- Q102.9
Infobox Radio Station
name = Q102.9
area =Derry ,Northern Ireland
airdate =
frequency = 102.9FM , DAB (Digital Radio) inNorthern Ireland and online www.q102.fm
format = Music
power =
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
owner =Q Network Radio
website = [http://www.q102.fm www.q102.fm]Q102.9 "Northwest's Best Music" is a
radio station based inDerry ,County Londonderry . It broadcasts on FM 102.9 to the north west of Northern Ireland, Q102 also broadcasts via DAB (Digital Radio) throughout Northern Ireland via the Score NI multiplex. Part of the Q Radio network which also owns a number of other stations inNorthern Ireland The station is one of the sponsors of local football team,
Derry City F.C. , for their 2007 season.History
Q102.9fm was formerly known (prior to license) as 'Riverside 101fm' which was an independent (pirate) commercial station, owned by Frankie Mc Laughlin and modelled on Chris Cary's Radio Nova Dublin. Fact|date=April 2007
The Programme Director was Steve Marshall, who took the station from small numbers to 60 percent of the total listenership in the North West of IrelandSteve was called by the CEO of Riverside 101, Frank Mc Laughlin to turn the station round from a loss leader to a successful profit making enterprise.Steve devised the Riverside 101 format, which was AC/CHR along with music rotations and slogans, including dreaming up the now famous "Northwest's Best Music" slogan(c)Steve Marshall 1989-2012.
Riverside 101 was also the first commercial station in the area, which was listened to by all parts of the community. A point enforced by the station rule that a dj could not mention Derry or Londonderry but should only refer to the city as 'the maiden city' or 'the capitol of the north-west'.
The station also gave away quite a lot of money on air, including the £500 Summer Splashout, in which Steve Marshall as Drivetime Host gave away the cash live on air one Friday afternoon!
Some of the original broadcasters on Riverside 101 included Steve Marshall, Vince Martin, Frankie's brother Pascal, Mike Henry, John Young (Mc Laughlin), Paul Mc Cafferty, Delbert Jackson, Peter Wright, Neal McClelland & Joe Ferguson, who went on to find success in both N.Ireland and Liverpool amongst other places as a broadcaster and a whole host of others.
Steve Marshall worked at times 20 hour days, within three months, the whole area was listening, and advertisers both local and national wanted to advertise on the station.
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