Ill-fated Radio Ireland will get a new name when it is relaunched.

Management hopes the change will rid the eight-month-old station of its failure tag.

The New Year is considered the optimum time to launch what will effectively be a new station, with a radically different schedule already approved in principle after some disagreement by the Independent Radio and Television Commission.

A number of options for the new name are being considered but management is determined to keep the preferred new title a secret.

Only the board of directors and a number of key executives will be informed until a £1m marketing drive is in place and ready to roll.

AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE

The IRTC has so far been informed a new name is likely and has agreed to the request in principle.

However, the radio and TV watchdog will have to rubber stamp the new title.

Sources suggest the new name will accentuate the FM frequencies on which the station is broadcast. That would indicate `Radio 100,' `FM 100' or some variant are among the possible choices in a shortlist of six.

A £2m cash injection has been approved, to include the £1m marketing plan and other strategies to promote the nationwide broadcaster.

It is understood the new schedule will combine the commercial mix of good music, sharpened by `cutting edge' current affairs.

It was reported at the weekend that at least one of the groups which lost out in their initial bids for the national radio licence will consider legal action if the new schedule is markedly different from the original concept under which Radio Ireland secured its contract.

A dramatic improvement from the 1% listenership figures achieved in its initial six months of operation are required if the relaunched station is to survive.