View source for LMFM

{{short description|Radio station in Drogheda, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Use Irish English|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = LMFM
| logo = LMFM Ireland.png
| logo_size = 150px
| airdate = April 17, 1989 {{dubious|date=February 2025}}
| frequency = 95.5 MHz ([[Red Gap|Saggart]])<br/> 95.8 MHz (Mount Oriel)<br/> 96.5 MHz (Athboy, Dundalk, Carlingford)
| city = [[Drogheda]]
| area = Counties [[County Louth|Louth]] & [[County Meath|Meath]]
| format = Contemporary
| owner = [[News Broadcasting]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1223/utv-business.html|title=UTV buys Drogheda's LMFM for €9.5m|website=[[RTÉ.ie]] |date=23 December 2004|publisher=}}</ref>
| website = {{url|lmfm.ie}}
| language = English, Irish
}}
'''LMFM''' is an independent local radio station based in [[Drogheda]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. In terms of listenership, It is the largest radio station in Ireland outside of [[Dublin]] and [[Cork (city)|Cork]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j6iqPJyUmfwC&q=LMFM&pg=PT812|title=Writer's Market 2010: Make Money Writing|first=Caroline|last=Taggart|date=30 June 2010|publisher=F+W Media, Inc.|isbn=9780715335291|via=Google Books}}</ref> broadcasting to a population in excess of 300,000 adults. Media group UTV Media, now [[News Broadcasting]],  bought the station in a deal worth about €10&nbsp;million in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|date=23 December 2004|title=UTV buys Drogheda's LMFM for €9.5m|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1223/utv-business.html|access-date=18 March 2021|website=[[RTÉ News]]|publisher=}}</ref>

LMFM broadcasts on a number of frequencies, the main being either 95.8FM or 95.5FM. The station is licensed by the [[Broadcasting Authority of Ireland]] to service both Counties [[County Louth|Louth]] & [[County Meath|Meath]]. The station also has a strong listenership in counties [[County Dublin|Dublin]], [[County Kildare|Kildare]], [[County Cavan|Cavan]], [[County Monaghan|Monaghan]] and [[County Armagh|Armagh]] in [[Northern Ireland]]. Its 95.5&nbsp;MHz transmitter is notable significantly outside its franchise area, in County Dublin.

==History==
LMFM came to be in 1989 with the awarding of a legal licence to cover the Louth/Meath area. This was obtained by Peter Govern with the assistance of the late Tom Savage of Carr Communications. Independent Media Broadcasting won the licence to provide the service. Most of the on-air staff they went on to hire such as '' Ray Stone, Eddie Caffrey, Daire Nelson, Dermot Finglas & Michael Gerrard'' were DJs from the [[Pirate radio in Ireland|pirate days]] of Radio Carousel, Telstar Radio and Boyneside Radio.

In 1997 LMFM attempted to attract a larger volume of listeners in the North Dublin & East Meath area by offering an opt-out station with studios in Clonee, County Meath. The new venture was called "Fresh 95.5FM".

LMFM was successful when it reapplied to keep its current licence in 2003 and was again awarded a licence to providing a radio service to the Louth/Meath area. LMFM is currently based in purpose studios in [[Drogheda]], County Louth.

In 2009 it was the centre of controversy when a call-in programme discussed tensions in the [[Drogheda]] taxi industry between native Irish and [[Black people in Ireland|immigrant African]] drivers. Kevin Faulkner of the Drogheda Taxi Drivers' Association complained about foreign drivers who "speak little English, don't know the geography of the area, have lost their photographic ID or claim it has been stolen" and that complaints could not be pursued because "[[Cross-race effect|they all look much the same]] to the general public." This led to protests outside the station by African drivers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.herald.ie/news/taxi-drivers-clash-in-car-park-over-radio-race-row-27926213.html|title=Taxi drivers clash in car park over radio race row - Herald.ie|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jG3LCgAAQBAJ&q=LMFM&pg=PA21|title=Integration in Ireland: The Everyday Lives of African migrants|first1=Fiona|last1=Murphy|first2=Mark|last2=Maguire|date=1 June 2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9781784992002|via=Google Books}}</ref>

==People==
*[[Mattie Kerrigan]] is an analyst with the station.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2022/09/02/reeling-in-the-years-from-down-under/|title=Reeling in the years from Down Under|work=[[Meath Chronicle]]|date=2 September 2022|quote=Centre half forward on that All-Ireland winning team and well known LMFM analyst Mattie Kerrigan acted as MC while members of the team recalled highlights of the tour.}}</ref>
*[[Michael Reade]] a nationally respected journalist and broadcaster of the Michael Reade Show who died suddenly in 2024.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.lmfm.ie/news/lmfm-news/lmfm-presenter-michael-reade-has-died-aged-58/|via=LMFM.ie|date=21 October 2024|title=Death of Mike Reade}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<!-- per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
*{{Official website|https://www.lmfm.ie/}}

{{Local radio in Ireland}}
{{Media in County Louth}}
{{Media in County Meath}}
{{News Broadcasting}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord missing|Ireland}}

[[Category:Drogheda]]
[[Category:Radio stations in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Mass media in County Louth]]
[[Category:Mass media in County Meath]]
[[Category:News Broadcasting]]