Dublin South FM
 | |
| Broadcast area | South Dublin |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Everything's fine on 93.9. This is Dublin South FM |
| Frequency | 93.9 MHz |
| First air date | 1995 |
| Format | Mixture of news/music/community programming |
| Owner | Common Shareholders |
'Dublin South FM' is a community-based radio service for South Dublin, which broadcasts seven days a week from 1100 - 2300 on the frequency 93.9 FM. The station features community arts programmes, music programmes and local news and current affairs programmes specifically for the region. Originally pirate, Dublin South FM is now licensed and regulated by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.
History 1995-2010
Dublin South FM was the first local community radio station to go on air in 1995 on 104.9 FM and is the BAI licensed community radio for South Dublin. It was formed to solve the difficulty that local groups had in letting people know what was going on in the locality.
About 100 volunteers produce and broadcast 84 hours of quality programmes each week from the studios in Dundrum. 93.9 Dublin South FM broadcasts from 11am to 11pm every day with an array of programming including 93.9 DSFM produced documentaries to live shows on a broad range of topics. Their aim is to use local access radio to enhance the quality of life for their community.
Lots of people listen to local radio as the formula of local presenters and local interest programmes are seen as an ideal complement to national radio.
93.9 Dublin South FM's broadcast area covers approx 246,935 people according to the latest census, a service that is not replicated by either RTÉ or any other of Dublin radio stations.
24hr Broadcast
Starting at 11:00 on Sunday 5 June 2011, DSFM began a 24-hr broadcast in aid of Special Olympics Ireland. The successful broadcast concluded at 11:00 on Monday 6 June. Karl and Ciaran led the broadcast with Megan and Lauren acting as researchers and co-presenters.
Staff
The station is managed by the Dublin South FM board.
Advertising
Unlike most commercial stations Dublin South FM only plays up to 5 minutes of commercials per hour on about 20% of its programmes. Approximately 8% of the station's output is advertisements.
Current Shows
| Name | Broadcast times | Genre | Presenters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Power of Dreams | Wednesday 12pm | Talk | Marian Shanley | |
| Breakthrough Brands | Tuesday 3-4pm | Business | Joseph Dalton |
Former Notable Presenters and Shows
At one time the station used to broadcast from a collection of converted schoolrooms in a premises just off Nutgrove Avenue. This was before their move to the Dundrum Shopping Centre. Wayne Madden, an Irish journalist based in the UK, who now presents his own programme 'The Graveyard Shift' on Y Radio in Newcastle, England, and is a former producer for Talk107 in Edinburgh presented with Dublin South FM at this time.
His original format for 'The Graveyard Shift' was launched on Dublin South FM in 2003 and he has since indicated DSFM as the first radio station he ever broadcast at and the place which first gave him the "bug" for wanting to present and produce radio shows.
Dan Hegarty of RTE, 2FM and RTE's digital stations started on Dublin South FM doing a Gig Guide on Saturdays.
Orla Barry who has her own show on Newstalk and currently presents The Green Room on Newstalk started in the Dublin South FM news room.
Dublin South FM is station on which the show Back2Basics started. Presented by Simon Palmer and Padraic Marren, the all vinyl old school dance music show started in July 2012 and finished in December 2013 before moving to RTE Pulse in January 2014.