Ireland's Classic Hits

What Ireland's Classic Hits does

Ireland's Classic Hits Radio is a free-to-air commercial radio service operated by Choice Broadcasting Ltd, a private limited company registered in Dublin (Company No. 439209). Its core offering is a curated classic hits music format spanning the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, anchored by award-winning presenters and supported by local, national, showbiz, and music news coverage. The station's audience is a horizontal 'General Irish Adult Audience' distributed across Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Clare, Kildare, Wicklow, and Meath, with a stated DAB broadcast-area reach of approximately 1.6 million listeners plus nationwide digital availability.

The underlying distribution stack combines traditional FM broadcasting (multiple frequencies in 8 counties), DAB digital radio (6 transmission sites across 9 Leinster-area counties), online streaming via classichits.ie and partners such as TuneIn and Irish Radio Player, native mobile applications on iOS, Android, and Amazon Appstore, and voice integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. The product portfolio includes the flagship Classic Hits Radio, the Classic Hits 80s digital sub-brand (the only dedicated 80s station in Ireland), the Floor Fillers party-anthems channel, an on-demand podcast library, and a Virgin Media Channel 936 television presence. The 'Classic Hits' brand is a registered Irish Trade Mark (No. 257944).

The company monetizes exclusively through advertising sales, represented by Media Central to agencies and advertisers, with no direct consumer charges. Distribution and marketing rely on owned digital channels (website, apps, podcasts, social media), outside broadcasts, and listener competitions. No public revenue, headcount, or funding data is disclosed, and the company operates independently with no disclosed parent or external investors.

Name

Ireland's Classic Hits

Legal name

Choice Broadcasting Ltd

Website

https://classichits.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ireland's Classic Hits Radio, operated by Choice Broadcasting Ltd, is an Irish free-to-air commercial broadcaster serving general adult listeners with 70s, 80s, and 90s music across FM, DAB, online, mobile apps, smart speakers, and Virgin Media Channel 936, monetized through advertising sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio) (MPAIAEAD), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), Syndicated Radio Programming Networks (Shows & Features) (MPABABAJ)

Keywords

• Radio broadcasting
• Classic hits music
• DAB digital radio
• FM radio station
• Audio entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: The station generates revenue through advertising sales, offering businesses the opportunity to reach the station's audience. They work with advertising agencies and have a dedicated sales team. Classic Hits 80s broadcasts to approximately 1.6 million people in the DAB broadcast area and reaches listeners across multiple FM frequencies in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Clare, Kildare, Wicklow, and Meath.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ireland's Classic Hits Radio is a free-to-air radio broadcasting service operated by Choice Broadcasting Ltd, programming classic hits music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s across multiple FM frequencies in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Clare, Kildare, Wicklow, and Meath, as well as DAB digital radio in the Leinster area. The station distributes live and on-demand audio via online streaming, mobile applications, smart speakers (Alexa and Google Home), the Irish Radio Player, TuneIn, and Virgin Media Channel 936, complemented by a portfolio of podcasts and regional news content.

Product overview

Ireland's Classic Hits Radio is a radio broadcasting company operated by Choice Broadcasting Ltd, offering a multi-platform audio entertainment service centered on classic hits music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The core product is Ireland's Classic Hits Radio, which broadcasts via FM frequencies across major Irish cities (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Clare) and nationwide online. The company operates multiple related products including Classic Hits 80s as a dedicated digital 80s station available via DAB and online streaming, Floor Fillers for weekend party music programming, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a podcasts division featuring original content including health, travel, and lifestyle programs. Distribution extends across TuneIn, Alexa/Google smart speakers, Virgin Media Channel 936, and the Irish Radio App.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Classic Hits 80s: Ireland's only dedicated 80s radio station - digital station bringing the best 80s music soundtrack
• Floor Fillers on Classic Hits

Products and services

• Ireland's Classic Hits Radio

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Media CentralcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia Central represents Ireland's Classic Hits Radio to advertising agencies and their clients. Located at Second Floor, 134/135 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 HN29, they serve as the primary advertising sales representation for the station.
• Virgin MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClassic Hits is available on Virgin Media Channel 936, providing television platform distribution for the radio station
• Coimisiún na MeánminorOthersIreland's broadcasting and media regulator that will implement the Broadcasting Services Strategy in 2025, which will establish the framework for radio licensing including potential DAB+ operating licences

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 98FM: Dublin commercial radio station broadcasting on FM and DAB with online streaming, mixing classic and contemporary hits — a Dublin-market direct competitor.
• FM104: Dublin-focused commercial hit music station broadcasting on FM, DAB and digital platforms — competes directly with Ireland's Classic Hits for Dublin listeners and ad spend.
• Newstalk: Ireland's leading commercial news and talk station, distributed on FM nationally, DAB, streaming and apps — a direct Irish commercial radio competitor in distribution and the ad market.
• SPIN 1038: Dublin commercial radio station targeting a younger demo, broadcast on FM and digital platforms — comparable Irish commercial radio competitor in the Dublin market.
• Greatest Hits Radio: UK commercial radio network owned by Bauer Media playing classic hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s across multiple FM and DAB frequencies with multi-platform reach — directly comparable format and distribution model to Ireland's Classic Hits.
• Absolute Radio: UK commercial radio station with classic rock/pop positioning across FM, DAB and digital platforms — a comparable format-specific international peer with multi-platform distribution.
• Today FM: Leading Irish national commercial music and entertainment radio station broadcast on FM, DAB, streaming and apps — a direct competitor in the Irish commercial radio market for listeners and ad spend.
• Q102: Cork-focused commercial radio station serving the Cork market via multi-channel distribution — directly comparable to Ireland's Classic Hits' coverage of the Cork region.

Broad incumbents

• RTÉ Radio: Ireland's national public broadcaster operating multiple radio channels (RTÉ Radio 1, 2FM, lyric fm, etc.) on FM, DAB, streaming and digital platforms — the dominant Irish broadcast incumbent against which commercial stations compete for audiences and ad budgets.

Regional players

• Cork's 96FM: Long-standing commercial radio station focused on the Cork regional market via FM and online streaming — a comparable regional Irish commercial broadcaster competing for the same Cork listener base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/classichitsrdio
• Facebookfacebook.com/classichitsie
• Instagraminstagram.com/classichitsie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/classic-hits-4fm

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ireland's Classic Hits