minorities in our franchise area. We embrace these as being key to serving our community to the fullest degree possible, reflecting the public service broadcasting ethos of our station. These also broaden the range of options available to listeners in the North West. 7. SECTION “Ocean FM have played central role in creating a community drive to Sligo Live since its inception 9 years ago. This has resulted in the region very much working in partnership to create what’s now one of Ireland’s fastest growing festivals, bringing in an estimated 16 million Euro to the local economy in that period.” We put particular emphasis on local news, current affairs and information, believing that these programmes are an essential service for the North West. All of these elements scored highly in our research with 71% of respondents saying that they are interested in local news and almost two thirds expressing an interest in local information and 55% interested in local current affairs/discussions. These elements include farming and business programmes and religious services. Our research also showed that these types of programmes are also more popular among Ocean FM listeners than among the whole sample in this franchise area: 40% of Ocean FM listeners are interested in Outdoor Pursuits compared to 32% among the whole sample and farming is at 53% among Ocean FM listeners versus 25% among the whole sample. As regards religion, the difference is particularly noticeable; 50% of Ocean FM listeners are interested in broadcasts of religious services, compared with 21% among the whole sample. Without doubt, Ocean FM is making a difference in this area by serving these needs. As regards music, Ocean FM plays popular hits from the 60s right through to today. Our market research shows that all eras of music (from the 60s through to current hits) are popular among audiences, with no one era clearly outstripping any other in terms of demand. No other station provides this particular mix of music, with most tailoring their music to appeal to specific age groups. 105 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan We also dedicate specific times in our schedule to Country music, which cannot be heard on other stations in our area. There is a stronger demand for this genre among our listeners (85% of Ocean FM listeners expressed a desire for Country music compared to 53% across the whole sample), demonstrating that Ocean FM is meeting a very specific need in this area. SECTION 7. Diversity We have shown through research that the types and mix of programming featured on Ocean FM corrresponds very closely to the listening interests of audiences in our franchise area. It should be noted that this mix also differs substantially from that offered by any other stations in the area and that Ocean FM greatly adds to the diversity of content available to audiences here. In Section 7.1 we detailed the main reasons why audiences tune in to other stations in our area. A reprise of this information illustrates the point: Radio One and Newstalk are seen as the go-to stations for nationally focussed news and speech, i-Radio and FM are the home of new music aimed at a younger audience and Today FM is valued as a nationally focussed provider of music and entertainment for young adults. None of these overlap significantly with the content of Ocean 106 FM, nor do they reflect the main priorities of our listeners – local news, sport and information, broadly based music and an inclusive community focus. Ocean FM programming does make a difference in this area and that difference lies in high quality, relevant and above all local programming. The appeal of our offering is proven by our JNLR figures. Ocean FM is among the top three stations in the country in terms of reach. Our station has continuously grown since establishment and has evolved to increase the diversity of programming available in this area. We have made adjustments to our programming over the past ten years, based on audience feedback and the success of these changes can be seen in the steady increases in our listenership in recent years. These figures show that Ocean FM performs well and is therefore delivering what listeners in this area want. 7.2.1 Anticipated Performance of Service. Please detail your strategy with a view to becoming established and developing the service within the current radio market, in particular: We have been established in the North West radio market for the past nine years and in that time have established a solid listenership and a viable business. We are ambitious for the future and will continue to invest resources in innovative and relevant programming, focus on growing our listenership and broadening the commercial base of our business. i) The target audience for the proposed service; Ocean FM is a full service station aimed at all listeners over the age of 15, but with a particular focus on those over 25. We Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan well as to those over 25. The graph below illustrates that many of these listeners have now migrated to the youth service for the North West. Our target audience includes all adults in Counties Sligo, North Leitrim and South Donegal. Using our programming and studios which are spread across the three counties, we do not discriminate on the basis of geography – for example, when it comes to county allegiances, we ensure that our sports programming gives each county its own spotlight. This care to find geographic balance runs through all speech programming, news and current affairs. Our marketing activities are also spread across all three counties to ensure that we retain profile and continue to recruit listeners from all parts of the franchise area. In addition to serving the general population of the North West, Ocean FM takes care to address the interests of specific communities of interest and minority communities within the franchise area. We start by building relationships with them at ground level and ensure that our programming reflects their concerns. Of course it is not possible to continuously include every minority interest in programming, nonetheless our doors are always open and we actively engage with communities of note to highlight the issues of concern to them. Although our station caters for all adults over the age of 15, we prioritise the interests of those over 25. A number of years ago, the BAI made a policy decision that the needs of listeners under the age of 25 would be best served by a dedicated youth service. Up until this time, Ocean FM had a significant portion of young listeners and actively appealed to this age group, as 7. SECTION appeal to both men and women. Although programming at the station has a slight female bias, it also features a wide range of programmes that appeal very strongly to men. Our research shows that there are very few areas where the different tastes of men and women need to be taken into account and our programme schedule reflects this. Clearly, the needs of those under 25 in this area are served best by i-Radio, as that station is built exclusively around their specific tastes and interests. Ocean FM’s role is to provide broadly-based local programming and we cannot shape our service to compete specifically for listeners under 25. Reflecting this shift in the radio market in our area, Ocean FM now places a heavier emphasis on reaching listeners over the age of 25. Despite this, we still cater for the under 25 age group in relation to specific programming elements, although we may not be their first choice for music. Our research showed that there is still a strong demand for local news and information, coverage of local events and programming relating to local sports among listeners aged under 25. All of these things are provided only by Ocean FM in this franchise area. 107 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 7. SECTION We also compete through our support and coverage of local talent. As the station that was first to air “Our School’s Got Talent”, one the few stations to participate in the IMRO “Play Irish” initiative and the only station to twice win the IMRO Award to commitment to Irish music, we have highlighted and promoted a wide range of young music talent in the North West. Our “TY Radio” initiative has also maintained close links with secondary school students across the region. Finally, our nightly music programme, The Wave, is aimed at younger listeners and has strong links to I.T. Sligo. ii) The nature of the market which it is anticipated can be achieved Ocean FM has operated in this franchise area for almost ten years and has gained first hand insight into the functioning of the radio market here. Our assessments take into account changes that have affected the market in this time, including shifts due to the introduction of new services. The make up of the radio market in this area is dictated by a number of unique characteristics. These characteristics will present challenges for any operator of a local radio licence in this franchise area. They also make direct comparisons with other local radio markets difficult. in for long periods – a listener in South Sligo is not particularly interested in a commentary on a match involving a club from South Donegal. While we make extensive use of our ability to opt out on our two main frequencies, sometimes this is not possible and we stretch the loyalty of listeners to some degree. Sligo Town is the biggest population centre in our franchise area and home to over one quarter of our potential listeners. The habits of these listeners are similar to others in large urban areas – they do not consume media in the same way as listeners in smaller towns and rural populations. Their interests are, by nature, more diverse and this fragmentation makes these urban audiences far more likely to sample a wider range of media. This challenge is also faced in other franchise areas with major urban centres with similar results – WLR, KCLR and Limerick’s Live 95 in contrast to larger franchise areas with predominantly rural populations. See Table below: Station Average Minutes listened 7 am to Midnight Ocean FM 172 KCLR 149 With only 80,000 potential listeners, this is the smallest franchise area in the country. We are required to serve three different counties, which limits our ability to appeal to county loyalty in developing an overarching identity for the station the tactic used by the all of the most successful local stations in Ireland. The dilution of our programming among three counties is clearly a challenge for resources at the station. However it also constrains our ability to keep listeners tuned 108 Live 95 168 WLR 176 Radio Kerry 256 Highland Radio 196 MWR 219 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Majella O’Donnell, Alzheimer Society of Ireland We are making headway in shifting our brand and programming toward the over-25 market in a bid to address this issue, developing initiatives such as Ocean Deals in 2012, which appeals most strongly to the main shopper in a household and introducing a more mainstream music mix, which includes an extended Country music show, aimed at a slightly older listener. We will continue to look at new initiatives that will enable us to consolidate our brand and audience. Maximising Listenership Despite the factors listed above, Ocean FM has grown both reach and market share figures in the last number of years. Our reach figure has increased from 41% in June 2010 to 51% in June 2013. Our market share has increased from 27% to 33% in the same period of time. Given the specific characteristics of our area, achieving significantly higher market share will always be difficult. However we believe that there is room to raise this figure, so that our market share, like our reach figure moves further up the listenership table. We have recently conducted a full review of our music scheduling policy with Andy Matthews and the initial response from listeners has been very positive. We believe this initiative alone will increase listening minutes at the station. We continue to review our programme schedule in the light of JNLR results to identify soft spots where we need to work harder to retain listeners. Our presenters receive regular feedback from the management team and have benefitted from regular detailed training and mentoring from Mark Storey. 7. SECTION “Recently Niall Delaney did a powerful and empowering interview with a lady who has early onset dementia and as a result we had numerous families ringing looking for support and to get early diagnosis. These amazing presenters are always so generous with their time and have embraced supporting our local services with passion and empathy and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for all they have done for us. They have got the word out there about us in the local community and as a result people who need our service who may not know about our existence have approached us and have gotten support.” Impact of new services Our listenership has also been affected by legacy issues stemming from changes of operators within our franchise area. The introduction of i-Radio North West has impacted on our station, probably more significantly than any other local station in the region. Research undertaken at the time that the youth-based service was first considered indicated that Ocean FM had a more contemporary brand and appealed more strongly to a younger audience than most other local services. As a result our listenership suffered more than others after the introduction of the new station. We also recognise that there is a small number of areas where our transmission signal could be improved. We have made progress with this issue and will continue to do so. Our marketing activities have also increased in intensity with more frequent “tactical” outside broadcasts aimed at geographic areas where we believe listenership could be higher. We will continue to use our digital strategy, including Social Media to increase interaction with our listenership and to deepen their relationship with the station. iii) Projected listenership ratings over the first three years of the service Based on our analysis of the radio market in Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim as outlined above, we anticipate that our listenership will continue to show modest increases in the next three years, in line with the gains made since 2004. We have been careful not to over estimate - these are realistic figures based on the particular characteristics of the radio market in our area. 109 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 7. SECTION Accordingly our projections are as follows: Year Yesterday Listened 2015 51% 2016 52% 2017 53% iv) Indicate the impact, and set out the measures that will be taken, if the listenership projections are not achieved Our listnership has seen an overall increase over the past three years. However, we realise there is a limit to what can be achieved in a market where overall radio listnership is not growing and where national stations with significant marketing budgets continue to attempt to grow listenership along the west coast where they have traditionally struggled. The strong performance of the regional youth station has impacted negatively on Ocean and will continue to challenge for listeners up to the mid-30’s age bracket. That being said, given the strong performance of our programming team, we do not anticipate a significant reduction in listeners and have targeted a number of areas for modest growth. If we do not achieve the projected modest increase in listnership we will: • 110 Research: We have a policy of periodically measuring audience satisfaction with all aspects of our service. This would play an important part in responding to a situation where the station was not hitting its listenership targets. • Review our programming strategy: We have used the services of industry consultant Mark Storey to good effect in the past and would engage his help to independently review our programming output. • Review our music strategy; We have used the services of industry consultant, Andy Matthews, to good effect in the recent reorganisation of our music strategy and scheduling systems. We would engage his help again to review our music. • Marketing: While Ocean FM itself is our most powerful marketing tool, we can only use it to increase listening hours among already committed listeners. To reach new listeners and attract lapsed listeners, we use a range of effective channels described below at 7.2.2.(iv). In the event of not hitting listenership targets, we would increase marketing activity accordingly. While any drop in listenership is to be avoided, unless it is very significant, it has very little impact on local advertising revenues in a market like the North West. Ocean FM, like many local stations, is the dominant local medium in our area and the first port of call for local advertisers. National or agency advertising is more directly linked to quarter hours and this revenue would suffer somewhat in the event of a drop in listenership. This represents less than 20% of our total revenue. Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan The major force at play in determining revenue at Ocean over the past five years has been the recession and this will remain the main influence in the short to medium term. The Irish economy over the last five years has been in the worst recession since the Second World War, resulting in high levels of unemployment, weak consumer confidence and low levels of consumer spending. This poor economic environment has affected the level of advertising expenditure in the market, which has fallen by 40% over the last five years, from €1,615m in 2008 to €969m in 2012. The level of advertising expenditure in the market is inextricably linked to the performance of the economy as a whole and the outlook for the Irish economy for the next three years will have a definite knock on effect for the local advertising market. The most recent Quarterly Economic Commentary from the ESRI predicts GNP growth figures of 2% for 2013 and 2.7% for 2014. GNP is traditionally a better indicator of economic welfare than GDP and on the face of it, these figures are encouraging. However, they have warned about continued weakness in consumer demand associated with high unemployment and the continuing mortgage crisis. 7. SECTION v) Advertising, sponsorship and other forms of revenue potential e.g. online media etc. For the first three years on air It has been impossible to forecast advertising spend at any stage over the last 5 years. Core Media’s latest prediction for 2014 is growth in advertising spend of approx. 1%. Advertising was the first to be hit in 2008/2009 and should recover at a faster rate on historic comparisons. However, given the fragile nature of the recovery, we are being cautious. We predict that our overall revenues will remain relatively flat next year and modest growth will return in 2015. Projected revenue: 2014 2015 2016 2017 000’s 1618 1658 1725 1794 % increase 0.8% 2.5% 4% 4% These projections are based on the following assumptions: • The 1% growth projected by Core Media for 2014 translates into a slightly lower figure for local radio. • That the bailout exit and a less harsh budget in 2014 will result in growth of consumer confidence and a gradual improvement in the local economy in 2015. Source: Nielsen Ad Dynamix/ IAB 111 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan SECTION 7. • That the long predicted bounce back in advertising spend materialises in 2016/2017 bringing modest growth for local radio. The graphic below illustrates how diverse our business has become in terms of revenue sources. Many of these yield just modest revenues but together, comprise a growing proportion of our income as a business. We are determined however, to proof the business against the type of severe advertising revenue drops that have created so much stress in the industry over the past five years. Our vision for our business is to build on our success as the smallest and one of the best local radio stations in the country. we envisage a broadly based local media business delivering content to people on a range of different platforms, offering advertising and marketing solutions to businesses on digital and traditional platforms and a range of services that capitalise on our strengths and expertise. We began to plan this shift in emphasis away from a sole dependence on advertising and related revenue in 2011 with many of the new revenue sources coming on stream in 2012. The result has been a shift in the relative contribution of traditional revenue sources which has continued into 2013. 2011 2013 Local Direct Revenue 53% 70% National/Agency Revenue 26% 19% Other Revenue 4% 28% Total Revenue: €1.3m €1.6m In addition to these new sources of revenue, the relative contribution of the main traditional revenue streams such as advertising and sponsorship has changed and will continue to do so in response to significant shifts in the market. Contribution of revenue sources excluding “other” income: 2012 Local revenue Agency/National revenue Advertising 72% 93% Sponsorship 18% 5% Outside Broadcasts 112 10% 2% Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Crea Lambert, An Tostal Festival Drumshanbo Sponsorship Sponsorship is one of the fastest growing areas of marketing communications in general and radio communications in particular, having out-performed traditional advertising in terms of year-on-year growth over the past decade. Its success as a radio communication format can be attributed to its flexibility, heightened consumer engagement and cost-efficiency in achieving communication objectives. Total spending on sponsorship in Ireland is expected to reach €125m this year (source: Onside) with radio accounting for an estimated €10m, with the betting, airline, energy, insurance and retail sectors accounting for the majority of this spend. We have noticed a distinct trend away from the tactical advertising that has characterised much of the marketing activity during the recession, back towards brand building, which will add further momentum to the growth of sponsorship on Ocean FM. Outside Broadcasts and Promotions Approximately 10% of current revenue for Ocean FM is earned from Outside Broadcasts and other promotional activities which are typically in the form of station competitions, giveaways and sampling. We believe that revenue derived from outside broadcasts and promotional activities will increase significantly over the next three years as advertisers seek quicker and more accountable returns on their marketing activities. Other revenue The most striking and fundamental shift in revenue sources over the past 24 months has been the growth in importance of “other” non-advertising revenue. 7. SECTION “On behalf of the An Tostal Committee, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your commitment to making the Festival so successful. Your contribution enabled us to provide a fantastic programme of events for our community, and for visitors to Leitrim.” Advertising Advertising has been and remains by far the single biggest source of revenue for Ocean FM and currently accounts for 72% of local revenue and 93% of national revenue. Agency revenue is mainly booked through Independent Radio Sales (IRS). It is our belief that advertising will remain the majority source of revenue for Ocean FM over the next three years but that local direct sales figures will largely remain the same in the short to medium term, as the local economy will take longer to recover and much of our projected increase in advertising revenue in the short term will be from agency bookings. Ocean FM has led the way in its approach to creativity and innovation in programming. The severe downturn in revenue over the past five years has also driven a complete shift in our thinking on the revenue side of the business. In common with every other local station, Ocean has suffered a dramatic drop in revenue since 2008. Total revenues peaked in 2007 at €2.3m and dropped to a low of €1.3m in 2010. During this time, we identified a wide range of efficiencies that reduced costs. However, it became apparent that a strategy that was mainly reliant on management of costs would eventually erode the quality and breadth of our service. We knew that unless we changed our approach and became less reliant on traditional forms of revenue, our business would suffer and programme quality would be compromised. In 2011, we took a long hard look at our own strengths and the market trends that were impacting on revenue. The drift of content and ad spend to digital media has, so far, not had a significant impact on local markets but is growing 113 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 7. SECTION at the expense of agency/national spend. We decided that we needed to develop a digital strategy that could capture more online revenue and make us a strong local service provider in the new digital economy. We believed that we could move Ocean FM from being primarily a content provider on FM to being a multi-platform provider, on FM and on the web in text, audio and video formats. As more media is being consumed on mobile devices in particular, we understand that a rigid adherence to the standard local radio model is no longer viable. While most radio listening is still via FM, a growing proportion is on the web or on mobile devices via web apps. By moving with these changes, we can benefit by developing new advertising formats on web applications for mobile devices and also support our listener base. We exist in a very small market in the North West but there is no reason why we cannot become the leading media house in this market. To this end, we are developing a range of new digital services including: • www.oceanfm.ie • www.oceandeals.ie • Radio Player • Films4U www.oceanfm.ie is one of the busiest radio station web sites in the country with over 2.5m visitors annually and is now a significant source of revenue. The site already includes podcasts, links to Social Media, a large photo library and a busy 114 ticket sales facility. We are in the process of a major review and plan a significant investment in the site in 2014. We plan to increase the amount of local content in text, audio and video formats with the objective of becoming the main site for breaking local news, sport and local information in the North West. www.oceandeals.ie was launched in early 2012 and is now the leading deals website in the West/North West. We have a database of over 1,500 regular customers from this region and around the country. The site allows our advertisers to promote and sell discount vouchers for businesses, ranging from hotels and restaurants to beauty therapists and car mechanics. Oceandeals.ie benefits Ocean in a number of ways: It’s another stream of revenue, but beyond that, it gives us something else to sell, a new product, so to speak, and the opportunity to sign on businesses that have not advertised in the past. Once they come in on a voucher deal, they’re open to up-selling to standard advertising packages. Discount online vouchers also strengthen Ocean’s bond with our listeners by giving them a chance to save money during tough economic times. Radio Player: Ocean is supporting an initiative led by Communicorp to develop an Irish Radio Player that will allow each station to customise a mobile advertising space on its own player page. This is just one area where digital advertising growth will come from. Films4U was conceived as a result of a demand from our customers for high quality video to enhance their websites. Our video production team has worked for small and large Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan “On behalf of Connacht Motor Club, I wish to express my thanks to you for the excellent coverage you afforded the Sligo Stages Rally on Ocean FM. Coverage of this nature is very important to our event; it is of significant importance to our sponsors, as well as contributing to the promotion of the event, and indeed motorsport in general.” Robert Lyttle, Clerk of the Course, Sligo Stages Rally We also decided that our greatest strength, promoting the products and services of our customers, could equally be employed to promote a range of Ocean FM services. These included: • Training in radio presentation and production • Concerts • Tours • Other events Radio Training at Ocean FM: We have developed a range of radio training courses aimed at different markets. Our “TY Radio Course” has been taken up by several secondary schools in the region and is led by Niall Delaney. We have carried out bespoke courses for organisations such as the cross-border Gilaroo project where we selected and trained 12 young people to record and edit programmes that captured their local oral history. We have recently been awarded funding by Leader to further equip our radio training facilities and run courses on media for the unemployed and small businesses. We now have a fully equipped facility with twenty workstations equipped with editing software and audio visual presentation capability. Concerts: In 2012, we employed a full time Events Manager, Daniel Browne. As the originator of Sea Sessions, the most popular “surf-music” festival in Ireland, he brought skills in concert promotion. Since early 2012, we have sold out venues of up to 1200 capacity in partnership with artists such as Tommy Fleming and Nathan Carter. We either promote or copromote a concert every 6-8 weeks and regularly fill venues across the region. In 2013, we will promote seven country music concerts and one traditional music concert. Tours: There is a good market for attractively priced 2-3 day tours to locations such as Tralee or Lisdoonvarna from the North West. We have combined hotel and bus transport with entertainment by well-known artists in these locations and have established a loyal customer base. Events: Building on our own reputation for quality coverage of local and international motorsport and in response to the drop in car sales, we worked with all the major car brands to establish the North West Car and Bike Show, the first of which was held at IT Sligo with over 7,000 people in attendance. Planning is well advanced for another show in 2014. 7. SECTION customers throughout the region and has also acted as an effective “door opener” for our other services. We looked at our strong programming track record and its potential to become a driver of additional revenue. The result has been a major growth in documentary, drama and education programme production that, in turn, has allowed us to retain existing and employ new staff to add further depth to our programming team. Sources of programme funding include: • Sound and Vision • Cross Border “Peace Funds”. • The Heritage Council While Sound and Vision funding is secured in a competitive process and is not predictable, we have invested heavily in a permanent team that manages applications and programme production. The result has been a high level of successful applications and a strong pipeline of programmes that are largely produced in-house. Building on this success, we have also secured funding from other bodies to make distinctive and original programming. 115 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan 7. SECTION Finally, after reviewing the effectiveness of our traditional sales model, built around professional, face to face sales, we decided to develop a parallel telesales operation focusssed on smaller customers who traditionally used local print media. Telesales: Telesales has traditionally been a sales method used by newspapers, but as order values have dropped in radio we took the decision to develop a telesales model that would complement our team on the road. Telesales now accounts for 15% of our local direct sales and is growing. While many of these activities only launched in the middle of 2012, they are now well established and contributed to the station moving back into profitability in 2012 and in 2013. vi) The expected impact of the proposed service on existing services, both in the short and medium term, in terms of listenership and revenue. 7.2.2 Strategies for achieving proposed listenership and revenue targets When Ocean FM first went on air, we invested heavily in establishing our brand and personality in the North West, using high impact strategies such as outdoor campaigns, intensive on-street promotion and direct marketing. This has paid off in delivering a resilient and recognisable brand that is part of life in the North West. Just because Ocean FM is now an established station, we do not rest on our laurels. We are aware of the need to constantly reinforce and promote our service within the North West region. Our approach to achieving this has been a high level of participation at all levels in the community and retaining profile for our brand through relevant programming and high visibility. i) Channels of distribution Listenership Ocean FM is an established broadcaster with a strong reach within its franchise area. While we are predicting a modest increase in reach, we will be focussing over the next three years on increasing market share. We believe these increased listening hours will not come at the expense of any particular local, regional or national station. Revenue Ocean FM has a strong customer base and has managed to maintain rates in the face of declining local newspaper rates. We believe our share of advertising spend in the region will continue to grow as local newspaper circulation and advertising revenue further declines in the coming years. 116 Introduction Our sales strategy is to maximise revenue through our core advertising and sponsorship and promotions offer while building revenue from other non-core sources. The rationale for this approach is to maximise revenue in a market that is limited in size but also to reflect the broader development of the business from a narrow FM based platform to a multi media and multi platform content creator. Spot advertising Our sales team have an excellent track record of devising creative and effective campaigns. Our Production Manager, Kevin Blessing, is one of the most experienced in the industry and has a well deserved reputation for scripting and producing Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Ramona Nicholas, Dragons Den and MD Cara Pharmacy • We believe our core competency of programme making can be a source of income for the station. Sponsorship As customers shift away from the focus on tactical advertising that has characterised the last 3-4 years and begin to focus again on brand building, sponsorships will move to the centre of campaign planning. We have developed a range of cost effective programme and feature sponsorships across our schedule that enable advertisers to focus on key demographics in the region. • Concerts and tours are now a key component of our revenue stream. • The North West Car and Bike Show is now an established part of the calendar for car dealers in the region. Promotions and Outside Broadcasts Our high profile Ocean FM Roadcaster is a well established sight out and about across the region. Outside Broadcasts are one of the most effective tools we have to promote our customers’ businesses. Our team operate to the highest standards with well equipped set ups and modern station branding. Other sources • www.oceanfm.ie is one the busiest local radio websites in the country. Display advertising on the site has proven to be effective for a number of our customers and is a key part of our sales offer. • www.oceandeals.ie is the leading deals site in the North West and a key part of our sales offer. • Training represents a modest revenue stream within the station but it enables us to interact with a wide range of community and business interests in a way that has a broader benefit than just revenue. 7. SECTION “I have dealt with many different media outlets both nationally and locally and have found the Ocean FM approach to looking after our marketing needs both innovative and original. They have gone beyond ‘just selling advert space’ and actively work with us on developing our overall media profile as well as supporting in store events and charity events we promote like the Cara Challenge.” great ads. We will continue to invest time and energy in creating advertising campaigns that work for our clients. ii) Sales methods and representations Our sales strategy, with respect to methods, has changed quite radically in response to the new market realities. Where once, much of our business ‘walked in the door”, now we have to fight for every euro; where much of our business was comprised of large spends, committed for months at a time, now the bulk of our orders are small spends, committed for much shorter periods. In • response to these trends we have Developed a telesales team of two that can focus on lower spend, shorter term orders at a lower cost to the business. We have also developed a local business directory online targetting service businesses in the North West • Developed a new approach to larger advertisers centred around longer term integrated campaigns including advertising, sponsorship, promotions and online. We have succeeded, through this approach, in significantly increasing spend by a number of larger advertisers. • Employed staff with a different skill set to help design and sell these campaigns. 117 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Our sales structure comprises: 7. SECTION CEO: Tim Collins Sales Manager: Philip O’Brien Telesales Manager: Emma Gilroy Business Development Manager: Daniel Browne Sales Consultant: Padraig O’Dwyer Telesales Executives: Account Executives: Kevin Brogan Michael MacNamara Anthony Marren Pauric Bromley The field sales and telesales teams meet every morning. And every Thursday morning, the full team meet along with Finance, Traffic and Production to review and preview sales plans. This meeting is Chaired by the CEO. All members of the team have a comprehensive knowledge of the products they are selling and the local market. Our sales team also takes part in regular training that is provided inhouse and through Learning Waves. In addition to direct contact by telephone or face to face sales, we market the station to advertisers in the region via a regular newsletter (see appendix) and a broader branding strategy. We also carry out regular customer satisfaction surveys to assess how well our services are working and what additional services we could offer. The members of our sales team are well known in the area and their experience and advice is respected and trusted. Businesses in the North West know that advertising with Ocean FM works, and they appreciate the fact that we will 118 recommend a range of tactics to use their budget most effectively. Our reputation means that we consistently get good repeat business from advertisers across Counties Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim and are the first port of call for new local advertisers. We also have a significant number of customers based outside our franchise area in North Donegal, Mayo, Roscommon, South Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh. National/Agency Sales Ocean FM has contracted with IRS for national sales. This relationship is managed by Tim Collins, CEO and James Kilmartin, Traffic Manager. We also deal directly with major national brands through our Business Development Manager, Daniel Browne. iii) Proposed Rates Advertising rates – Local and National Single Unit 30 sec cost Prime €32.00 T.A.P €28.00 Packages Spots 30 sec cost Prime 25 €762.00 Prime 40 €1192.00 Prime 60 €1728.00 T.A.P 25 €647.00 T.A.P 40 €1013.00 T.A.P 60 €1469.00 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan “We’ve had Ocean FM broadcast from our stores on numerous occasions over the past number of years, and we found that a lot of people called in on the days of the broadcasts. Most returned afterwards and became regular customers. Having Ocean FM broadcast from your business is a very effective way of reaching current and future customers.” Stephen Byrne, DIY and Garden Stores, Arivo Co-Op iv) Promotion and Marketing Policy Marketing strategy Our marketing strategy is focussed on making the best use of the tools we have at our own disposal so as to maximise visibility and brand presence across the region. We combine tactical branding and sponsorship with grassroots engagement and awareness building measures at all levels across Sligo, South Donegal and North Leitrim. Marketing tactics Branding Our own voice is a powerful marketing tool and we have invested heavily in station imaging and on-air branding that reinforces the identity and ethos of the station to our listeners. We promote across our schedule, making sure that listeners and advertisers are fully aware of the range of programmes available and the services offered by the station. We re-designed our station logo in 2008 to more closely reflect our strong links with the sea and a brighter and more fun, outdoors image. Our logo is distinctive and immediately recognisable throughout the region. One of the true success stories of the North West in recent years has been that of Sligo Rovers Football Club. The team is hugely important to the pride and social life of our region. Ocean FM is closely associated with the club, is one of the main sponsors and among other initiatives has secured prominent and fully branded Ocean FM signage in The Showgrounds, Sligo Rovers’ home stadium. Our branding is also prominent at our building in Collooney, Co. Sligo, which is situated next to two of the main road arteries in our franchise area – the N4 Dublin-Sligo and N17 Sligo-Galway routes. Thousands of our branded car stickers have also been distributed across the region. Ocean FM Roadcaster and Jeep Our strongly branded Ocean FM Roadcaster is central to keeping Ocean FM uppermost in the minds of listeners and advertisers. The Ocean FM Roadcaster is prominent at all major events in the franchise area, regardless of whether these are free or sponsored broadcasts. The Ocean FM Roadcaster is heavily branded, our staff are equipped with branded jackets and we have a range of banners and stands for use indoors and outdoors. We also have a fully branded jeep on the road seven days a week. 7. SECTION Discounts are available for charities. Credit terms are 30 days from issue of invoice. Community Engagement Our on air team is another key resource. All are well known and respected people locally and they are engaged with local communities and grassroots initiatives across the North West. Although this engagement is part of the station’s ethos, presenters such as Kevin Blessing, Margaret Carr-Flynn, Shane Smyth and Francie Boylan do this out of personal choice. Whether it is a charity fundraiser, a local awards ceremony or an event to raise awareness of local issues, one of our presenters will be on the spot giving a hand, compering or lending their personal and on air support. 119 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Sponsorships At a corporate level, the station itself is closely involved with community events, participating in fundraising, sponsorships and events. A case in point is the station’s sponsorship of an event that has caught the public imagination in recent years - The Ocean FM Warrior of the Sea. This is an endurance sea swim linking two iconic points at either side of Sligo Bay. The station has sponsored the event since inception, promoting it on air, providing prizes and with staff members participating in the 6km swim. Starting as a small local event just four years ago, the race now attracts swimmers from across Ireland, from as far away as Canada and South Africa and has grown to be one of the biggest open sea swimming events in Ireland. SECTION 7. Over the past two years alone, Ocean FM has been a main sponsor and a media sponsor of a wide range of other events in the region including, for example, The Rosses Point Triathlon, Sligo Live and Bundoran’s Sea Sessions Surf and Music Festival. Our brand has been included in marketing material including web sites, banners used at the events themselves, Ocean merchandise in “goodie bags” and extensive use made of outside broadcasts. Social Media We are an active user of Social Media, particularly Twitter and Facebook. Both platforms afford us the opportunity to reach outside our core listenership with messages about our content, whether it’s local sports or breaking news. One of our senior staff, Emma Gilroy, recently completed a Diploma in Digital Marketing and has been implementing a new Social Media strategy for the station. In recent months, we have seen a 76% increase in followers of our Facebook page and a 71% increase in followers on Twitter. 120 We also use Linkedin, You Tube and Sound Cloud. We use Social Media to communicate significant news and sports stories, podcasts, photos and news about celebrity guests, photos of the staff out and about and competitions. www.oceanfm.ie Online and mobile listening are important growth areas for Ocean. We are in the process of developing a new responsive website that will facilitate greater engagement by listeners and non-listeners, both in the North West and overseas. Recent improvements to our current site include: a new search engine for our directory section; an e-commerce function; a mobile friendly version of the site; web cam to watch us live in studio on our Muzu channel; and a significant growth in local display advertising. Traffic to the site continues to grow. Our current traffic is 50,000 unique visits/month with 2.5m overall visits annually. Most visitors are from within Ireland but significant numbers are from the UK, USA, Australia, Germany, Spain and Canada. Advertising Apart from our own on air promotion of our service, we also advertise in a number of local newspapers and occasionally use more high impact outdoor advertising when appropriate. Email We have a large database of customer emails. Four times every year, we send a newsletter with updates on station activity as well as relevant sales information. Media Relations Ocean FM also uses its staff and news resources to promote itself across other media in very cost-effective ways. Two of Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Awards We are proud of the quality of much of our programming and never hesitate to enter appropriate industry awards. Our success in the PPI Awards and recently, The Prix Europa, has been useful in bringing our programming to the attention of a wider audience. Concerts, Tours and Events Ocean FM concerts, tours and events are heavily branded and promoted throughout the franchise area. They are also attended by staff who use them as a way to interact face to face with listeners and get feedback. 7.3 Overall Financial Strategy. Please detail your financial strategy over the first three-tofive year period. The strategy must detail how the applicant proposes to meet all pre-operational and subsequent funding requirements. Ocean FM is the smallest local station in the country and because of our three County (Sligo, South Donegal, North Leitrim) franchise area, one of the most costly to operate. Three studio locations, opt-out programming and sports coverage on many weekends, broadcasting live commentary of sport involving all three counties is a service that is much more expensive to run than a single county franchise. The economy of the North West has been badly impacted by the recession of the past five years and local advertising spend has fallen by almost 50% with national/agency spend equally badly affected. In spite of this, we have maintained and developed our programming content and fully honoured our commitments in our Programme Policy Statement. 7. SECTION our best known presenters, Niall Delaney and Kevin Blessing, write regular columns for local newspapers, keeping their names and opinions top of mind among potential listeners. News and other material generated by Ocean FM is also quite often picked up by other media outlets. The station has a reputation for being first with important local stories and wherever these are used by national or other local media, Ocean FM is always credited, reinforcing the quality and significance of the material produced by the station. In addition, key contributors such as our Consumer Presenter, Claire Ronan, are regular contributors on national TV. Costs have been cut but our service to our listeners has not been compromised. While the station sustained losses in 2009 and 2010, we brought it close to break even in 2011 and made a significant trading profit in 2012. Ocean has turned the corner and is well positioned to grow revenue in the coming years as the economy slowly emerges from recession. Over the past three years, we have invested €70,000 in upgrading our studio, office and transmission infrastructure. We will continue to invest as we replace and upgrade key parts of our infrastructure in the next three years. We have allowed for capital expenditure of €25,000/annum for the next three years. Our budgets for the next three years incorporate revenue projections that are conservative and robust cost projections that are based on nine years experience in operating this business. 121 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan SECTION 7. Our strategy of diversifying and expanding our business to become a multi media and multi platform content provider, offering a range of related services to businesses across the region, will enable us to access a broader revenue stream that will underpin the viability of the business. 7.5 Sources of Funding and Expenditure. We have a stable and experienced management team and highly motivated staff who love their work, are proud of what we have achieved and look forward to the future with confidence. These attributes will make a significant contribution to our future financial success. Not applicable Please detail or provide: i) The various sources of funding outlined in Table A above; Where new borrowings are proposed. Where the applicant is already a trading corporate body. Please provide details of: 7.5.1 All borrowing facilities currently available to the company, 7.4. Investment Proposal. Please provide details of the total funding requirements, and how these will be met, completing Tables A and B. North West Broadcasting Ltd has no borrowings and is debt free. It is not part of any Group. Table A-Funding € 7.5.2 Any contingent liabilities and off-balance sheet financing arrangements. Share Capital 2,101,749 Loan Stock Nil Medium/Long Term Borrowing Nil Leasing/HP Facilities (capital value) Nil Bank Overdraft Nil Other – Cash Reserves (865,636) Total 1,236,113 Table B-Expenditure € Capital Expenditures (including capital value of leases) 190,617 Other Pre-operational Expenditure N/A Working Capital (at on-air date) 1,045,496 Total 1,236,113 122 The Company has no such liabilities or arrangements. ii) The timeframe for capitalisation of the Applicant, specifying the amount of funding which will be put in place prior to contract, prior to launch and after the launch of the service. Not applicable. iii) Statements of, or copies of agreements, from all proposed investors including details of the timing and amounts of finance to be made available. See Shareholders Agreement in confidential appendix. Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan Ocean FM will continue to use its modern, purpose-built facilities in Collooney, Donegal Town and Manorhamilton. We have made an allocation of €25,000/annum over the next three years for upgrading/replacing studio and transmission equipment. the unlikely event that there is a further contraction in the economy impacting on our ability to hit our revenue targets, the Company has significant cash reserves and a strong balance sheet that will provide an adequate cushion. In the unlikely event that the Company requires further funds, the shareholders are committed to providing whatever support is necessary. 7.7 Staffing Matters. 7.6 Financial Projections. Please set out: i) Detailed projected profit and loss accounts for the first three years; ii) Detailed projected expenditure accounts by area of activity; iii) Detailed projected balance sheets for the first three years; iv) Detailed projected monthly cash-flow statements showing gross inflows and outflows for the first three years; v) A full listing of the underlying assumptions on which the financial projections are based, relating such assumptions clearly to other sections of the application. 7. SECTION iv) The proportion of the capital expenditure provision that has been allocated to transmission, studio buildings, studio equipment, office fit out and other costs. Please provide details of: i) The proposed staffing structure in diagrammatic form, clearly indicating the number and categories of staff employed for the operation of the proposed service and the basis of their employment. This information is provided in the confidential appendices. vi) The timeframe for achieving profitability. Ocean FM returned to profitability in 2012 and we project a significant profit for each of the coming three years. vii) What measures will be taken if the financial projections are not achieved (for example, commitments from shareholders for additional funds). Our revenue projections are prudent and conservative. In 123 Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan See confidential appendix. We use a mix of in-house training and Learning Waves to meet our training needs. Our staff have travelled to Learning Waves courses but we have also run a number of courses at the station over the past few years. iii) The applicant’s industrial relations policy, including its policy on recognising trade union membership All staff are reviewed annually with training needs assessed and individual plans agreed. Ocean FM is a small business, most of our staff are based in one location and there is open and relaxed communication between staff and management. We are lucky in that the attitude of our staff to workplace flexibility is second to none, allowing the business to innovate and develop to the benefit of all. Our annual training budget is €5,000. We recognise our employees’ right to be a member of a Trade Union. While none of our current employees suffer from a major disability, we have worked closely with local organisations involved in disability to facilitate work experience at the station. ii) The proposed salary level for each full-time and parttime post identified under i) or ii) above SECTION 7. We have contracted with Peninsula Business Services to assist us in designing policies and implementing HR procedures. iv) Proposed policies in relation to staff remuneration and benefits, including pay agreements, pension and insurance schemes, etc. We have included a sample contract and a copy of our employee handbook in the appendices. v) The proposed staff training and development policy and strategy, including the proposed annual budget. Ocean FM has been a member of Learning Waves since its inception. One of our Directors, Noel Shannon, has been a member of the Board of Learning Waves for the past 4 years. 124 Disability All our facilities were constructed in 2004 and are modern with full disabled access. This includes participation in the FAS “Job Shadow” scheme and, for example, a recent work experience placement of a visually impaired person. vi) Proposals for the involvement of staff in share option schemes. Four of our senior staff became shareholders in the past year and we hope more staff will follow in the period of the next licence. We do not have a formal share option scheme. Market Analysis, Financial and Business Plan “I want to personally thank Ocean FM and in particular Francie Boylan for helping me to get the opportunity, motivation, strength and energy to realise the dream of coming from couch potato to triathlete in 5 months. Francie was a true motivator to me and I know for many others too. Everyone on the staff of Ocean FM went above and beyond to make our event unique, special and overall fun! I greatly exceeded my expectation in that I completed 3 triathlons and now continue to train.” We have always adopted the view that our programming commitments as set out in our Programme Policy Statement would not be made contingent on revenue. As the recession began to bite, we cut costs through wage restraint and wage cuts, a reduction in the numbers of support staff, more flexible working arrangements and driving hard deals with our suppliers. 7. SECTION 7.8 Additional Commitments. In the event of an upturn and an increase in revenue, over and above what we have projected, the first thing we will do is reward our staff for their loyalty and commitment with modest wage increases and the re-introduction of bonus schemes. After that we will re-invest in the business, focussing first on further resourcing our digital strategy and new web platform. A key part of this strategy is to broaden and deepen the range of content we produce and to this end, we would look to recruiting another news and another sports journalist to enable us to cover Courts and to edit and produce more web based content. We have an overarching commitment to high quality programming and more resources will allow us to further underpin quality at every level of our programming output. Collette O’Hagan, Ocean FM Triathlon Initiative 125 SECTION 8. 126 Proposed Commencement of Broadcasting Ocean FM is currently broadcasting to the franchise area. 8.2 Critical path analysis. If awarded the Licence we will continue to broadcast without interruption. 8. SECTION 8.1 Readiness Date. 127 SECTION 9. 128 Summary of Proposals Music Output Please provide the information requested in the table below. Please give an indicative list of the categories of music that will be aired and an average percentage for each having All Staff 47 Full Time 19 Part Time 28 Staff Costs €843,000 % of Total Expenditure 55% regard to the type of sound broadcasting service. Category % New music (0-1 years) 20% Recent (2-10 years) 30% Contemporary (10-35 years) 40% Old Gold (35+ years) 10% 9.2 Programming Programme Categories Please outline the percentage of programming under each category for both the 7am-7pm and Total Broadcast Day time periods. Irish Music Please indicate the percentage of Irish Music that will be broadcast, in the 7am-7pm period and across the total 9. SECTION 9.1 Staff broadcast day. Category 7am-7pm Total Broadcast Day News & Current Affairs 32% 20% Music 36% 48% Speech 20% 22% 7am-7pm Total Broadcast Day 30% 30% Advertisements 12% 10% 129 SECTION 9. 9.3 Market Analysis Ratio of Local/Direct to National/Agency Sales for the first Daily Reach Projections Please indicate the daily reach projections for the target audience and for all adults during the first three years of five years of operation. operation. Local National Year 1 65% 35% All Adults (15+) Year 1 51% Year 2 52% Year 3 53% Market Share Projections Please indicate the market share projections for the target audience and for all adults during the first three years of operation. All Adults (15+) Year 1 33.5% Year 2 34.5% Year 3 35.5% 130 Year 2 64% 36% Year 3 63% 37% Year 4 63% 37% Year 5 63% 37% 30” Spot Rate Please indicate the cost of a basic 30” Spot from 7am-7pm and for the Total Audience Package. 7am-7pm Total Audience Package €32.00 €28.00 Summary of Proposals Investment Proposal Please indicate the amount of funding that will come from the sources indicated below. NA 9. Total €1,236 Projected Profit and Loss (Summary) Source Amount ‘000 Share Capital €2,101 Loan Stock NA Leasing/HP NA Bank Overdraft NA Other Revenue Reserves (866) Total €1,236 ‘000 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Turnover €1,618 €1,658 €1,725 €1,794 €1,839 SECTION Other (Please Specify) 9.4 Financial (Cost of Sales) (Operational) €1,523 €1,548 €1,602 €1,643 €1,684 Net profit (Loss) 95 110 123 151 155 Application of Funds Please indicate the amount of funding that will be allocated to the categories below. Category Amount ‘000 Capital Expenditure €191 Other Pre Operational Expenditure NA (Please Specify) Working Capital €1,045 131 132