Sunshine 106.8

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).

Sunshine 106.8
Broadcast areaDublin
Frequency106.8 MHz, Online, Virgin Media Channel 933
SloganDublin's Easy Place to Relax
Programming
FormatSoft AC/Easy Listening
Ownership
OwnerStar Broadcasting Limited
History
First air dateOctober 2001
Links
Websitewww.sunshineradio.ie/

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

Sunshine also operates a digital spin-off service called Sunshine Soul which is available on-line and on The Irish Radio Player App. Sunshine Soul was launched in July 2018.

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), Elaine Stenson (Journalist), Amanda Brunker (Journalist)
  • Tom Cole Junior - Sunshine Swing
  • News Presenters include Tara Duggan, Gareth Farrell, Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, David Layde, Emily Tully, John Harte, Rebecca O'Connor, Ann Marie Donnelan (network sport)
  • Station Imaging VO is Kerri Murphy (also station voice of Smooth Radio (UK) and former Magic brand voice across The UK).
  • Sunshine 106.8 station jingles are produced by Music4, the same package has been used by Smooth 95.3 in Sydney, Smooth 91.5 in Melbourne and previously on 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, 2015 and 2017 and again in the reports published in February and August 2019. The JNLR published on 24 October 2019 recorded the station's best ever results for daily reach in the station's 18-year history, recording 84,000 daily listeners. Sunshine 106.8 recorded a 7.1% market share in the same report (7a-7p All Adults).

The station recorded an 8% daily reach of 'all adults' in the JNLR on 24 October 2019 (for the period Oct 2018 to Sep 2019). The station has 223,000 listeners per month (monthly reach of 21%) according to JNLR figures.

The station currently has a weekly reach of 14% or 158,000 listeners and an 8.3% market share for 35+yr olds and 7.6% for 45+yr olds (7am-7pm) (IPSOS MRBI JNLR Oct 2018 - Sep 2019).

Sunshine 106.8 is the number 1 music station for 35+ adults and 45+ adults in the Dublin City & County area based on Market Share in the period 7am to Midnight (Monday to Friday). Sunshine 106.8 is also ranked as the number 1 music station for all adults and number 2 overall in the Dublin City & County area (based on Market Share) in the period 7am to Midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. Source: JNLR period of Oct 2018 - Sep 2019 (Ipsos MRBI JNLR 2019–3, published on 24 October 2019).

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 (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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