It may be Ireland's first "all-digital" regional radio station, but comedian Hector Ó hEochagáin chose a piece of old-fashioned white paper to convey lofty thoughts about i102-104fm's first live broadcast in Galway city yesterday.
"Oh shite" read his missive to the audience outside, as he and fellow comedian Tommy Tiernan prayed, giggled, hugged and generally cavorted about the studio. "Live from the Palestine of Ireland," Tiernan proclaimed, before phoning 21-year-old Furbo carpenter Patrick Keady to offer him first choice of music - The Stunning's Brewing up a Storm.
The new station is aimed at a 15 to 34-year-old listenership in the west and northwest, extending from Galway to Sligo, Mayo, Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon and Donegal. It will be "music driven", and will focus on "listener interactivity". Highlights of its schedule include a daily bilingual radio show, Ar Éileamh, and iWitness News, and the station will employ 32 people in Galway. Its chief executive, Dan Healy of Wilton Radio, said it would "change the way young people here consume and interact with media".
Wilton Radio has also been awarded a youth radio licence for the northeast from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.
Mr Healy said that young people faced "huge challenges" in terms of alcoholism, suicide and other social issues, and the station would "not lecture" and would "not preach".
Drawing on a quote from former US president Bill Clinton, he said that "history was made by the first-timers".
