Belfast CityBeat
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| Citybeat 96.7FM | |
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| Broadcast area | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| First air date | 6th April 1990 |
| Frequency | FM: 96.7 MHz DAB Online |
| Format | News, Music |
| Owner | CN Group |
| Website | Official Citybeat 96.7FM Website |
Belfast CityBeat 96.7FM is a radio station. It broadcasts to Greater Belfast on 96.7 MHz FM and on DAB Digital Radio. Citybeat plays a mixture of songs from the 1980s, 1990s, and later, as well as local news, sport and information.
Citybeat attracts a weekly audience of over 117,000 adults in the city alone.
Contents |
[edit] Presenters
- Stuart Robinson 1995 - today
Citybeat's Current Longest Serving Presenter.
- Marc Mallett 1997 - today
- Owen Larkin 1999 - today
- Robin Elliot 2001 - today
- Mark Lima 2004 - today
- Sports Dude Dave 2004 - today
- Andy Pugh 2004 - today
- Lisa McCormick (Radio Presenter) 2002 /2005 - today
- Suzy Caddell 2005 -today
- Paul Orr1995-1999 / 2005 - today
- Lauren Hood 2006 - today
- Neal McClelland 1999 / 2004 - 2005 / 2006 -today
- Paul Francis 2002- 2005 / 2006- today
- David Gordon 2006 -today
- Tierna Magee 2007 - today
[edit] Awards
Citybeat has won more Sony Awards than any other commercial radio station in Northern Ireland along with a number of other top awards. Recent awards include:
- Sony Gold 2002
- Sony Gold x2 2003
- Sony Gold x2 2004 + Sony Silver
- NTL Station of the Year 2003
- Stephen Nolan - Best presenter Irish Entertainment Awards 2003
- Joe Ferguson - Best presenter Irish Entertainment Awards 2004
- Marc & Dave - Best Irish Breakfast Show Irish Entertainment Awards 2006
[edit] Affiliates
Under the ownership of Owen Oyston, CityBeat had a couple of short lived affiliate stations on AM, namely Goldbeat 828 (Formerly Townland Radio) in Cookstown, and Heartbeat 1521 (formerly Radio 1521) in Craigavon. Citybeat handed back the licences to the Radio Authority just two years after buying the stations due to lack of commercial viability. Heartbeat was on the air from 1996 - 1999 and Goldbeat broadcast between 1995 - 1999. The licence for Craigavon has to date never been re-advertised however Cookstown was re-advertised on FM in 2002 and was ironically granted back to Citybeat (by now under new ownership of CN group) in February 2003 Mid FM was launched as the local radio station for Mid- Ulster ( in a further twist of irony from the very same building and studio as Townland / Goldbeat broadcast). In 2006 Citybeat sold the station to Northern Media (owners of Ballymena 7fm) they rebranded the station to Six FM.
From 2000 - 2004 Citybeat also broadcast RSL (Restricted Service Licence) stations Castle FM in Carrickfergus and Bangor FM in Bangor to support local festivals. In August 2000 Citybeat also provided Fast FM in Irvinestown as a trial broadcast for the pending commercial licence for Omagh and Enniskillen. The licence was later awarded to Q101.2FM.
[edit] BCR (1990 -1996)
Prior to its relaunch in 1996 as a music led commercial station, Citybeat was known as BCR or Belfast Community Radio, a community focused station which failed to attract listener interest. BCR launched at 7.30am on 6th April 1990 and managed to stay on the air for six years. BCR presenters prior to the 1996 relaunch included, Mal Reynols, Rick Nugent, Maurice Jay, Mary Johnston, Davy Cunningham, Stuart Robinson, David Cunningham, Owen Beers, Noel Hyndman, Phil Doyle,Lawrence John, David Johnston, Lisa Flavelle, Olive Mellville, Kenny Tosh, Paul Orr, Stephen Nolan, Denise Watson,and Davy Cash. At the time of its demise BCR was pulling in little over 30'000 listeners.
The station broadcast from the basement of Russell Court Complex on Belfast's Lisburn Road. In 1997 (as Citybeat) the station moved to Stranmillis before moving in 2006 to Ormeau Road.
Rick Nugent was the first presenter on BCR who launched the station with 'Maira O'connell' and 'Feet of a Dancer'. Nugent left when Citybeat stated in 1996 but returned as Stephen Nolan's replacement in 2003 before leaving again in 2005.
[edit] Logos
 Logo Used From Oct 1996 To 2001 |
 Logo From 2001 To Oct 2004 |
 Logo from Oct 2004 - Aug 2006. |
 Current Logo from Aug 2006. |
[edit] Trivia
- The Citybeat 96.7FM news jingle from 1998 is heard in the film Divorcing Jack. The lead character is heard listening to Citybeat presenters at the time Stephen Nolan, Chris Buckler & Christine Bleakley.
- The last presenter to broadcast on BCR was Stuart Robinson at midnight on 30th September 1996. The last song to be played on BCR was Sacrafice by Elton John. Robinson, is now Citybeats longest serving presenter and was also the last voice heard on Citybeat's sister station Radio 1521 (Heartbeat) in Craigavon in August 1999.
- Belfast born Brian Kennedy was the obvious choice to open the stations new studios in 2006. Kennedy, a Citybeat fan, credits the Belfast station as playing a huge part in his success.
- Citybeat was 10 years old on 30 September 2006. Stuart Robinson brought Citybeat to life by playing Starship 'We Built This City'.
- The Citybeat transmitter is based on the Black Mountain transmitting station, located a few miles to the west of Belfast and programmes are broadcast from modern studios located on the Ormeau Road close to Belfast city centre.
