Bay Broadcasting Limited is the owner of Radio Nova, Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio, Sunshine 106.8 and Galway Bay FM. As such it is the second largest private radio group in Ireland by audience reach. The company was established by childhood friends Kevin Brannigan and Mike Ormonde in 2005 to operate a number of temporary radio licences issued by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. In 2007 they were part of the Choice Broadcasting consortium (which originally included the Irish Times, Thomas Crosbie Holdings and Vienna Investments) which successfully bid for the first multi-city radio licence in Ireland. This station started broadcasting in February 2009 as "4FM" until 2018 before adopting the current name "Classic Hits Radio". Bay took a de facto 99% stake in Classic Hits 4FM in 2011 acquiring the stakes of the other original investors, although the transfer of shares to Bay did not formally occur until 2022 following the resolution of matters between the shareholders. 

In September 2008, Bay was a leading member of the Radio Nova consortium which secured the licence for a Dublin-based rock music radio station. Other investors included Vienna Investment Limited, Des Whelan and Pat McDonagh. In 2018 the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI, now the Media Commission) approved Bay's taking 100% control of Radio Nova, buying out the other shareholders.

In 2012, Bay Broadcasting and Sean Ashmore’s Heart Media (via Broadcast Investments Limited) each took a 45.2% share in Sunshine 106.8 via investments in Star Broadcasting Limited (following the issuing of an additional 20 million B class shares). Subsequent shifts in shareholdings have seen Broadcast Investments Limited and Bay Broadcasting’s holding move to 40.77% and 38.14% respectively as of close 2025. 

In the same year (2012) Bay Broadcasting publicly expressed interest in acquiring radio assets from Communicorp owner Denis O'Brien at a point when the BAI was considering whether Mr O'Brien should be ordered to sell some of his media assets over media pluralism and diversity concerns. In the event that BAI concluded that Mr O'Brien's holdings were not sufficient to require divestment of any of his media assets.

Bay itself saw some changes to its shareholding in 2024. Hitherto, Brannigan and Ormonde (the latter via his Isle of Man-registered Step Investments Limited vehicle) had each held 50% shares in the company. Step Investments also invests in education, hospitality and medical sectors and are very significant players in the UK and Ireland cinema advertising markets through their Pearl and Dean subsidiary. In October 2024, Step announced that they were increasing their stake in Bay to 75%. This followed from a follow-on investment in Step from private credit investment company Duke Capital which had first invested in Step in 2018. (As of early 2026, Duke has invested a total of £UK15.2m in Step.) 

Bay’s most recent acquisition came in 2025. In June 2025, Formpress announced that it was acquiring the Connacht Tribune newspaper. The Connacht Tribune group had also owned Galway Bay FM outright (via Western Community Broadcasting Holdings Limited)since 2006 but Formpress were not looking to add a broadcasting arm to their Irish operation. The station attracted the attention of a number of potential buyers. Bay’s “seven-figure sum” bid won out and in July 2025, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission approved the acquisition. Based on mid-2025 listenership figures, the acquisition saw Bay become the second largest private radio in Ireland with 810,000 listeners just ahead of third placed Onic Audio Limited on 796,000 listeners. 

(Last updated in April 2026)