LAST UPDATE | 24 Jan 2019

TODAY FM AND Newstalk have announced the opening of a new studio in Cork.

The studio will be based at Republic of Work, a business campus in the city.

The stations, both part of Communicorp Media, will broadcast regularly from the purpose-built facility at 12 South Mall as part of a three-year deal. 

A spokesperson said the studio will also facilitate podcast recording and production and allow local guest contributors to join radio panels and interviews.

In the coming weeks and months, presenters including Pat Kenny, Matt Cooper, Ian Dempsey, Ciara Kelly and Dermot and Dave will broadcast their shows from Leeside.

Live shows 

Kelly and Cooper will host shows from the Cork studio today, before the official launch of the new facility.

Newstalk previously had a studio at Opera Lane in the city but this agreement ended a few years ago and since then the station has been using alternative facilities as needed.

Managing Editor Patricia Monahan said the station is “delighted to have a base in Cork again”.

Today FM CEO Keith McCormack said the new facility “will allow us to super serve our listeners in Cork and the greater Munster region”.

“It also gives us the opportunity to take our presenters and shows out of the studio and engage with our audience in a live setting,” he added. 

Today FM has a weekly reach of 880,000 listeners, while Newstalk has a weekly reach of 769,000 listeners.

In the most recent JNLR figures, there was mixed news for shows at both stations:

Today FM

• Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show – down 5,000 to 162,000 listeners
• Dermot & Dave – down 3,000 to 164,000
• Muireann O’Connell – down 1,000 to 105,000
• Fergal D’Arcy – up 10,000 to 112,000.
• The Last Word with Matt Cooper – down 4,000 to 137,000

Newstalk 

• Newstalk Breakfast – down 5,000 to 121,000 listeners
• Pat Kenny Show – down 3,000 to 152,000
• Lunchtime Live with Ciara Kelly – down 1,000 to 101,000
• Moncrieff – up 4,000 to 91,000
• The Hard Shoulder with Ivan Yates – up 4,000 to 157,000