TXFM

Coordinates: 53°20′27″N 6°15′52″W / 53.34083°N 6.26444°W

TXFM
Broadcast area County Dublin, Ireland
Frequency FM: 105.2 MHz
UPC Ireland: 935
First air date 31 October 2006
Format Alternative Rock
Owner Dublin Rock Radio Ltd.
Website www.txfm.ie

TXFM (formerly Phantom 105.2) is a Dublin based radio station, founded in 1996 as a pirate radio station.[1] TXFM broadcasts under a contract awarded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

Phantom played mostly alternative rock with an emphasis on local artists, as well as alternative dance and hip-hop from local and international acts.[2] Apart from general programming Phantom also has run many specialist shows dedicated to a specific genre of rock or to premiering new Irish and international acts.

History

Logo of Phantom FM until 2014.

Until 2003, Phantom operated as a pirate station, staying on air the majority of the time, apart from outages caused by frequency collisions with newly licenced stations, fear of raids by Comreg, and once, the theft of their transmission equipment from Three Rock Mountain. Since 2003, they have operated as an internet radio station, and under two temporary radio contracts (2003 and 2004) from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.

Funding for Phantom during their pirate era came from sponsorship and advertising from local bands and promoters and even contributions from station staff.

A number of times during this period, the station went off air for licence applications. After two successful temporary licenses, Phantom applied for an alternative rock license offered by the BCI for Dublin in July 2004. They finally won a licence for an alternative rock station for Dublin in November 2004, beating the Zed FM consortium, XFM and two other applicants.[3]

Phantom's expected launch was delayed due to a legal challenges against the BCI regarding the license from Scrollside Ltd./Zed FM. An unsuccessful challenge to the High Court was followed by an appeal to the Supreme Court which was rejected on 6 April 2006.[4] Phantom returned to the airwaves on 31 October 2006, broadcasting on 105.2 FM.[5]

Phantom 105.2 won the award for best music driven local station at the 2007 PPI Awards.[6]

Phantom 105.2's Claire Beck interviewing Foals at the 2013 Longitude Festival in Dublin.

In 2010, Communicorp took a 30% stake and the station was relocated to Marconi House in January 2011 where it shares facilities with Today FM and Newstalk. A number of redundancies resulted from the move and cost cutting including the redundancies of Marketing Manager Brian Daly and Traffic Manager Laura Lee Conboy (she continued with her presenter role) along with the resignation of Chief Executive Ger Roe and the dismissal of General Manager Simon Maher. Ricky Geraghty has replaced Ger Roe as CEO and Keith Walsh has replaced Fiona Scally as Programme Director.

In August 2012 it was announced that a number of weekend presenters would be leaving the station in a bid to cut costs. They include Pearl, Dee Reddy, Shane Galvin, James Byrne and Derek Byrne. Co-host of Pure Morning, Michelle Doherty will also leave in mid-September to pursue an acting career. Subsequently, Dee Reddy and Derek Byrne were reinstated.

Keith Walsh left Phantom in December 2013 for 2FM. TXFM is operated by the holders of the Alternative Rock franchise for Dublin City and County.

Job cuts and restructuring plans

On 14 February 2014, the board of directors of Dublin Rock Radio Ltd, trading as Phantom 105.2 announced that up to twenty staff would be made redundant.[7] In a statement issued to the press, managers of the station said that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland had granted permission to restructure the business "in order to ensure its long-term viability".

In February 2014, it was announced that an agreement had been reached with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to restructure the station resulting in the loss of all full and part-time staff with the exception of three day time presenters. The station would then be rebranded as TXFM with closer operational links with Today FM, also owned by Communicorp and who also broadcast from the same building.

On 16 March 2014 Phantom 105.2 ceased broadcasting. The last live show was Power House presented by John Caddell. Back to back music was then broadcast with identifications announcing "This is 105.2" with no reference to Phantom. The following presentation lost their jobs alongside backroom and support staff: Richie Ryan, Richie McCormack, Ray McGowan, Laura Lee Conboy, Charlotte Flood, Jack Hyland, Sinead Ni Churnain and Will St. Ledger.

It was subsequently confirmed that TXFM would launch on 1 April 2014, with a mix of existing and new presenters. The new lineup would see presented programmes from 7am to midnight on weekdays, including nightly two-hour specialist shows from 10pm; weekends will see a mix of presenter-led and specialist shows, including a Saturday night 'indie anthems' marathon.[8]

List of TXFM presenters

The current presenter lineup of weekly programming on TXfm is:

Caddell, Beck and Donnelly all remain with the station as part of the launch lineup of TXFM, though all will be in new slots with Caddell on Sunday nights, Beck on daytime and Donnelly on drivetime and Cathal Funge on breakfast

The new schedule for TXFM includes some other presenters from Phantom, including an expanded role for Cathal Funge, who will be the new weekday breakfast presenter. Others who kept their jobs include: Kelly-Ann Byrne, Dee Reddy, Derek Byrne, Orlagh Donnelly and Nadine O'Regan.

Notable former presenters

Awards

References

  1. ↑ http://www.radiowaves.fm/database/phantomfm.html
  2. ↑
  3. ↑
  4. ↑
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ http://www.ppiradioawards.com/2007/winners_2007.asp#groupa
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ "Phantom replacement TXFM launches Monday", RadioToday Ireland

External links