Bauer Media has been ordered to stop using the Greatest Hits Radio name in the Republic of Ireland, RadioToday can exclusively reveal.
An interim injunction secured by Bay Broadcasting means Bauer must cease broadcasting the service on DAB and all other platforms by 1pm on Monday 23 June.
The case was brought to the High Court on Friday 20 June by Choice Broadcasting Ltd, the company behind Bay Broadcasting, which operates Classic Hits Radio across multiple Irish cities. The court granted all of the reliefs requested.
Bay argued that the presence of Greatest Hits Radio in the Irish market could cause confusion with its long-running service, Classic Hits Radio, due to the similarity in names and music format.
Bay’s CEO Kevin Branigan said they had asked Bauer to choose a different name but were not taken seriously.
“We must protect our brand and reputation from a foreign-owned radio group seeking to transplant a UK radio brand into Ireland,” Kevin said.
He added that the Classic Hits Radio brand has been built over more than 15 years, with significant investment and an established national audience.
A Google search for Greatest Hits Radio Ireland displays a AI overview that Classic Hits Radio has been replaced by Greatest Hits Radio, adding weight to Bay Broadcasting’s argument.
Bauer Media Audio Ireland has no comment on the matter when contacted by RadioToday, and it remains unclear what the company’s next steps will be in relation to Irish DAB broadcasts.
The station had been available in parts of Ireland via the FáilteDAB multiplex.
Classic Hits Radio has been operating under that name in Ireland since 2018 (previously Classic Hits 4FM).