Sunshine 106.8

Sunshine 106.8
Broadcast area Dublin
Slogan Dublin's Easy 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. It previously took part on the DAB trial broadcasts in Dublin and Cork (2012 to 2017).

The station is also available on 106.6MHz in the Balbriggan, Co Dublin area (since March 2018) and is included on the emergency rebroadcast system operated within the Dublin Tunnel.

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, Easy Listening 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. In July 2017 the station modified its slogan to 'Dublin's Easy Place to Relax'.

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 Gareth Farrell, Rebecca O'Connor, Hugh O'Farrell Walsh & Ann Marie Donnelan
  • 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 Owen Larkin.

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) and in each survey published in and for 2017. The JNLR published on April 26th, 2018 recorded the best results for daily reach, weekly reach, market share and AQH (average quarter hour) in the station's 17-year history. Sunshine 106.8 recorded a 7.7% market share in the same report.

The station recorded a 7% daily reach of 'all adults' in the JNLR on 26th April 2018 (for the period Apr 2017 - Mar 2018). The station has 217,000 listeners per month (monthly reach of 20%) according to JNLR figures.

The station currently has a weekly reach of 14% or 149,000 listeners and a 7.2% market share for 25-34yr olds and 12.7% for 45-54yr olds (7am-7pm) (IPSOS MRBI JNLR Apr 17 to Mar 2018).

Sunshine 106.8 is the number 1 music station for 35+ adults and 45+ adults, and the number 2 music station for all adults (15+) 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 1 music station for 35+ adults in the Dublin City & County area (based on Market Share) in the period 7am to 12am on Sundays. Source: JNLR period of Apr 17 - Mar 2018 (Ipsos MRBI JNLR 2018-1, published on 26th Apr 2018).

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 (News Int). 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), Classic Hits 4FM (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway) and KFM (Kildare).

Sales

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

References

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