Sunshine 106.8

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Sunshine 106.8
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Broadcast area Dublin
Slogan Dublin's New Place to Relax
Frequency 106.8 MHz, Online, Virgin Media Channel 933
First air date October 2001
Format Soft / Easy listening
Owner Star Broadcasting Limited
Website www.sunshineradio.ie/

Sunshine 106.8 is an easy listening radio station, based in Dublin, Ireland. It is licensed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), as a commercial FM broadcaster. The station broadcasts on 106.8 MHz from Three Rock Mountain to County Dublin and is also available on the DAB trial broadcasts in Dublin and Cork.

History

The radio station has studios and offices at Castleforbes House in Dublin 1. The studios at Castleforbes House went live in December 2015. It previously had studios on North Wall Quay in Dublin 1. The station launched in October 2001 from studios in Stillorgan, Co Dublin and was originally identified on-air as 'Dublin's Country 106.8FM' and later (from 2005) as 'Country Mix 106.8'. The station was completely re-branded as Sunshine 106.8 in October 2010.

The company, is headed up by CEO Sean Ashmore, who has been involved with the company since 2004. Sunshine 106.8 broadcasts 24 hours a day and features an easy listening format. The music output is a broad mix of easy listening music drawn from several genres including soul, country, crossover and Irish music. The station primarily appeals to a 35+ audience (see JNLR data below).

The station has won a number of awards including Bronze & Silver World Medals (2010 & 2011) for station format in the New York Festivals radio programming Awards - the first Irish station to receive an award for format in the awards.

The station signed a ten year contract with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) on 12 September 2014 to continue broadcasting until 2024. The new contract for 2014-2024 allowed the station to re-position itself in the Dublin market. The station adopted the positioning statement of 'Dublin's New Place to Relax' from September 2014.

Programming

  • Robbie Fogarty - Sunshine Breakfast (Former Music Director at 98FM and Presenter at Classic Hits 4FM)
  • Enda Murphy - The Sunshine Workday
  • Carol Dooley - More Music Drive and Saturday Live (Former PD of East Coast FM and former PD and presenter of Radio Nova 100FM)
  • Joe Harrington - Mellow Moments (Former PD of East Coast FM )
  • Ken Doherty (former World Snooker Champion) and Reggie Corrigan (Leinster and Ireland Rugby International) Dublin's Talking Sport
  • Sean Ashmore - Sunshine at the Weekend
  • Paddy Cole - The Paddy Cole Show
  • Sunshine Meets... - Andrea Hayes (broadcaster, writer), Amanda Brunker (Journalist), Rebecca Storm (Singer)
  • Tom Cole Junior - Sunshine Swing
  • Other Presenters include: Lucy Kennedy ( TV3 ) Brian Ormond (Winning Streak )Graham Day
  • News Presenters include Niamh Maher, Michelle MacMullan, Gareth Farrell, & Rebecca O'Connor
  • Station Imaging VO is Kerri Murphy (also station voice of London's Magic 105.4 and the Magic brand across The UK).
  • Sunshine 106.8 station jingles are produced by Music4, the same package has been used by Smooth 95.3 in Sydney and Magic 105.4 in London.
  • Sunshine 106.8 Sponsorship & Promotions VO is Enda Caldwell.

Names formerly associated with Sunshine 106.8

JNLR

The station recorded increases in listenership (weekly reach) in every JNLR survey published in 2013, 2014 and 2015 (twelve surveys in succession). The JNLR published on April 27th, 2016 recorded the best results for Daily Reach, Weekly Reach and Market Share in the station's 15 year history.

The station recorded a 6% daily reach of 'all adults' in the JNLR on April 27th, 2016 (for the period Apr 2015 - Mar 2016). The station has 183,000 listeners per month (monthly reach of 17%) according to JNLR figures published in April 2016.

The station currently has a weekly reach of 11% or 110,000 listeners and a 5.7% market share for 35+ adults (7am-12mn) (IPSOS MRBI JNLR April 2015 to Mar 2016). In the 12 month period Apr '15 to Mar '16 the station's Market Share increased by 40% when compared to the previous 12 month period (Apr14-Mar15). Weekly reach with 20-44yr olds increased by over 50% during the same period.

Sunshine 106.8 is the number 1 music station for 45+ adults in the Dublin City & County area based on Market Share in the period 7am to 7pm (Monday to Friday). It is also ranked as the number 2 music station for 35+ adults in the Dublin City & County area based on Market Share in the period 7am to 12 midnight (Monday to Friday). Source: JNLR period of April 2015 to March 2016 (Ipsos MRBI JNLR 2016-1, published on April 27th 2016).

Shareholding

The station is one of the few independent operations in the Dublin market, with most other stations owned by RTÉ, Communicorp or The Wireless Group. Its shareholders are Bay Broadcasting Ltd, Broadcast Investments Ltd and other minor shareholders. It has loose shareholder affiliations with Radio Nova (Dublin), East Coast FM (Wicklow) and Classic Hits 4FM (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway).

Sales

The station's national agency sales are handled by IRS+ (Independent Radio Sales).

References


External links

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