Communicorp Group Ltd was formed byDenis O'Brien in 1989. It launched its radio operations in Ireland that same year and entered the Czech Republic in 1992. Later, it added stations in Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, and Hungary.[1] Based in Dublin, the company now owns radio stations including Ireland'sNewstalk,Today FM,98FM,SPIN 1038 andSPIN South West. By then, O'Brien owned both of Ireland's independent (non-state-operated) national radio stations.[2]
O'Brien's Communicorp was the highest bidder forEmap's Irish operations when that company decided to sell its radio stations, buyingFM104,Highland Radio and Today FM on 14 July 2007.[1][3][4] In October 2007, theBroadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) approved Communicorp's proposed takeover of Today FM and Highland Radio, but not FM104.[5][6] The deal was completed by January 2008.[7] Due to aCompetition Authority decision, Communicorp was required to sell on FM104, which it did (toUTV Media) immediately upon its acquisition. O'Brien offloadedHighland Radio in mid-2008.[8][9]
The group divested its assets in Latvia, Finland and the Czech Republic in 2012; Hungary in 2013.[10]
On 6 February 2014, Communicorp announced it would be acquiring eight UK stations fromGlobal Radio, subject to review by Ireland's Competition Authority.[11] The stations were required to be sold off by the Competition Commission following Global's acquisition ofGMG Radio in 2012. The formation of Communicorp UK on 1 April 2014, headquartered in Manchester, allowed Communicorp UK to be operated as an independent operating arm.[citation needed]
The Bulgarian stations were sold in 2018.[12] A restructuring of Communicorp Group at the same year later ceded Communicorp UK's control to O'Brien, making it an independent company.[13]
In February 2021, Bauer Media Group announced it was to acquire Communicorp Group subject to regulatory approval.[14] The acquisition was completed on 1 June 2021 and the company was renamed Bauer Media Audio Ireland.[15]
In August 2023, it was announced that Bauer Media Audio Ireland had acquired the Irish music-driven youth radio station, iRadio.[16]
Communicorp have an interest in the digital and PR agency ICAN,[17] and previously (through its subsidiary Demirca) also operated the online marketplace AppliancesDelivered.ie.[18][19] The latter began as a magazine called 'Buy & Sell', and changed ownership several times,[20][21] before being acquired in 2015 and rebranded in 2016.[22] AppliancesDelivered.ie ceased operations in 2019.[18]
^"AdLib: Time to get set for Google Shopping".independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 16 February 2017.Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved30 April 2017.AppliancesDelivered.ie [..is..] part of Denis O'Brien's Communicorp
