BELFAST-based UTV Media is exploring the sale of its local radio stations in Britain, in a deal estimated to be worth £20 million to the firm.
The company in the North of Ireland operates 13 local stations across England and Wales – as well as eight in the Republic, including Q102 and FM104 – two of Dublin’s most popular radio stations.
This week UTV Media issued a statement saying it is “assessing its options” for the British stations.
It also said any potential sale would not include TalkSport, its national sports-focused radio in Britain.
One rumoured interested buyer is Denis O’Brien’s Communicorp, a company which entered the British market for the first time last year with a €45.5 million purchase from Global Radio.
UTV Media’s British radio stations have a combined weekly listenership of 1.2 million.
The stations are experiencing growth, with recent figures revealing revenue is up 3 per cent and its market share up by 5 per cent.
See More: Britain, Radio Station Closure, UTV Media
