An American entrepreneur whose company is one of America’s Fortune 500 and who sold the original ‘Magic Kingdom’ site to Walt Disney has made a ‘substantial’ purchase of shares in RLO WIFI LTD.This is the new company set up to control the future of Radio Limerick One, which officially launches its new Global service from March 17th 2007.
Mary Demetree is owner of Demetree Builders Inc. which was founded in 1948 by her father William C. Demetree in Jacksonville.
The company's headquarters moved to Orlando in 1962.
Demetree Builders, which had revenue of $20.3 million in the last fiscal year, is a residential home-building and development firm.
The company also invests in hotels, restaurants such as Park Plaza Gardens, malls, apartments and shopping centres and substantial shareholders in the Marriott Hotel Group across the USA.
Ms. Demetree made the decision to purchase the shares in RLO WIFI LTD following lengthy negotiations with Company Directors Gerry Hannan and Julian Davis who now say that they are moving at rapid speed in launching their service on St. Patrick’s Day.
In a statement this week Gerry Hannan said,
‘Radio Limerick One’ has now become a global service, live from Limerick City centre, with emphasis on Irish music but more importantly Limerick music and has secured this substantial funding for the project from an American multi-millionaire property developer in Orlando, Florida in what is expected to secure the future of the station which launches its new Wi-Fi service in Limerick on St. Patricks Day.
“We are very excited at the confidence shown in our project by Ms. Demetree who was introduced to us by Fr. Joe Young who has also left no stone unturned in saving this service and restoring it to the people of Limerick regardless of their geographical location in the world.”
Radio Limerick One is currently broadcasting on the internet at www.radiolimerickone.com and already has rapidly climbing listenership in far flung countries such as France, Germany, The Nederland’s and the USA.
Mary Demetree |
Radio Limerick One is now a web based radio station test-broadcasting from Limerick City and can be heard on the internet and on WI-FI radio. The station aims itself at Limerick people at home and abroad.
RLO is committed to providing a generous mix of music and chat, 24 hours a day and places strong emphasis on creating a forum for Limerick based musicians to have their music heard globally via their web stream and WI-FI service.
“Our music mix is purely 100% Irish with a strong emphasis on Limerick singers and entertainers. Our aim is to feature a Limerick song in every 3 we air.
Our chat shows, of which we will broadcast an estimated 25% of our daily output are strictly focused on local affairs and are aimed exclusively at our local based audience regardless of geographical location in the world”, says Gerry Hannan.
In the last 2 years RLO has reinvented itself since it was taken over by new management and crew. Their policy is to cater exclusively to the 40+ age group who are seeking to listen to a locally based service, presented by local people for local people and featuring a heavy emphasis on local singers and entertainers.
They also aim to offer full access to local listeners to the airwaves and their controversial live phone in shows allow our listeners the freedom of the airwaves with due respect to all listeners and participants.
The station aims to respect all faith traditions but there will be an emphasis on a predominantly Catholic audience and they will offer religious programming to cater to this audience.
“But, Hannan says, at the end of the day we are a group of dedicated Irish Music Lovers all doing what we love to do and want our listeners to have fun with us.
