Des Whelan

Des Whelan has worked in Irish private local radio for 45 years. He was involved in Waterford Local Radio (WLR) from its pirate era alongside his brother Rick Whelan, who founded the station in 1978. Des managed the pirate WLR for approximately a decade until the pirate closedowns at the end of 1988.
He led the successful licence application by the South East Broadcasting Company for the Waterford franchise in 1989, and served as Managing Director, and later CEO, of the licensed WLR FM from its launch on 8 September 1989 until his retirement on 22 February 2024. He was succeeded as CEO by Michael Byrne.

In 2002 he founded the south-east regional youth station Beat 102-103. He oversaw the construction of the Broadcast Centre at Ardkeen, which houses both WLR and Beat 102-103 and was officially opened in 2004.

He was a founding shareholder and director of the Dublin rock station Radio Nova (licensed 2008, on air from 2010). His shareholding was bought out in 2017 when Bay Broadcasting acquired the station's minority stakes to take 100% control. He was also a founding shareholder and director of the national talk station Newstalk, though the exact size and duration of that stake is not on public record. He served as Chair of Cork's Red FM from 2009 to 2023.
He holds a 25% shareholding in WLR FM through the South East Broadcasting Company, with the remaining 75% held by The Irish Times Group, which acquired the former Tomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH) stake in 2018.

Industry recognition includes the Phonographic Performance Ireland Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, reported by the station and industry press as the first such award given in the independent broadcasting sector, and induction into the Broadcasting Commission's Hall of Fame in 2009.

Outside broadcasting, Whelan has held senior civic and cultural roles in Waterford: Chair of the 2011 Tall Ships visit, Chair of the Port of Waterford (2014–2022), and current Chair of Mount Congreve Gardens and the Waterford Museum of Treasures. No significant non-media commercial interests or political affiliations have been identified.

(Last updated in May 2026)