# Q Radio Network

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{{short description|Radio network in Northern Ireland}}
{{Distinguish|Q Radio}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox radio station
| country = Northern Ireland
| name = Q Radio
| logo = Q Radio.png
| logo_size = 120px
| area = [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland)<br/> [Ireland](/source/Ireland)
| airdate = {{start date and age|2015|08|09|df=y}}
| frequencies = {{ubl
| '''[DAB](/source/Digital_Audio_Broadcasting):'''
| 12D [Bauer](/source/Bauer_Radio) Northern Ireland
| '''[FM](/source/FM_broadcasting):'''
| 96.7 & {{frequency|102.5|MHz}} Greater Belfast
| 97.2 & {{frequency|97.6|MHz}} North Coast
| {{frequency|100.5|MHz}} Newry
| {{frequency|101.1|MHz}} Kilkeel
| {{frequency|101.2|MHz}} [Omagh](/source/Brougher_Mountain_transmitting_station)
| {{frequency|102.1|MHz}} Enniskillen
| {{frequency|102.9|MHz}} North West
| 106.0, 106.3 & {{frequency|107.2|MHz}}<br>Mid Ulster
| 107.0 & {{frequency|107.6|MHz}} Mid Antrim
}}
| format = Adult Contemporary
| owner = Northern Media Group
| webcast = [https://www.qradio.com/belfast/radioplayer/ Radioplayer]
| website = [https://www.qradio.com/belfast/ Belfast]<br>[https://www.qradio.com/midantrim/ Mid Antrim]<br>[https://www.qradio.com/midulster/ Mid Ulster]<br>[https://www.qradio.com/newryandmourne/ Newry and Mourne]<br>[https://www.qradio.com/northcoast/ North Coast]<br>[https://www.qradio.com/northwest/ North West]<br>[https://www.qradio.com/tyroneandfermanagh/ Tyrone and Fermanagh]
}}

'''Q Radio''' is a network of seven [Independent Local Radio](/source/Independent_Local_Radio) stations in Northern Ireland airing an [adult contemporary](/source/adult_contemporary) format. The network is the fifth most listened to radio station in Northern Ireland, with a combined figure of 318,000 listeners as of July 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAJAR - Quarterly Listening - All Individuals 15+ for period ending September 2023 |url=https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=www.rajar.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.qradio.com/advertise1/advertising-on-qradio |title= Advertising on Q Radio |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Q Radio |publisher= |access-date= July 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> 

==Network==
Q Radio covers seven licence areas:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goqradio.com/info/how-to-listen/|title=How to Listen - Q Radio|access-date=24 April 2019|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803152145/https://www.goqradio.com/info/how-to-listen/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[Belfast](/source/Q_Radio_Belfast) - 96.7 & 102.5 FM and DAB
*North West - 102.9 FM
*North Coast - 97.2 & 97.6 FM
*Mid Antrim - 107.0 & 107.6 FM
*Mid Ulster - 106.0, 106.3 & 107.2 FM
*Newry & Mourne - 100.5 FM & 101.1 FM
*Tyrone & Fermanagh - 101.2 & 102.1 FM

The various stations in the network previously had local opt-outs from the network schedule, including the Q Cafe on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. In 2020, there were no opt-outs on the schedule with all stations taking the network at all times, except for local news, traffic and advertising.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goqradio.com/info/public-file/|title=Public File|website=Q Radio|language=en|access-date=2020-03-23|archive-date=5 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505024513/https://www.goqradio.com/info/public-file/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
left|180px|thumb|Former Q101.2 studios in Omagh
The first use of the Q brand in Northern Ireland came with the launch of Q102 in Derry city September 1993 from studios at the old railway station in the waterside of the city....Q97.2 from [Coleraine](/source/Coleraine), [County Londonderry](/source/County_Londonderry), on 26 January 2000. Additional stations were opened in [Omagh](/source/Omagh), [County Tyrone](/source/County_Tyrone) (Q101.2).

Further stations that would later become part of Q Radio launched in the mid-2000s. Seven FM launched on 1 November 2005 from its base in [Ballymena](/source/Ballymena).,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2005/11/seven-fm-launch-day/|title=Seven FM launch day|work=RadioToday|date=1 November 2005|access-date=5 July 2020}}</ref> while Five FM won a licence to broadcast to Newry and Mourne on 100.5&nbsp;MHz in 2006,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2006/06/five-fm-win-newry-licence/|access-date=5 July 2020|title=Five FM win Newry licence|work=RadioToday|date=8 June 2006}}</ref> signing on 12 December.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2006/12/five-goes-live-in-newry/|title=Five goes Live in Newry|date=12 December 2006|access-date=5 July 2020|work=RadioToday}}</ref> That same year, River Media bought Mid 106 FM in [Cookstown](/source/Cookstown)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2006/03/cn-group-sells-mid-106-fm/|title=CN Group sells Mid 106 FM|date=7 March 2006|access-date=5 July 2020|work=RadioToday}}</ref> from [CN Group](/source/CN_Group) and rebranded it as Six FM. In 2011, Five FM, Six FM and Seven FM were rebranded as Q Radio stations.

In 2015, Q Radio acquired Citybeat in [Belfast](/source/Belfast) from CN Group, marking its entry into that market.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/01/cn-group-sells-citybeat-to-q-radio-network/|access-date=5 July 2020|date=29 January 2015|title=CN Group sells CityBeat to Q Radio Network}}</ref> The station was then rebranded as Q Radio Belfast.

In 2017, "QHQ", the network's main studios, were opened in Belfast's Fountain Centre.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/09/new-studios-and-hq-for-q-radio-in-belfast/|work=RadioToday|date=8 September 2017|access-date=5 July 2020|title= New studios and HQ for Q Radio in Belfast}}</ref> A series of licence extensions in 2018 brought Q Radio additional coverage in Northern Ireland, including transmitters covering Larne, Newcastle, Draperstown, Enniskillen and Ballycastle.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2018/02/q-radio-extends-fm-coverage-across-n-ireland/|access-date=5 July 2020|work=RadioToday|title= Q Radio extends FM coverage across N Ireland |date=15 February 2018}}</ref>

== Notable former presenters ==
* [Stephen Clements](/source/Stephen_Clements)
* [Declan Wilson](/source/Declan_Wilson)
* [Cate Conway](/source/Cate_Conway)

==See also==
[Belfast Community Radio](/source/Belfast_Community_Radio)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.qradio.com Q Radio]

{{Q Radio Network}}
{{Northern Ireland radio}}
{{Radio in Ireland}}

Category:Mass media in Belfast
Category:Radio stations in Northern Ireland
Category:British radio networks
Category:Adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom
Category:Radio stations established in 2011

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Q Radio Network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Radio_Network) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Radio_Network?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.