Cool FM is an

Independent Local Radio Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. As a result of the buyouts and mergers permitted by the Broadcasting Act 1990, and deregulation resulting from the Communications Act 2 ...

station based in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. The station is owned and operated by Bauer and forms part of Bauer's Hits Radio Network. The station began broadcasting in 1990 when its parent station Downtown Radio ceased simulcasting and split its AM and FM frequencies into two separate services. Downtown Radio continued on AM and FM frequencies outside Belfastand Cool FM was created to broadcast on . Initially broadcasting to the Greater Belfast area only, Cool FM can now be received across Northern Ireland on DAB. As of December 2024, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 471,000, according to

RAJAR Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR; ) was established in 1992 to operate a single audience measurement system for the radio industry in the United Kingdom. RAJAR is jointly owned by the BBC and Radiocentre. RAJAR's predecessor was c ...

Programming

Cool FM plays a broad mix of popular, youth-orientated pop and dance music. Some of the stations most popular shows are '' Pete Snodden in the Morning'' with Pete, Paulo and Rebeeca and the ''Cool Saturday Show'' with Stuart Robinson and Deputy Dave. Cool FM features some specialised music such as ''Cool of Rock'' on weekday mornings, classic hits in ''The Cool Years'' on Sunday afternoons and ''Cool Goes Quiet'', love songs on SundayThursday nights. Although station owner, Bauer Radio, packages Cool FM as part of the Hits Radio Network for selling advertising, Cool FM does not broadcast any Hits Radio networked programmes. All of Cool FM shows are locally presented and produced from its Newtownards studios. Local news bulletins air on the hour between 06:00 and 22:00 every day. On weekdays, there are extended bulletins at 13:00 and 17:00 and headlines on the half hour during breakfast and drivetime.

Presenters

*Paul Kennedy (1995–present) * Pete Snodden (2000–present) * DJ Hix (2007–present) * Stuart Robinson (2010–present) *Paulo Ross (2014–present) *John Kearns (1990–1995, 2014-present) *Owen Beers (2014–present) *Rebecca McKinney (2015–present) *Deputy Dave (2015–present) *Melissa Riddell (2016–present) *Curtis McCosh (2016–present) *Katharine Walker (2019–present) *Evanna Maxted (2021–present) *Ryan A (2010–2014, 2022-present)

References

External links

* Bauer Radio Mass media in County Down Newtownards Radio stations established in 1990 Radio stations in Northern Ireland 1990 establishments in Northern Ireland Contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom {{NorthernIreland-media-stub