Broadcast area | Ireland |
---|---|
Frequency | Various |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Format | Christmas Music |
Subchannels |
|
Network | Radiohub |
Ownership | |
Halloween FM, Sound of Ireland | |
History | |
First air date | November 2008 |
Links | |
Website | www.christmasfm.com |
Christmas FM is a seasonal radio station based in the Republic of Ireland dedicated to Christmas-themed music, billed as "Ireland's Christmas Station". Airing during the Christmas season, it is a temporary licensed station, traditionally broadcasting from 28 November until 27 December since 2008. The station streams over the internet and maintains social media presence.
It began broadcasting in Dublin in 2008. Cork was added in 2009. Limerick, Galway and the South East of Ireland were added in 2010. [1] With the inclusion of an additional transmitter, Kildare was added in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, transmitters were added in the North Midlands, in the North East and in North Wicklow.
In 2018 the station broadcast network was in Sligo 95.0, Dublin 105.2, Cork 106.7, Galway 87.7, Naas 88.1, South East 103.8, Nth East 99.4, Nth Midlands 101.6, Kilkenny 104.3, Wicklow 106.6, Nth Wicklow 99.5, Limerick 105.5, Ennis/Clare 105.2, Letterkenny 105.7, Kllarney/Tralee 105.0.
The format is music driven with the addition of Christmas-themed content, billed as trying to bring the 'Magic of Christmas'. [2] As a temporary licensed station it does not carry commercial advertising but does have both on-air and online sponsors to cover operational costs each year.
Dunnes Stores and Cadbury were the main sponsors of the station for 2017, and in 2018 Coca-Cola joined these two main sponsors.
The station has chosen charity partners in each of its broadcast years with the objective of raising awareness and funds for the partner. Funds are raised through a mixture of premium SMS, on-line and in-branch donation. 100% of listener donations go directly to the chosen charity. Charity partners are listed below:
Christmas FM also operates a song competition in the run up to the broadcast period with the short list being aired for a listener voted winner to be selected. [18]
Christmas FM also operates two online-only Christmas themed music stations: Christmas FM Classical and Christmas FM Classics and Christmas FM UK. [19]
The station is staffed by approximately 100 volunteers and provides a 24-hour service during the license period. The voice-over used in many of Christmas FM's charity promotional appeals since 2008 belonged to Bob Gallico (1930–2013).
The founders of the station were Paul Shepard, Walter Hegarty, Garvan Rigby and Daragh O'Sullivan. It was conceived by Garvan Rigby. All had previous experience in pirate radio and in temporary licensed stations, with the first two having been among the principals of temporary licensed Premier FM. The first station manager was the late Jim Kenny. Chris Maher, an expert in soul music, did a stint as station manager. The current station manager is Dan McDermott, who occasionally presents on Christmas FM, but is best known as a presenter on alternative-oriented online station 8Radio.[ citation needed ]
Licensed radio broadcasting in Ireland is one element of the wider media of Ireland, with 85% of the population listening to a licensed radio broadcasting service on any given day.
Childline is a counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday in the United Kingdom provided by the NSPCC. They deal with any issues which cause distress or concern; some of the most common issues include child abuse, bullying, mental illness, parental separation and or divorce, teenage pregnancy, substance misuse, neglect, and psychological abuse.
Pirate radio in Ireland has had a long history, with hundreds of pirate radio stations having operated within the country.
Flirt FM is a licensed student radio station located at the University of Galway. It broadcasts at 101.3 MHz on the FM band and a webcast is also available.
96FM is one of three local radio stations licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland for Cork City and County in Ireland. It broadcasts from studios at Broadcasting House, St. Patrick's Place in Cork City.
2RN is the trading name of RTÉ Transmission Network DAC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, formerly trading as RTÉNL, which runs Ireland's principal digital terrestrial television and radio broadcast networks. In December 2002 it became an incorporated company and subsidiary of RTÉ, it was previously a division within RTÉ. It operates 12 main TV and radio transmitter sites and many smaller relays and transposers, which carry television and/or radio. It also provides site hosting for mobile telephone operators, the emergency services, wireless broadband and other private mobile communications service providers.
CRAOL, also called the Community Radio Forum of Ireland, or Community Radio Ireland, is the representative, co-ordinating, lobbying, training and support group for Irish Community Radio. Every week, across Ireland, 2000 community radio volunteers broadcasts to 170,000 people in 20 fully licensed stations and 42 aspirant stations. The organisation runs a helpline to assist in the development of community radio. CRAOL is a registered provider of FETAC Accredited training.
Kfm is an Irish radio station based in Naas, serving County Kildare, Ireland.
i102-104FM was a regional station in Ireland, launched on 7 February 2008. The station had won a licence – as part of a strategy by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to create a network of regional youth stations across the Republic – to operate a 'youth' oriented station that would broadcast across seven counties in the northwest and west of Ireland, targeting listeners aged between 15 and 34.
KTPK is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format and is currently branded as "Country 106.9". The station is located in Topeka, Kansas, where it is licensed. The station is currently owned by Alpha Media.
Even Better Than the Disco Thing is an Irish charity album released by the commercial FM radio station, Today FM, for the Christmas market on 21 November 2008. The album features covers of well-known disco songs by a selection of Irish musicians. Disc one features sixteen tracks, whilst disc two is labelled "Mix CD" and contains twelve of the same sixteen tracks all over again. All the songs were performed and recorded live on The Ray D'Arcy Show. The title is a pun on the Even Better Than the Real Thing series of charity CDs recorded in previous years on D'Arcy's show, but temporarily discontinued after the third edition in 2005. They themselves are a reference to the U2 song "Even Better Than the Real Thing". Funds raised were donated to the National Children's Hospital and Barretstown.
The ChildLine Concert, known for sponsorship reasons as the 'Cheerios ChildLine Concert', was an annual pop music charity event which took place in Ireland between 1997 and 2014. The money raised from the concerts was donated to the young person's charity, ChildLine. Performers at past events included Westlife, Robbie Williams, Anastacia, Girls Aloud, McFly, All Saints, S Club 7, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 5ive, Sugababes, Busted, Boyzone, JLS, The Script, Little Mix, Union J and Olly Murs.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is a charity in Ireland dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and young people. It provides a range of services to children and families in Ireland, and promotes children's rights.
Sightsavers is an international non-governmental organisation that works with partners in developing countries to treat and prevent avoidable blindness, and promote equality for people with visual impairments and other disabilities. It is based in Haywards Heath in the United Kingdom, with branches in Sweden, Norway, India, Italy, Republic of Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, and the US.
The League of Ireland Women's Premier Division is a professional women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland, organised by the League of Ireland, which began play in the 2023 season. The league consists of eleven teams, eight of which owned by clubs with men's teams in the League of Ireland's Premier Division or First Division. The premiers of the league qualify for the first round of the UEFA Women's Champions League in the following season.
Spirit Radio is an Irish Christian and religious radio station which began broadcasting in January 2011. It is licensed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to broadcast to the cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Bray, Greystones, Dundalk, Naas Athlone, Carlow, Kilkenny and Newbridge on FM. In July 2012, due to licence obligations, the station extended its coverage by opening a medium wave (AM) channel on 549 kHz. The 10 kW medium wave, 549 kHz transmitter is located Carrickroe, Co. Monaghan.
This is a timeline of RTÉ Radio.
The 2020 Women's National League was the 10th season of the Women's National League, the highest women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland.