Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.
Here’s What Happened
Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy started his new show on Virgin Radio this week, with the show simulcast on Dublin’s Q102. His new Irish weekend Show starts tomorrow and will air between 10:00 and 12:00 across Wireless group stations. live 95, 96FM, Q102 and LmFM
The weekday show has already secured a UK sponsor, with Paddy Power coming on board for a year. Paddy Power himself announced the deal as a guest on the show. financial terms were not disclosed.
It seems Irish audiences were excited and curious to listen to Tubridy again, with apps for both Virgin Radio and Q102 hitting the top 5 in the Irish Apple App Store charts on launch day. JNLR and RAJAR numbers will tell how the show ultimately performs, but things look to be off to a good start.
Kevin Brannigan (boss at Irelands Classic Hits Radio), said he did not believe it was appropriate for a UK programme to be broadcast on Irish radio. Kevin previously offered to hire Ryan, and his station airs the uk produced Kim Wild 80s Show. While Kevin’s point is understandable it was interesting to see him making it.
Overall it seemed to be a positive launch for Ryan. Big presenters like Corks Derry O Callaghan are having shows cut in length tomorrow, and some of those shows have pre-existing sponsors too. It’s an interesting situation and it will be fun to listen to.
Let us know what you thought of the show over on social media. Just search Radio Land Ireland
Virgin Radio wasn’t the only station signing new sponsors this week, as RTE signed a deal with Cash & Carry Kitchens who will become the Sponsor of Today With Claire Byrne for the next year.
It’s unclear what was paid for the sponsorship, but the one year package had previously been advertised at a cost of €350,000
“We are delighted to be involved with the broadcast sponsorship of Claire Byrne on Radio 1. This partnership aligns seamlessly with Cash & Carry Kitchens, offering an opportunity to boost brand awareness and engage consumers through Claire Byrne’s widely popular radio show.
Alan Morris, Head of Marketing at Cash & Carry Kitchens
Rte are under serious financial pressure, so every partnership like this helps. Who knows what other sponsorships we’ll see this year, but it’s clear RTE and Virgin Radio are off to a good start.
What were the most played songs on Irish radio in 2023? Research from campaign group Why Not Her reveals the answer.
We’ve covered the Why Not Her campaign a lot in the past, and you can read their statement on the findings at the link below. For now, let’s look at what we listened to on radio in 2023.
The top 5 songs played on Irish radio were:
- Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
- Niall Horan – “Heaven”
- Calvin Harris – “Miracle”
- Dua Lipa – “Dance The Night”
- Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
As for the top Irish artists being played, we had:
- Niall Horan – “Heaven”
- Jazzy – “Giving Me”
- Cian Ducrot – “Heaven”
- Cian Ducrot- “I’ll Be Waiting”
- Dermot Kennedy – “Kiss me”
Big year for Cian Ducrot clearly. Well done to everyone who made the list. Hopefully we’ll see more quality Irish artists rise to the top in 2024.
Quick Bits
The team at WLR raised €100,000 for charity in their Christmas appeal
Classic Hits 80s has returned to FM
Brian Greene is leaving Phoenix FM
In a now deleted tweet, Joe Duffy took a dig at Bauers Cash Machine
And that’s the summary for this week. Come back to radio land next week for more radio news📻 and be sure to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for more fun from the world of radio.