THE PIRATES are back on the air - and in full flow. With the so-called 'youth-orientated' licence now allocated by the IRTC to Spin FM, many pirates who had temporarily ceased broadcasting in order to apply for an official licence have gone back into action.
Dublin's hugely popular Phantom 91.6FM was short-listed in the 'Special Interest' category alongside a traffic and travel update service and a French news network. Ultimately, none of the candidates in this category was granted a licence, nor were there any reasons given by the IRTC for the non-allocation of licences. Speaking to Hot Press, Phantom FM's Pete Reid expressed his disappointment at the decision. The deed done, however, he has pledged that Phantom will now plough on.
"Its very nice to be back on the air," he says, "but in all honesty our feelings are 50/50 on that, because we planned to be fully operational by now. But we won't concede defeat! The only way to show everyone what we can do is just to do it. So we are back on the same frequency and are committed to providing an even better service for our listeners."
Overall, it seems that pirate radio is flourishing. The recent awarding of Best Radio Station at the Smirnoff Dance Awards to Power FM (97.2FM), underlines the fact that our 'legitimate' radio stations are still failing to cater for a substantial audience. This particularly applies to the electronic/dance music genre. Indeed, in recent weeks, a new large pirate entitled ESG (99.1FM) has begun broadcasting in the greater Dublin area, making use of personnel formerly associated with Vibe and Pulse FM. The Kiss FM stations which broadcast in Dublin, Cork and Limerick are also believed to be interconnected, giving them a reach which is much greater than any pirate to date.
All eyes are on the fledgling Spin FM, headed by showbiz accountant Ossie Kilkenny, which is due to commence broadcasting in the New Year. However, it remains to be seen if a licensed station can effectively capture the audience in a market sector which is temperamentally inclined towards the pirate ethos. Of the existing, legal stations, only 2FM have made any effort to support, promote and playlist indigenous dance music and DJs. They have, however, found it difficult to beat the pirates at their own game - and Spin FM may just have to confront the same dilemma.
Interesting times ahead, methinks.

* Eamon Sweeney