In light of yesterday’s announcement that TXFM is set to stop airing, the Workers’ Party has called on the State’s broadcaster, RTÉ, to take over the license. Jimmy Dignam, Workers’ Party Dublin North-West representative, stated: “As with all forms of art and music, it is essential that diversity is provided across the spectrum. TXFM, and before it Phantom FM, has provided Dublin’s radio listeners with a great service, by broadcasting alternative music since the 1990’s. It would be a real shame to see it go.”
He continued: “The national broadcaster has a duty to cater for a variety of tastes and niches across its television platform, so why not radio too? Just because TXFM isn’t “commercially viable” does not mean its service isn’t appreciated or needed.” “Last month’s JNLR (Joint National Listenership Research) survey showed that RTÉ’s Lyric FM, which caters for the classical niche part of the music market, had 5% of Dublin’s listenership. In contrast, TXFM had 2% of Dublin’s market. Whilst these numbers are relatively small, that does not mean that these genres of music should be ignored or appropriately resourced.”
Dignam concluded: “TXFM’s listenership is relatively younger compared to the other bigger mainstream radio stations. Furthermore, radio listernership is dominated by the category of people aged above 35, so TXFM’s figures would not be directly representative of wider society’s music tastes. The Workers’ Party calls on RTÉ to nationalise TXFM by taking over its broadcasting license, save the at-risk jobs and continue to provide this much needed service.”