As it is, too many large commercial organisations are buying up licences for crazy amounts of money, and operating identikit services, while local interests are denied the chance to get a licence and operate essential alternatives.

Dublin has a phenomenal number of licences, while around the country, most counties have to put up with just one station, or listen to stations from adjoining counties. In most cases, this solitary "local" station is UTV-owned, and has no interest in providing services beyond the bare essentials (for example, check out Live 95FM's website where it invites you to listen to "Cork's 95FM") and cannot be expected to cater for everyone.

The original licences in 1988 were for "local" stations; now there is a differential in focus on "commercial" stations, while leaving those few "commercial" and "special interest" stations that do exist to pick up the pieces and provide some semblance of a service.

Commercial interests alone cannot be relied upon to provide a comprehensive, interactive and locally-focused station. Please review the current broadcast legislation with a view to relaxing restrictions and allowing low-powered local stations a chance to prove what they can do.