Broadcast area | Wicklow and Environs |
---|---|
Frequency | 94.9 MHz, 96.2 MHz, 99.9 MHz, 102.9 MHz and 104.4 MHz (Arklow) |
Programming | |
Format | Contemporary |
Ownership | |
Owner | East Coast Radio Limited |
History | |
First air date | 25 October 1989 |
Links | |
Website | www.eastcoast.fm |
East Coast FM (formerly known as BLB, Horizon FM, then East Coast Radio) is an Irish local radio station broadcasting from Bray, County Wicklow under a sound broadcasting contract from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
The station operates in County Wicklow and into the adjoining counties of Dublin, Kildare, Carlow and Wexford, broadcasting on the following frequencies: 94.9 FM, 96.2 FM, 99.9 FM, 102.9 FM and 104.4 FM in Arklow. To achieve coverage of all of its franchise area, it requires six transmitters including stations at Bray Head, Wicklow Head, Avoca, Arklow, Baltinglass and a transmitter located at Slieve Thoul in Saggart County Dublin where the Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin borders meet.[ citation needed ]
East Coast FM began as BLB (Bray Local Broadcasting) in 1984. [1] Originally an unlicensed operator, it was launched as "Horizon Radio" when it received a licence from The Independent Radio & Television Commission (now known as The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland) and later merged with South Wicklow's Ezy103 to become East Coast Radio.[ citation needed ]
In 2002, the station was renamed from "East Coast Radio" to "East Coast FM" and moved from its Victorian premises at Prince of Wales Terrace on Quinsboro Road, Bray (where it had been located since 1985) to a state-of-the-art radio centre complex in Ballywaltrim, Bray.[ citation needed ] The station is located on Killarney Road in Bray. [2] BLB had operated out of a rooftop office on top of what is now Katie Gallagher's pub on Strand Road in the early 1980s.
East Coast FM is owned by East Coast Radio Limited. Denis O'Brien's Communicorp group was a shareholder in the station from 1998 to 2008.[ citation needed ] As of December 2007, Communicorp reportedly held a 30% share in the station. [3]
Year | Association | Award | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | PPI Radio Awards | Music Programme - General | East Coast Lunch | Gold [4] |
2013 | Love Radio Awards | Entertainment & Leisure | Bray Wanderers "Fight For Survival" advert | Gold [5] |
2019 | IMRO Radio Awards | News Story/News Event | The Grand Hotel news coverage | Bronze [6] |
2020 | Current Affairs Programme - Local/Regional | The Morning Show with Declan Meehan | Silver [7] | |
2022 | Welcome to Wicklow | Bronze [8] | ||
The Gay Byrne Award - Newcomer of the Year | Max Kane | Silver [8] |
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the east and the counties of Wexford to the south, Carlow to the southwest, Kildare to the west, and South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown to the north.
Greystones is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of Bray and 24 km (15 mi) south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 18,140 (2016). The town is bordered by the Irish Sea to the east, Bray Head to the north and the Wicklow Mountains to the west. It is the second largest town in County Wicklow.
Bray is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated about twenty km (12 mi) south of Dublin city centre on the east coast. It has a population of 33,512 making it the tenth largest urban area within Ireland. Bray is home to Ardmore Studios, and some light industry is located in the town, with some business and retail parks on its southern periphery. Commuter links between Bray and Dublin are provided by rail, Dublin Bus and the M11 and M50 motorways. Parts of the town's northern outskirts are in County Dublin.
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the station first went on the air as Bray Local Broadcasting in 1984