Plenty of capacity remains for new FM stations in the Irish Republic. The BCI has announced plans for six new services: 1) A talk station with "quasi national" FM coverage 2) Extension of the network of regional youth stations (Beat, Red and Spin) to give national coverage with an additional six stations: a) South West (Kerry, Limerick, Clare, N Tipperary and SW Laois) b) North West (Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Longford, Roscommon and Galway) c) North East and Midlands (Louth, Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Kildare, OFfaly, Westmeath and NE Laois) 3) A religious station with "quasi national" AM coverage and low power FM transmitters in major towns and cities 4) An oldies and easy listening station serving Dublin Region and Counties Cork, Limerick and Galway 5) Two Further Country and Irish music stations (adding to Dublin's Country Mix): a) Mid West (Limerick, Galway, Clare and parts of Tipperary and Kerry) b) North East (Louth, Meath, N Kildare and parts of Cavan and Monaghan - may use mostly AM) 6) A classic rock station for the Dublin Region Ireland has obtained or applied for ITU clearance for transmission in the 1-10 kW range on the following frequencies: Dublin Region: 94.9, 107.3 and 107.8 Dublin City: 87.6, 89.9, 92.1, 94.3, 99.5 North Midlands (40 kW): 106.3 South Midlands (40 kW): 105.2 (this allocation may have to move west to avoid interference with Phantom in Dublin) County Louth: 104.2 County Meath: 104.7 (note that a number of low-power LMFM relays would have to move) South County Kildare 105.0 County Cavan: 104.8, County Monaghan: 106.7 Sligo and North Leitrim: 104.4, South Donegal: 96.3 Roscommon, Longford and S Leitrim: 106.9 East Donegal (incl Derry): 105.7 and 96.9, North Donegal: 97.5, West Donegal: 104.0 County Mayo: 103.7, West Mayo: 103.1 County Galway: 104.9, West Galway: 102.5 County Clare: 104.2 County Limerick: 103.0 County Kerry: 102.5 County Cork (multiple transmitters needed): 87.7, 95.0, 94.8 and 106.7 North Tipperary: 94.7 Carlow and Kilkenny: 104.3 Wexford: 103.8 South East Region: 106.6 and 107.2 NW Wicklow and/or N Kildare and/or S Meath: 88.1 and 107.6 Frequencies available for small stations within the Dublin area are 90.3, 91.7, 97.7 and 101.8. These frequencies were allocated on the basis of a second tier of local stations. As Ireland will now be licensing regional and national stations, a new pattern is likely in many areas. The Dublin, County Cork and South East Region allocations are relatively recent, so are likely to remain. Allocations near the Northern Ireland border are also likely to remain as they are already agreed with the UK. The Meath 104.7 allocation is likely to be extended to include North Kildare and West Wicklow. Dublin's city wide community stations Anna Livia and Raidio na Life, may move to two of the Dublin city frequencies listed to make space for new transmitters in the North East and Midlands. The talk station is likely to use listed frequencies for Dublin region, Cork city and the South East region (Mt Leinster) with new frequencies for the South West (Mullaghanish), Mid West (Maghera), North West (Truskmore) and Limerick city between 105 and 108. Additional main transmitters for the North and South Midlands may or may not be possible as the youth stations will take priority. Further coverage will then be limited to low power fillers, with Dundalk, Drogheda, Waterford and Bray likely to be served first. The South West, North West and North East/Midlands regional youth stations are likely to use many of the allocations listed above, supplemented by a few new allocations. The oldies/easy station is likely to use listed frequencies in Dublin region and Cork county with new frequencies in counties Limerick and Galway. The North East country station is likely to use 88.1 for S Meath and N Kildare with new frequencies elsewhere. The Mid West country station will use new frequency allocations. For the main transmitter at Maghera, 87.9 is possible. Otherwise 105-108 will be used. The classic rock station can use one of the listed Dublin allocations. In Dublin, one of the listed city frequencies is likely to be used for the religious station. Ireland has ITU clearance for a large number of relays and smaller town and community stations. However, it tends to allocate new frequencies to these stations as it licenses them. Essentially, there is plenty of space for low power (< 1 kW) stations in Ireland. Therefore the religious station will be able to locate ~100 W FM transmitters more or less wherever it can afford to. These could either be spread throughout the band or concentrated in the high 107s. In addition to the planned stations, there is space for a further regional service in the South East. This is most likely to be and Irish and Country format regional station, but could also be used to extend coverage of the oldies/easy or religious station. There is also capacity for a further national station combining high power AM and low power FM transmitters. Irish language would be a likely format. Note that a network of 10-20 low power FM transmitters without AM back-up would only give 40-50% population coverage. These frequencies could also be used to extend coverage of the oldies station. However, this is likely to be limited to areas where the existing station does not incorporate oldies within its format. Low power transmitters might also be used to extend coverage of Phantom FM and the new classic rock service to other cities.

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