WLR FM

What WLR FM does

WLR FM is a commercial local radio station headquartered at The Broadcast Centre, Ardkeen, Waterford, Ireland, broadcasting on FM to Waterford city, county, and the wider Southeast Ireland region. Founded in 1989, the station operates under South East Broadcasting Company Limited and produces local news, sport (notably GAA and the annual WLR Sports Awards), entertainment, lifestyle content, weather, and tidal information, alongside Irish-language programming under the Waterford In Focus strand.

The station's technology stack centres on traditional FM broadcast extended by a digital ecosystem: a content website (wlrfm.com) with live streaming, native iOS and Android applications, four named podcasts (Déise Today, WLR News, The Big Breakfast Blaa, On The Fringe) hosted on Amazon S3 and distributed through major podcast platforms, and social plugins across Facebook, X, Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat. Monetisation relies primarily on broadcast and digital advertising regulated under the CNAM General Commercial Communications Code, supplemented by competitions and sweepstakes open to Waterford residents aged 18 and older. Audience measurement is enabled by Google Analytics, Google Marketing Platform, and Nielsen Digital Measurement.

WLR FM is privately held. In December 2025, the Irish Times Group sold its 75% stake to the Daily Mail Group (subject to regulatory approval), with Des Whelan retaining a 25% stake. The deal marks the Daily Mail Group's entry into Irish radio broadcasting. Management and branding are expected to continue under the new ownership, with the station now operating as a trading style of Associated Newspapers Ltd within the dmg media portfolio alongside Irish Daily Mail, Extra.ie, and other DMGT brands.

Name

WLR FM

Legal name

South East Broadcasting Company Limited

Website

https://wlrfm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WLR FM is a privately held commercial radio station founded in 1989 in Waterford, Ireland, broadcasting local news, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle content on FM and via mobile apps, podcasts, and website streaming to the Waterford and Southeast Ireland audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterford

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Advertising: Radio advertising and commercial communications broadcast on the station's FM frequency and digital platforms, regulated under CNAM General Commercial Communications Code.
2. Competitions and Promotions: WLR runs competitions and sweepstakes open to Waterford city and county residents aged 18 and older, with prizes provided by the station.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WLR FM is a Waterford-based local radio station that broadcasts news, sports, entertainment, weather, traffic, and community information across Waterford city, county, and the wider Southeast Ireland via FM radio. Its offering extends to digital platforms through the wlrfm.com website with live streaming, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and an on-demand podcast portfolio, complemented by community initiatives such as the WLR Sports Awards and Irish-language programming.

Product overview

WLR FM operates as a local radio station and digital media company based in Waterford, Ireland. The core offering is its broadcast radio service, which is complemented by a portfolio of digital products including a mobile application (available on iOS and Android), four named podcasts (Déise Today, WLR News, The Big Breakfast Blaa, and On The Fringe), and content verticals covering news, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. The station also offers specialized local information services including weather and tidal forecasts for the Waterford region. WLR FM's digital ecosystem includes the WLR FM mobile app for on-the-go listening, podcast distribution through major platforms, and community-focused initiatives such as the annual WLR Sports Awards. The station is part of the Daily Mail Group (dmg media) portfolio following acquisition from The Irish Times group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WLR FM: Primary radio station brand operating in Waterford, Ireland, broadcasting local news, sports, entertainment, and podcasts
• Déise Today
• WLR News
• The Big Breakfast Blaa
• On The Fringe
• Dymphna's Book Club
• Waterford In Focus
• WLR Sports Awards

Products and services

• WLR FM Radio Broadcast Local FM radio station broadcasting news, sports, entertainment, weather, traffic and community information from Waterford, Ireland across the Waterford city and county area.
• WLR FM Mobile Application Native mobile application for iOS and Android that enables listeners to access WLR FM live radio streams, podcasts, and station content on mobile devices.
• Déise Today Podcast Daily podcast covering local news and current affairs from the WLR FM team for the Waterford region.
• WLR News Podcast News-focused podcast delivering local and regional news updates from Waterford and surrounding areas.
• The Big Breakfast Blaa Podcast Morning show podcast featuring entertainment news, lifestyle content, interviews, and the Dymphna's Book Club segment for WLR FM listeners.
• On The Fringe Podcast Podcast offering alternative and fringe content, covering unique stories and perspectives from the WLR FM team.
• Dymphna's Book Club Monthly book recommendation segment featured on The Big Breakfast Blaa show, providing reviews of new releases in partnership with The Book Centre, Waterford.
• WLR Sports Awards Annual sports awards program recognizing athletic achievements in Waterford, featuring monthly winners and an annual awards ceremony.
• Weather Information Service Local weather forecasts and updates specifically for the Waterford region, integrated into the station's news coverage.
• High Tides Information Service Local tidal information service for the Waterford coastal area, providing high tide times and related marine safety information.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Book Centre, WaterfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWLR FM has partnered with The Book Centre, Waterford for Dymphna's Book Club feature. The Book Centre provides book recommendations and the station promotes their books, with exclusive interviews, live events, and ongoing reviews. Tell them we sent you!
• Associated Newspapers Ltd / Associated Newspapers (Ireland) LtdcoreOthersWLR FM operates as a trading style of Associated Newspapers Ltd and/or Associated Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd, part of dmg media (Daily Mail Group). The privacy policy lists WLR FM among brands including Daily Mail, Metro, The i, Irish Daily Mail, Evoke, Extra.ie, RollerCoaster.ie, OneFabDay.com, and Business Plus.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clare FM: Local commercial radio station in County Clare providing local news, current affairs, and sport. Directly comparable to WLR FM as a regional Irish local broadcaster with similar scale and advertiser base.
• Tipp FM: County-level local radio station serving Tipperary with news, sport, and community programming. Operates the same for-profit local station business model as WLR FM in a comparable-sized Irish county market.
• Radio Kerry: Local radio station serving County Kerry with local news, GAA coverage, and community programming. Comparable to WLR FM in scale, regional Munster focus, and GAA-driven content strategy.
• LMFM: Local radio station serving Louth and Meath with local news, sport, and current affairs. Direct peer to WLR FM in regional Irish local radio, with similar GAA-heavy content and SMB advertising model.
• Galway Bay FM: Local commercial radio station in Galway with strong local news, sport, and GAA coverage. Comparable to WLR FM in target audience (Munster region), content mix, and digital multi-platform distribution.
• KCLR 96FM: Local commercial radio station serving Carlow and Kilkenny with news, sport, and talk format. Closest direct peer to WLR FM in terms of regional Irish local radio station model, multi-platform output, and GAA/local news focus.
• Midlands 103: Local commercial radio station covering Laois, Offaly, and Westmeath. Comparable peer to WLR FM as a mid-sized regional Irish local broadcaster with news, talk, and sport format.
• East Coast FM: Local radio station serving Wicklow and the east coast of Ireland with community news and entertainment. Comparable local station operating model to WLR FM, serving a similar-sized regional Irish market.

Broad incumbents

• RTÉ Radio: Ireland's national public broadcaster with RTÉ Radio 1 and multiple regional/local programming. Broad incumbent that competes with WLR FM for both listeners and advertising share across Ireland.
• Newstalk: National Irish commercial news/talk radio station competing for the same Waterford/Southeast listeners and national advertising budgets. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same news/talk radio category as WLR FM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wlrfm
• Facebookfacebook.com/wlrfm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WLR FM