Ulster Television

Ulster Television plc (UTV) is a media company based in Northern Ireland. It is the Channel 3 (ITV) licensee for Northern Ireland, and the owner of several radio stations in Ireland and the United Kingdom, including a UK Independent National Radio station, talkSPORT.

UTV Radio

UTV is continuing the move from a simple ITV contractor towards a true media company.

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UTV Radio Ireland

UTV Radio Ireland owns a number of Republic of Ireland independent local radio contractors - Live 95FM in Limerick, Q102 in Dublin, LMFM in Louth/Meath, and 96FM County Sound in Cork, which incorporates a separate radio entity, 103fm - itself subdivided across County Cork.

Related Topics:
Limerick - Dublin - Cork - County Cork

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UTV sells airtime for its ILR stations through its subsidary Broadcast Media Sales. This competes with the major ILR network sales house, Independent Radio Sales, and also sells airtime for Galway Bay FM and Beat 102-103, the first Independent Regional Radio station in Ireland, covering the south east. (Ironically UTV does not itself sell airtime on UTV Television, which is handled by ITV Sales).

Related Topics:
Independent Radio Sales - Galway Bay FM - Beat 102-103

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U105 Belfast

Main article : U105

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In May 2004, UTV announced that it had entered the competition for a new ILR franchise for Belfast, Northern Ireland. In March 2005 the Office of Communications announced that it had awarded the franchise to UTV. U105 will be UTV's first radio station in Northern Ireland, due to launch on FM Radio in Belfast and on the Freeview platform in Northern Ireland. It will be based in Havlock House, sharing premises with UTV Television. The station will be primarly aimed at the over-45 age group, and have speech based programming as well as "gold" music. Among the programmes, it is known that Gerry Kelly will present a Sunday morning radio programme on U105.

Related Topics:
May - 2004 - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 2005 - Office of Communications - U105 - FM Radio - Freeview

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The Wireless Group

Main article : The Wireless Group.

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In May, 2005, UTV announced that it had agreed to purchase The Wireless Group plc, owners of the UK independent national radio station talkSPORT as well as sixteen UK ILR licences. In June 2005 the sale was cleared and the Wireless Group became part of UTV. UTV Plans to rebrand The Wireless Group into UTV Radio later in the year.

Related Topics:
May - 2005 - The Wireless Group - TalkSPORT - June 2005

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