Good Morning, Northern Ireland

British troops in Ireland are to get their own radio station. Based in Lisburn, County Antrim the station will go on air on FM in the new year.

BFBS will have the aim of making thousands of British Crown force members and associated civilians feel at home.

Marc Tyley of BFBS Radio said the station had been broadcasting on AM “within the wire” of British Army HQ in Lisburn on a restricted basis for some six years.

“This is great news, it means we can broadcast outside the camp to the community at large and the service personnel and their families living there,” he said.

Two new licences have been awarded for nationalists in Belfast - Feile FM and Raidio Failte.

Raidio Failte intends to broadcast to the Irish language community in Belfast, including those who can understand Irish or are interested in the Irish language and culture.

The first Irish-language radio station to be officially recognised north of the border is to take to the airwaves next St Patrick’s Day.

The original founder and former Conradh na Gaeilge president Gearoid O Caireallain. described the announcement of the licence “as the best possible news”.

“Without doubt, this is a dream come true. We knew that we had put a strong application together but there was always the worry that something would delay the application or derail it altogether,” he said.

And West Belfast people will soon be able to tune in to their own radio station all year long after its community festival committee was granted a five-year broadcasting licence.

Feile an Phobail’s community radio station Feile FM has been broadcasting for limited periods in spring and summer over the past nine years under a temporary licence.

Yesterday’s announcement by licensing authority Ofcom of a year-round licence means that they will now be entitled to air their programmes throughout the year.

Urgent Appeal