Downtown Radio

Downtown Radio

City of license	Newtownards
Broadcast area	Northern Ireland
Frequency	MHz: 96.4, 96.6, 97.1, 102.3, 102.4, 103.1, 103.4 1026 kHz DAB
First air date	16 March 1976
Format	Hot AC
Audience share	8% (March 2010, [1])
Owner	Bauer Radio
Website	Downtown Radio

Downtown Radio is an Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of FM and AM transmitters.

History

The station, also known as DTR or simply Downtown, began broadcasting on 16 March 1976 - the same day as Prime Minister Harold Wilson resigned. The station had a mini-coup, breaking the news over an hour before BBC Radio Ulster.

Downtown Radio has very much become part of the broadcasting landscape of Northern Ireland. Many of its presenters, such as Johnny Hero, Trevor 'Big T' Campbell, Dougi Marshall, and Candy Devine are household names (Campbell and Devine have been with Downtown since it began broadcasting).

The station has been very highly regarded in the past for its news output, and has been a regular stop-off point for radio journalists covering Northern Ireland's Troubles over 30 years. It was the first radio station in Ireland to offer news bulletins, hourly on the hour. Changes in management made in 2007, as well as the success of the peace process, have led to Downtown reducing its news output somewhat. It is notable for being one of the few Independent Local Radio stations to still cater for minority tastes such as gospel and jazz. The country music programmes broadcast several times a week are among Downtown's highest listenership ratings. It has also been the springboard for the careers of Eamonn Holmes and ITN reporter John Draper.

Expansion

Downtown was initially only contracted to broadcast to the Greater Belfast area, on 1026 kHz AM and 96FM. However, following the collapse of plans for a station in the Londonderry region (Northern Sound) in 1983, Downtown applied to the former Independent Broadcasting Authority to extend its coverage. Transmitters covering the North West, the Causeway Coast and Fermanagh/South Tyrone were opened between 1985 and 1987, and the station briefly rebranded itself as 'DTRFM' to reflect its new audience reach.

New FM transmitters in South Down/Armagh, and Mid and East Antrim opened in the 1990s to improve reception in those areas. Downtown Radio Frequencies :

1026 kHz AM (Medium Wave) - Antrim, Armagh, Ballyclare, Ballymena, Banbridge, Bangor, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Comber, Cookstown, Downpatrick, Dungannon, Larne, Lisburn, Lurgan, Maghera, Magherafelt, Newcastle, Newry, Newtownards, Portadown, Portaferry

96.4 MHz FM - Ballycastle, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Dungiven, Limavady, Portrush, Portstewart

96.6 MHz FM - Armagh, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Omagh

102.3 MHz FM - Antrim, Ballymena, Clough Mills, Magherafelt, Randalstown, Rasharkin, Templepatrick

102.4 MHz - Londonderry, Strabane

103.4 MHz FM - Newcastle (Mourne)

97.1 MHz FM - Larne (East Antrim)

Cool FM launch

The station reverted to Downtown Radio again in 1990 following the introduction of its sister station, Cool FM.

Present

Downtown's main competitors are BBC Radio Ulster, CityBeat and U105. It is part of the Big City Network.

Presenters

Candy Devine Caroline Fleck Robert Skates Owen Larkin Paul Thomas Paul Francis Warren Smyth Bobbie Hanvey Vanessa Jones John Rosborough Stuart Robinson

Trevor Campbell Tommy Sands Ronnie Morrison Paul McKenna Derek Flood

News staff

Editor Bob Huggins

Deputy Editor Karen English

Broadcast Journalists Nicola McCarthy Munier Abdalla Sara Moore Brian Moriarty Michael Fitzpatrick

Sports Correspondent Nigel Ringland

Past presenters

Bill Smyth (Deceased) Johnny Hero Dougi Marshall Gary Bones Ivan Martin Richard Young Michael 'Hendi' Henderson John Paul Ballantine Jerry Lang Lisa Flavelle George Jones Lynda Jayne (Deceased) Frank Mitchell John Daly Davy Sims

Lawrence John Paul Francis Stephen Woods Derek Marsden (Deceased) Alec Fennell (Deceased) Ronan Kelly Ken Bruce John Greer (Deceased) Wendy Austin Janus Elliott Ian Heatley Mark Daley Margaret Cunningham (Deceased)

External links

• Official web site