Q102.9, Northwest's Best Music, is a radio station based in Derry, County Londonderry. It broadcasts on FM 102.9 to the north west of Northern Ireland, Q102 also broadcasts via DAB (Digital Radio) throughout Northern Ireland via the Score NI multiplex. It is part of the Q Radio Network, which also owns a number of other stations in Northern Ireland. The station also broadcasts to parts of County Donegal, chiefly Inishowen and East Donegal.

The station is one of the sponsors of local football team, Derry City F.C., for their 2007 season.

History

Q102.9fm was formerly known (prior to licence) as 'Riverside 101fm', which was an independent commercial station, owned by Frankie McLaughlin and modelled on Chris Cary's Radio Nova Dublin.{{Citation needed|date=April 2007}}

The Programme Director was Steve Marshall, who took the station from small numbers to 60 percent of the total listenership in the North West of Ireland

Steve was called by the CEO of Riverside 101, Frank Mc Laughlin, to turn the station round from a loss leader to a successful profit making enterprise.

Riverside 101 was also the second^[1] commercial station in the area, which was listened to by all parts of the community. A point enforced by the station rule that a DJ could not mention Derry or Londonderry but should only refer to the city as 'the maiden city' or 'the capital of the north-west'.{{cn|date=June 2015}}

Some of the original broadcasters on Riverside 101 included Steve Marshall, Vince Martin, Frankie's brother Pascal, Mike Henry, John Young (Mc Laughlin), Paul Mc Cafferty, Delbert Jackson, Nikki Walker/Joanne Savage, Peter Wright, Neal McClelland & Joe Ferguson.

References