DD Exclusive: The licenses for Donegal’s two commercial radio stations could be changing hands, if two businessmen get their way.
Highland Radio, which has the license for north Donegal, is facing a challenge from millionaire Inishowen businessman Paddy Simpson.
The Carndonagh native, how living in Fahan, has extensive business interests.
He has given the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland a substantial five-figure sum in order to be allowed to bid for the license for north Donegal, which has to be renewed later this year.
Mr Simpson will now go ahead with a proposal to remove Highland from the airwaves and replace it with a brand new station.
And Ocean FM, which has the license for south-west Donegal, north Leitrim and Sligo, is facing a challenge from the man who used to hold the license for the area.
Paul Claffey was the man behind North West Radio who held the licence for south Donegal until 2004 when it was awarded to Ocean FM.
At the time there were protests about the decision with people taking to the streets. There was a bitter war of words after an Ocean FM commissioned report described North West Radio listeners as “old, conservative and from a lower social class.”
It was also controversial with the decision-makers split three votes each with the chair of the BAI casting in favour of the new station.
At the time North West Radio was the most popular station in Ireland.
Mr Claffey continues to run the highly successful Mid-West Radio – but would dearly love to get broadcasting licence back for south Donegal, Sligo and north Leitrim.
The process for getting the next licence in 2014 starts later this year.
“It is my opinion that we would be very well placed to serve the people of the region for the next licence period,” Mr Claffey told the Sligo Weekender newspaper last year.
He said his MWR station would share content on a new North West Radio station, insisting: “The shared arrangement worked very well before and would be reignited again. It is the ideal option in the current climate when a lot of stations are now losing money.”
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