| Broadcast area | National - Ireland |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Where Life Sounds Better |
| Frequency | FM 96.7-99.6 (95.2 northeast) MHz Digital terrestrial television |
| First air date | 1 May 1999[1] |
| Format | Classical music |
| Language | English, Irish |
| Audience share | 1.6% (February 2009, [2]) |
| Owner | Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) |
| Webcast | WMA, Real |
| Website | rte.ie/lyricfm/ |
RTÉ lyric fm (Irish: RTÉ liric fm) is an Irish classical music radio station, owned by the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available on FM in Ireland, on satellite, on Sky Digital in Ireland and United Kingdom and via the Internet.
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RTÉ lyric fm developed from FM3 Classical Music, which began broadcasting in November 1984.[3] FM3 broadcast classical music on the RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta network at breakfast time, lunchtime and in the evenings. The station was rarely marketed, except via promotions on RTÉ Radio 1, and had low listenership ratings. It was probably best known for occasionally simulcasting the stereo sound track of movies being shown on the RTÉ television channels prior to RTÉ's deployment of NICAM digital stereo.
As Raidió na Gaeltachta expanded broadcast hours FM3's service hours changed to 19:30 till 01:00 and 06:30 till 08:00. Eventually it stayed on air until breakfast time when RnaG came back on.
In 1999, RTÉ put in place an additional national FM transmitter network, and it was decided to separate FM3 from Radio na Gaeltachta, and expand its remit to include other types of minority music.[4] The resulting station was Lyric FM (since rebranded to: RTÉ lyric fm). It also moved from Dublin to Limerick as part of a policy of regionalisation.[5] At the time of its launch, RTÉ lyric fm’s digital studios in Cornmarket Row in Limerick were the most advanced in the country.
RTÉ lyric fm won PPI National Station of the Year for the second time in 2004.[6][7]
In May 2009, the station celebrated 10 years broadcasting.[1][8] This was celebrated with a concert by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ Philharmonic Choir.[9] Current presenters include Marty Whelan, George Hamilton, Éamonn Lawlor, Gay Byrne, Frank McNamara, Liz Nolan, Carl Corcoran, Eamonn Lenihan, Paul Herriott, Niall Carroll, Lorcan Murray, Tim Thurston, Bernard Clarke, Rachel Blech, Aedín Gormley, Trish Taylor, Donald Helme, Ellen Cranitch, Gerry Godley, Cynthia Morahan and John Kelly.[10][11]
RTÉ lyric fm attracts an audience share of 1.6%.[2] The current head of the station is Aodán Ó' Dubhghaill.[12]
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