Cork's 96FM
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| Broadcast area | Cork City and County |
|---|---|
| Slogan | The Biggest Hits, The Best Variety |
| Frequency | 95.8 – 96.8 FM |
| First air date | Thursday 10 August 1989 (as Radio South) |
| Format | Adult Contemporary |
| Language(s) | English |
| Audience share | 47.8% (Thursday 1st of May, [1]) |
| Owner | Wireless Group |
| Sister stations | C103 (Dual franchise) |
| Webcast | Here |
| Website | 96fm.ie |
96FM is one of three local radio stations licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland for Cork City and County in Ireland (the other two being its sister station C103 and youth music station Red FM). It broadcasts from studios at Broadcasting House, St. Patrick's Place in Cork City.
96FM is operated as a dual franchise with C103 by County Media Limited which is owned by Wireless Group. The station's sound broadcasting contract (and thus its broadcasting licence) is advertised together with that of C103 and one company is required to operate the two stations, in a similar situation to that of Shannonside FM and Northern Sound Radio in the north-west of Ireland.
Founded by four former Cork Examiner journalists, with backing from a number of Cork business people, Cork's 96FM launched as "Radio South" at midday on Thursday 10 August 1989. However, that name lasted for less than a year. Radio South was the third of the newly licensed commercial stations to come on air in the country (Dublin's Capital Radio and Mayo's Mid West Radio being first and second respectively).
The first voice heard on air was the station's first Head of Programming Frank Murphy who introduced the new station in both Irish and English. This was followed by Neil Prendeville's first show, the first song played was "A New Flame" by Simply Red – a chart hit at the time. The then Lord Mayor of Cork – Councillor Chrissie Aherne, who had been flown by helicopter to the station's studio (located just to the north of the city at Whites Cross), then officially opened the station for business.
The first day's broadcasting featured several outside broadcasts from across the coverage area. Local dignitaries, were invited by the station to an event that night in Cork's Imperial Hotel which was attended by several hundred people. The attendance included the then chairman of the IRTC (now the BCI) former Supreme Court Judge Seamus Henchy.
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Wikipedia