TV3, Vienna Investments UTV and the Irish Times are all reportedly interested in the music station, but O'Brien may have other options as the Competition Authority examines his new ownership of the two Emap stations the BCI did accept. Speculation is rife, with conflicting theories that O'Brien may either jettison Dublin youth station Spin 103.8 along with Communicorp's 20% stake in East Coast FM so as to keep FM104, or sell national station Newstalk to lessen his exposure to regulatory scrutiny.

Sports broadcaster Setanta has beenmooted as a possible bidder if sport-centric Newstalk is put up for sale.

Communicorp has interests in 38 radio stations in seven European countries, and with FM104, O'Brien would hold three of the five Dublin radio licences.

Maxim Kelly reports

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Denis O'Brien

A Shead of Communicorp, businessman Denis O'Brien is undoubtedly the most influential player on the Irish radio scene, as well as having interests in radio stations in seven other European countries.

Communicorp chief executive Patrick Halpenny runs the firm day to day but O'Brien is said to retain a keen interest, in part stemming from his oft-reported sentimental attachment to Dublin youth station 98FM . . . the first of O'Brien's radio acquisitions.

O'Brien's other main Irish interests now include Newstalk 106-108, youth station Spin 103.8, Today FM, music station FM104, and Donegal's Highland Radio.

"98fm is a bit like his first love he could never leave, and FM104 was the affair that broke his heart, " said one former O'Brien employee. "A divil for the high fives, I'd say there were bear hugs around the office when he got the okay on the Emap deal."

Ana Leddy

Head of RTE Radio 1 and deputy MD of RTE Radio DESCRIBED as "a tough nut" by colleagues and "not afraid to rock the boat", Leddy's hard-nosed changes at the national broadcaster earlier this year attracted accusations that she was dumbing down the station when she axed two long running shows: Miles Dungan's Rattlebag and John Kelly's Mystery Train.

Leddy came to Donnybrook in February as head of Radio 1 after 18 years with the BBC, most recently with Radio Foyle in Derry. Sources in competing radio stations believe Leddy's moves to reshuffle RTE were entirely rational but attracted negative media coverage (most memorably the Sunday Independent's 'RTE Radio 1 mops up blood on the floor after biggest shake-up in years') because RTE's staff were upset about the manner in which the "brusque" Leddy delivered the news that things would be changing in the state-owned national broadcaster.

Ronan McManamy

Managing director of UTV Ireland A FORMER accountant, Corkbased McManamy heads UTV's radio holdings in Ireland. After O'Brien's Communicorp, UTV has the largest spread of stations across the country, including Live 95FM in Limerick, Q102 in Dublin, LMFM in Louth and Meath, U105.8FM in Belfast and two Cork stations, 96FM County Sound 103FM.

The 40-year-old Englishman's influence in Irish radio goes beyond these stations too, as UTV also sells airtime through its advertising arm, Broadcast Media Sales. This Dublinbased division handles ads for all the stations 100% owned by UTV, as well as Galway Bay FM and Beat 102-103 which broadcasts across the south-east.

McManamy is named as director of a dozen companies connected to UTV's radio holdings and was described as "straight up" by sources in the industry who have done business with him.

Anthony Dinan

Group managing director, Thomas Crosbie Holdings ALL of the heads of TCH's radio units report directly to Anthony Dinan as boss of the Cork-based media empire which has major stakes in Mayo's Midwest radio and Cork's Red FM. Dinan also oversaw TCH's acquisition of a 75% stake in Waterford's WLR FM earlier this year and his radio strategy is said to be tightly focused on taking slices of independent radio stations if they either show or are likely to show profit for the Crosbie family's media business.

Dinan, an accountant by training, reportedly sees radio stations as vehicles for cross-promotion of TCH's main newspapers such as the Examiner and Sunday Business Post and a clutch of regional titles in Ireland and Britain.

He has been involved in several unsuccessful bids for regional radio licences and told the Association of European Journalists last week that he saw radio stations, and newspapers, increasingly becoming conduits for topical analysis rather than breaking news.

Dermot Hanrahan

FORMER FM104 chief executive Dermot Hanrahan is known in the radio business for his self-assurance and directness that belie a relaxed demeanour.

"He's a very straight to the point personf not the kind of guy to wear a shirt and tie and he's a very fair employer but doesn't like messers, " said one radio source.

The Limerick man heads Vienna Investments, which has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Dublin's youth station FM104 after the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland decided not to allow its sale to Denis O'Brien's Communicorp.

Willie O'Reilly

TODAY FM boss Willie O'Reilly, the Svengali behind the Communicorp-Emap deal, is known as a "dapper man about town" and "a real Dub". Under his stewardship, Today FM was transformed from a lossmaking entity to a profitable business, and he managed the station throughout its change of ownership when it was bought from Scottish Radio Holdings by Emap.

O'Reilly is said to have been close to Denis O'Brien's bid for the Emap stations, and although very much a radio mover and shaker on the national scene, O'Reilly has gone on record extolling the strength of local radio for its ability to discuss local issues.

O'Reilly is less well known for his musical background. In a Hot Press interview he admitted to singing backing vocals for the Waterboys in the mid 1980s and produced the single 'Man United Man' in 1996.