What KCLR does

KCLR 96FM is the dominant local radio station serving the Irish counties of Kilkenny and Carlow, operating from its broadcast centre at Leggettsrath Business Park, Kilkenny under the legal entity CK Broadcasting (Reg #355699). The station broadcasts on multiple FM frequencies (96.0FM, 94.6FM in Kilkenny; 96.9FM, 96.2FM in Carlow), reaches approximately 70,000 weekly listeners, and extends its distribution globally through browser streaming at listen.kclr96fm.com, native iOS and Android mobile apps (powered by Radio.co streaming infrastructure), and syndication onto SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the Irish Radioplayer app.

The station operates a content stack built around hyperlocal news, regional GAA and camogie sport coverage (including dedicated podcasts such as KCLR Hurling Podcast, Camán Caint, and The Carlow Soccer Podcast), community programming, documentaries, agricultural content (The Farm Show), and a digital-first exclusive stream called KCLR Plus+ launched in September 2025 offering additional live sporting commentaries. Content creation is anchored by a sales-led go-to-market motion with seven-day-a-week programming and a dedicated advertising sales team.

KCLR is a 100% advertising-funded business generating revenue through on-air radio advertising, web/digital ad placements, podcast sponsorships, branded competitions and giveaways, outside broadcast services, bereavement notices, and the recurring Job Spot employment listing service. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors.

Name

KCLR

Legal name

CK Broadcasting / KCLR

Website

https://kclr96fm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KCLR 96FM is the primary local radio station for Ireland's Kilkenny and Carlow counties, broadcasting on multiple FM frequencies, online streaming, and mobile apps to deliver hyperlocal news, GAA sports coverage, and community programming. It generates revenue from regional advertisers through on-air, digital, podcast, and event sponsorships, reaching approximately 70,000 weekly listeners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

Keywords

• Local radio broadcasting
• Regional news coverage
• Local sports broadcasting
• Radio advertising sales
• Podcast production

Headquarters

HQ city

Kilkenny

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Traditional on-air radio advertising packages sold to local and regional businesses to reach the station's 70,000 weekly listeners
2. Web and Digital Advertising: Digital advertising placements on the KCLR website and digital platforms
3. Podcast Advertising and Sponsorship: Sponsorship opportunities within podcasts and digital content
4. Competitions and Giveaways: Branded competitions and promotional giveaways featuring prizes from sponsors, creating advertising value for the station
5. Outside Broadcasts: Live event coverage services for businesses and organizations requiring on-site radio presence
6. Bereavement Notices: Paid death notices and funeral announcements broadcast on air and published online
7. Job Spot Advertising: Local employment listing service airing seven days a week, three times daily, reaching the station's weekly audience of 70,000 listeners with job postings from local businesses

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KCLR 96FM is a local Irish radio station broadcasting on multiple FM frequencies across Kilkenny and Carlow counties. It provides hyperlocal news, comprehensive sports coverage (hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, soccer), music, and entertainment programming distributed via FM radio, online streaming, mobile apps, and podcast platforms. The station monetizes its audience of approximately 70,000 weekly listeners through advertising packages sold to local and regional businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KCLR 96FM Radio Broadcast Primary local radio broadcast service for Kilkenny and Carlow counties, transmitting on multiple FM frequencies (96.0FM, 96.6FM, 94.6FM in Kilkenny; 96.9FM, 96.2FM in Carlow) and providing local news, sports, music, and entertainment programming free of charge to listeners.
• KCLR Plus+ Digital-first streaming service providing exclusive content including additional live sporting commentaries for intercounty and club hurling, football, camogie championships, and provincial games, accessible via the free KCLR app.
• KCLR Podcasts Original podcast content covering local sports (hurling, camogie, soccer), current affairs, and local history, available on-demand through the KCLR app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and the Irish Radioplayer app.
• Radio Advertising On-air radio advertising packages sold to local and regional businesses to reach KCLR's 70,000 weekly listeners across Kilkenny and Carlow. Pricing available by contacting KCLR's advertising sales team.
• Web and Digital Advertising Digital advertising placements on the KCLR website (kclr96fm.com) and digital platforms sold to local, regional, and national advertisers.
• Podcast Advertising and Sponsorship Sponsorship opportunities within KCLR podcasts and on-demand digital content, providing brands access to engaged listeners consuming on-demand programming.
• Outside Broadcasts Live on-site radio broadcast services for businesses and organizations hosting events, providing on-location radio presence and coverage.
• Bereavement Notices Paid death notices and funeral announcements broadcast on air and published online through the KCLR website, serving bereaved families in the Kilkenny and Carlow community.
• Job Spot Advertising Local employment listing service airing seven days a week, three times daily on KCLR, plus online job postings via the KCLR Jobs page, enabling local employers to advertise job vacancies to the station's 70,000 weekly listeners.
• Competitions and Giveaways Branded competition packages and promotional giveaways featuring prizes from sponsors, providing advertising value to the station through brand visibility and audience engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70,000 weekly listeners reached through Job Spot advertising feature

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kilkenny TourismminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026KCLR partnered with Kilkenny Tourism to create the KCLR Tourism Trail Kids Passport, featuring six stops across Kilkenny including attractions like Jurassic Newpark, Woodstock Gardens & Arboretum, Medieval Mile Museum, BoatTrips.ie, Rothe House, and Lacken Pitch & Putt. The initiative encourages children to explore local attractions.
• Carlow TourismminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026KCLR partnered with Carlow Tourism for the KCLR Tourism Trail Kids Passport initiative, featuring six stops in Carlow including Tribe Art Studio, The Chocolate Garden of Ireland, Go with the Flow River Adventures, The Dome Family Entertainment Centre & Talbot Padel, The Goodly Barrow Waterways Museum & Café, and Huntingdon Castle.
• Advertising SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKCLR partners with various businesses and organizations for advertising, sponsorships, and competitions. Sponsors provide prizes for listener competitions and promotional activities. The station operates a competition/giveaway program where sponsors supply prizes in exchange for brand visibility.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beat 102-103: Regional commercial radio station broadcasting across southeast Ireland (Wexford/Waterford), adjacent to KCLR's Kilkenny/Carlow footprint. Same operating model—local news, sport, music, sales-led advertising, multi-frequency FM plus digital streaming—making it the most directly comparable Irish regional station.
• Radio Kerry: County-level commercial station broadcasting across Kerry with a strong local GAA and community news orientation—the same content DNA that anchors KCLR. Useful as a similarly sized, similarly programmed Irish regional peer.
• Tipp FM: Regional commercial radio station in Tipperary covering local news, sport (including GAA), and community content. Similar headcount scale, multiple FM frequencies, and sales-led advertising model aligned with KCLR's operating profile.
• LMFM: Local commercial station serving Louth and Meath. Comparable on the dimensions of scale, multi-frequency FM distribution, sales-led GTM, and a community-services bundle (bereavements, jobs, news).
• Midlands 103: Regional radio station serving the Irish Midlands (Laois, Offaly, Westmeath). Highly comparable as a multi-county local commercial station with news/sport/community programming and a parallel multi-frequency FM plus digital distribution strategy.
• South East Radio: County-level commercial radio station serving Wexford in the southeast region. Comparable in scale, local-news/sport focus, advertising-led model, and reliance on FM + digital distribution for listener engagement in a similarly sized Irish catchment.
• KFM: County-level commercial radio station serving Kildare. Operates with the same local-news/community-information playbook (jobs, bereavements, community notices), making it a close structural comparable to KCLR despite being in an adjacent county.

Broad incumbents

• RTÉ Radio: Ireland's national public broadcaster, operating RTÉ Radio 1, 2fm, and lyric fm. Overlaps with KCLR across news, sport, music, and digital streaming, but operates at national scale and as a public service rather than a county-level commercial station.
• Newstalk: National commercial news/talk radio station in Ireland. Addresses the same listener need (news, talk, current affairs) and competes for advertising budgets and ear-share within KCLR's catchment, but at national scale with broader programming.

Others

• Irish Radioplayer: National aggregator app that distributes Irish radio stations (including KCLR) alongside its peers. Sits in the ecosystem as an enabling distribution platform rather than a competitor—important for context on KCLR's digital distribution footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kclr96fm
• Xx.com/kclr96fm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kclr96fm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 KCLR