News Release -
3 major US radio stations broadcast live from Limerick
Hat Trick of major US radio stations broadcast live from Limerick Visit timely as Mayor confirms twinning of Limerick with New York
A major tourism promotional hat trick was scored for the Shannon Region recently when three major US radio stations broadcast live from Limerick and Dublin Cities from Monday 13th to Friday 17th March inclusive. The initiative was being organised by Tourism Ireland’s US team, Delta Airlines, Failte Ireland, and Shannon Development, and thanks to it almost 20 million US radio listeners will have an opportunity to hear about Ireland as a tourist destination.
The visit was timely as the Mayor of Limerick Cllr. Diarmuid Scully has just confirmed that Limerick City is to be twinned with the Big Apple in the next few months. New York. WKTU one of New York’s biggest radio stations was one of the three stations broadcasting live from the city along with, WZLK and WBMX both from Boston. The Mayor was interviewed on all three radio stations.
The stations broadcast from mobile radio studios at the Clarion Hotel Limerick City on Monday 13th, Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th March. Shannon Development, the Shannon Region tourism authority, is co-coordinating their itinerary. The three US radio crews broadcast their regular 4 and 5 hour shows over the course of the three days. Assisted by Shannon Development, a range of tourism personalities from around the Region were selected by the stations to be featured during the broadcasts. Shannon Development also organised a wide-ranging tourism programme for the crews during their 5 day stay in the Region to ensure that the radio presenters had extensive tourism knowledge. The DJ’s from each station spoke live on radio about all the activities they had experienced each day. In addition to this, Shannon Development coordinated 30 radio interview slots for members of the Shannon Region tourism industry.
“We are delighted to be playing our part in this innovative campaign which gives us a unique opportunity to showcase the Shannon Region as a premier international tourism destination. This initiative complements our overseas marketing programme for 2006 and we worked hard to ensure that a strong positive tourism message was delivered during the broadcasts”, says John King, Heritage and Tourism Director, Shannon Development. The crews move to Dublin on the 13th and broadcast from there for two days finishing on St. Patrick’s Day, and arrangements were co-coordinated by Failte Ireland.
Speaking about the initiative, Margaret O’Reilly from Tourism Ireland said, “Tourism Ireland’s New York team worked very hard to secure these broadcasts and we are particularly delighted that they are going out on St Patrick’s Week which we traditionally use to kick-start our promotional campaigns. Our teams in the US and around the world go all-out to harness the feel-good factor about Ireland and all things Irish during this time and this radio campaign will provide an ideal platform to promote holidays in Ireland and the Shannon region in this, our most lucrative of markets.”
John King, Director of Heritage & Tourism, Shannon Development, pictured (left) with presenters and staff from three US radios stations who broadcasts live from Limerick city during St Patrick's Week. The visit was coordinated by Shannon Development, working with Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland and Delta Air Lines, to promote the Shannon Region in the important East Coast USA market.
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