President Higgins leads tributes to KCLR96fm as local broadcaster celebrates special birthday - Kilkenny Live

President Michael D Higgins lead the messages of congratulations to KCLR as the radio station which broadcasts to Kilkenny and Carlow celebrated 21 years on air today.

In a statement issued this morning the President says: “Over the past 21 years KCLR has been such a valuable source of information for the people of Kilkenny and Carlow, giving a voice to its people by providing them with a platform to discuss issues of local, regional, national and international interest."

President Higgins also hailed the station’s achievements, the importance of local journalism and its contribution to the ‘sense of inclusive citizenship which must lie at the heart of all truly democratic societies'.

Those who regularly tune in from across the two counties have been sending in their memories and highlights outlining their appreciation in song, poem and simple text messages, including in various languages from those who’ve moved to the area from other countries.

Station Chief Executive John Purcell said it was a big day for KCLR.

"We're 21 years on air, hard to believe the time has just flown but it's a special day and already messages have been flooding in from the most important people in KCLR, the listeners," he said.

"We'd like to say thanks to them all but most of all on my own behalf I'd like to thank the team who've brought KCLR to the people of Kilkenny and Carlow for over 7,670  days since May 6, 2004”.

The station has recently signed a new 10 year broadcasting contract with Coimisiún na Meán which will bring it to 2035.
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“Today's celebrations mark something of a coming of age for the station,” said Mr Purcell. “It is fantastic to think back of all the achievements of the station and the thousands of people we have interacted with over the years but nothing stands still in broadcasting and the focus now shifts to the future and how we serve the evolving needs and interests of our listeners.”

Among those who went on air to celebrate the milestone for KCLR were Minister for Media Patrick O' Donovan TD who congratulated the station for its contribution to the life of Carlow and Kilkenny over the years and who stressed the important role of independent radio in providing reliable news and information in a world increasingly disrupted by misinformation and inaccurate coverage.

To mark the occasion, a range of fun and festivities have been under way on the station with competitions and promotions running across the day.