2023 (Gavan has left)

Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.

Here’s What Happened

Gavan Reilly has announced that he is leaving Newstalk, after hosting weekend show On The Record since 2019.

He will be continuing in his role as political correspondent for Virgin Media News, and suggested in his final Newstalk link that this decision has really come as a result of wanting to spend time with his young family.

Stressing that this was totally his own call, Gavan emotionally thanked his managers at both Newstalk and Virgin, and also thanked the contributors and team behind the scenes who made On The Record what it is.

⁨Seán Defoe⁩ will be filling in on the show for the next 2 weeks, with a permanent replacement set to be announced at some stage soon.

Really I think Gavans last link tells this story better than any text can, so I’d really recommend having a listen to the podcast clip linked below. The very best of luck to Gavan going forward, he’s probably one of the biggest voices in irelands independent broadcasting sector so it’s going to be interesting to see what comes next.

Listen to the podcast clip here

Broadcaster Bob Brolly has left his bbc job after more than 30 years. He hosted Bob Brolly’s Irish Show on BBC local radio in the UK, but this show came to an end on BBC during the pandemic.

Bob alleges he was asked to audition for a new contract, something he refused to do. After expressing anger about this on his show the show was pulled, with his contract left to expire. That contract expired this week.

The bbc dispute this somewhat, saying nobody was asked to “audition”. In a statement they said “Last year we announced there would be changes to all local radio schedules across England, to achieve this fairly we followed our usual recruitment policies for interviewing candidates for presenter/producer roles in local radio,”.

BBC local radio has been going through huge cuts recently and bob is far from the only one to lose his show unfortunately. Bob is in fact one of the lucky ones as he’s announced this week that he’s bringing Bob Brolly’s Irish Show to a new station in the form of BRMB. BRMB relaunched in Birmingham earlier this month after the station which originally used that name became FreeRadio 10 years back.

It’s sad to see what’s happening in the world of UK radio, and we can only hope we don’t see a repeat of that over here.

Read the story here

Beat 102 103 presenter ⁨Megan O’Regan Byrne⁩ is taking part in irelands answer to Love Island Grá ar an Trá. I watched the first episode and it’s legitimately really good.

Basically the singletons live in the Love Teach (Love House) with one half of each couple tasked with teaching the other Gaeilge. Gráinne Seoige keeps an eye on proceedings, deciding which couples stay, and which are going to have to take their pack of Tayto and hop on the bus home. At the end the couple with the most focail win €10,000, and hopefully fall in love.

Megan was coupled up with Sean, who is a big fan of flirting as Gaeilge. Megan on the other lámh only has a cúpla focal, but loved Irish in school. They already seem to be settling in well so who knows what might happen.

It would be cool to have someone from the world of radio do well in the show so we’ll be hoping it went well for Megan and Sean. The show is prerecorded and only airs once a week unfortunately, but if you’re looking for something fun to watch you can catch up on Virgin Media Player.

Watch the show here

Quick Bits

Bauer has got a new boss for its audio business

Freedom FM is back on air today

Today FM’s Alison Curtis has said she feels sorry for Ryan Tubridy

An Irish times poll shows many people simply won’t pay for RTE

Rte is looking for sponsors for sports and Playback

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.

This Week In Radio 23/9/2023 (you better get good at Gaeilge)

Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.

Here’s What Happened

Going forward commercial stations renewing their licenses will need to agree to more Irish language, programming, following a decision made by ⁨Coimisiún na Meán⁩ in July.

The Irish times report that when agreeing new licence terms for Galway Bay FM, the board of the regulator introduced two new conditions. “ a requirement to review and update Irish language programme commitments, and that the station collect data and, on request, report to the commission about their performance on the Irish language, media literacy and sustainability.”.

This comes ahead of an expected review of Irish language services to be carried out by ⁨Coimisiún na Meán⁩ in 2024. We don’t know the full scope of this review, but ⁨the regulator seem to be pushing forward with a plan to get more Irish language content on air.

It’s been a relatively good time for Irish media recently following the launch of a new dedicated kids TV channel broadcasting in the Irish language. Recent rule changes have led to more Irish advertising, and we’ve also heard rumblings of a new Irish language youth music service.

2023 has been a big year for Irish, and it’s looking like there are plenty more changes to come.

Read the story hear

I haven’t even started my Christmas shopping yet, but we got another sign this week that the festive period is just around the corner.

2FM are looking for a brand to sponsor the sound of Christmas, with a 10 second sting before each Christmas song played on the station this December. It’s the first time this deal has been on the market in 4 years, so demand will probably be high for such an important advertising opportunity.

The sound of Christmas will kick off on Friday December 1st, with 12 songs played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From Monday 4th 24 songs will be played in total each day that’s a total of 2 per hour. This will basically continue until Christmas Eve.

If you want a slice of the Christmas pudding that will set you back a cool €60,000. It sounds pricey, but 540 highly prominent stings is a big deal right before Santa comes. Exciting stuff kids, 93 sleeps to go.🎄

We’ve seen the Christmas ad opportunities for the toy show and Christmas RTE Guide hit the market too, so even if you feel it’s too early, reality tells us it’s nearly time. So, stop being a grinch.

Read the festive story here, and you might make the nice list

Unfortunately we’re ending on a sad note this week. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta presenter Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí has passed away at the age of just 53.

The presenter hosted many shows on both TV and Radio over the course of his career, but was probably best known for Rónán Beo on RnaG which started in 2006. He was a well respected name in Gaeltacht communities.

He was sadly diagnosed with cancer a number of years ago, and he went through many rounds of chemotherapy as well as 2 surgeries. You might remember we covered a fundraiser for Rónán earlier this year which raised over €171,000 for further treatment.

He’s a voice that will certainly be missed by many, with tributes being paid by everyone from Kevin Bakhurst to Michael D. Higgins.

You can read some of the tributes in the journal article linked below.

May he rest in peace.

Read the story here

Quick Bits

The guards are reportedly investigating following an interview with Sean Quinn on Newstalk

Belfast live are reporting on a poem read on RedFM

Graham Norton has said Gay Byrne was an inspiration

Rte aren’t handing over the former DG’s contract to committees as she has a right to confidentiality

Christmas FM will be back on November 28th

This Week In Radio 16/9/2023 (it’s time to pay)

Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.

Here’s what Happened

A judge in Dublin has ordered the arrest of those who failed to turn up for court dates regarding them not paying the TV Licence.

Judge Anthony Halpin issued bench warrants for the arrest of 35 people who failed to show up, saying the “law is the law and one must have respect for the law, and one must obey the law,”

He criticised RTÉ and its godlike personalities quite strongly earlier in the summer, but despite this he seems to be unhappy with the levels not showing up to court for TV Licence cases.

This is a dramatic escalation as untill now he’s generally just issued a fine, but he said this week that “the patience of the court can be exhausted by those who refuse to buy the licence and seemingly try to justify same so as to ease their conscience,”

It’s a no win situation really. RTE aren’t happy with the licence fee, the public aren’t happy with the licence fee, and across Europe the concept of licence fees is becoming less and less common.

Mary Lou Mcdonald said this week she believes direct exchequer funding has merit, but ultimately it’s a complicated matter. Direct exchequer funding does leave RTÉ open to political interference, but then again so does the licence fee, and direct funding has worked for TG4.

It’s a crazy state of affairs, but hopefully things can regulate a bit in the budget and beyond. Now that theres a hiring freeze at RTÉ we’ll certainly start seeing cuts, which is really bad news.

Read the story here

8Radio.com have called for ⁨Coimisiún na Meán⁩ to licence local DAB operators, giving niche broadcasters the oppertunity to broadcast on a low cost platform.

DAB never really took off in ireland, despite attempts from both RTÉ and the private sector. RTEs multiplex shut down in recent years leading to the world of DAB becoming a pirate only space.

DAB does have potential though and would hopefully allow smaller stations access a wider audience without massive costs. I’m immediately thinking of services like RiRa, 8Radio and RTÉ Gold, but there are plenty others too.

It’s hard to know if this will have much impact ultimately, but it’s a conversation that keeps rolling on.

Should Ireland have DAB? Vote on our Instagram story now.

Read the story here

Finally this week, the IMRO Radio Awards have inducted four new broadcasters to their hall of fame.

The new inductees are Mary Wilson from RTÉ Radio 1, John Bennett MBE from BBC Radio Ulster, Joe Finnegan from Shannonside Northern Sound, and Paddy Halpenny, formerly of Communicorp.

What’s great about the hall of fame is it often recognises those from smaller stations. Yes it’s recognising the work of those at RTÉ, but it’s also recognising the huge impact of those working for the likes of C103 or Shannonside Northern Sound. It’s fantastic that these people get the credit they so rightly deserve.

Congrats to the new inductees, and well done for your great work in radio. Next stop is the 6th of October for IMRO Awards Night.

Read the story here

Quick Bits

Radio Kerry are hosting ticketed events with the Irish Rambling House

Midlands 103 rebranded as Niall 103 to celebrate Niall Horans birthday

Dave Moore has spoken about hosting without Dermot on Today FM

Maura Derrane started hosting in Tubridy’s slot

The 2 Johnnies have a new tv show on the way, following an appearance on the first episode of the new Late Late Show

This Week In Radio 9/9/2023 (unleash the Beast)

Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.

Here’s What Happened

RTÉ released their annual report this week, but despite containing loads of interesting info it didn’t get nearly as much traction as in other years.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy a list of interesting rte info. Remember this is all from 2022, so the organisation wasn’t exactly on fire then.

RTÉ lost just €2.8 million last year, despite inflation and the war in Ukraine. The organisations commercial income was up 2.6% to €152.1 million, while licence fee income fell by €500,000 to €195.6 million. Wait untill they see that number in 2023
They had a 1.8% drop in spot ads on radio, but sponsorship and promotions offset this drop leading to a 1.2% boost for radio revenue. Radio ads from the government fell to 13.3% of total income. down from over 18% in 2021. Much of this drop is as a result of less money being spent on health messaging around the pandemic.
Out of each €160 licence fee, €13.49 was spent on RTÉ Radio 1. 2FM cost €2.60, while€3.54 was spent on Lyric FM. A total of €8.36 was spent on RnaG. This adds up to a total cost of €27.99 on radio from each licence fee.
When you bring together TV, Radio, Online, Saorview, orchestras, admin, and government charges, RTÉ used €134.97 From each licence fee. The rest was spent on the BAI sound and vision scheme, An Post, and support for TG4.

There’s tons of facinating info in the annual report, so it’s well worth a look. I’ve linked the financial section below, but you can go around the site to find the bits you’re interested in.

RTÉ is going to have a huge problem in 2023, and unless they can get a boost in the budget they’ll be in real trouble. It’s going to be politically messy to give money to the broadcaster, but there’s no reason why the government couldn’t just buy advertising to keep the organisation afloat. Have ads for different health initiatives, mental health schemes, social welfare programmes and stuff like that. Any ads you don’t need could be used to promote charities.

Who knows what the future holds, but somehow I feel RTÉ might have a slightly less successful 2023 Unfortunately.

Read the report on this dedicated website here

Beat 102-103 has created its first Outside Broadcast Unit, and that’s not even the interesting part. The boys and girls in Waterford went and converted a three tonne Land Rover Defender, as you do, calling their end product the Beat Beast.

Waterford based company Mad Racing did the upgrades for the unit, with the project given the green light earlier this year by station owners The Irish Times and Des Whelan.

The unit has 5G broadband from both Three and Vodafone, and as a backup it can also use Broadband from Elon Musks Starlink brand.

This is a really cool project and provides another opportunity for brands who want to advertise with Beat. the station plan for the Beat Beast to almost become its own brand, which could be a nice revenue generator for the station.

Well done to everyone involved in the project, hopefully it goes well.

Read the story here

Finally this week, we had an absolutely fantastic analysis of the state of the industry published in the Irish Times.

The Newspaper spoke to the bosses at RTÉ, Bauer, and Wireless, while also catching up with the heads of a few independent broadcasters like Beat 102 103.

We learned a huge deal about the thinking of these bosses and it has lead to a fascinating read. I’ll summarise a few points from the

article below, but I’d highly recommend giving it a look.

2FM are happy enough. Kevin Bakhurst has visited the station four times in the last 6weeks, which Dan Healy says is a good thing. They are working on a new BBC sounds style product for 2024, calling the recent RTÉ Radio Player upgrades an interim upgrade. Bauer avoids the question of purchasing 2FM, but said “We actively review all opportunities for acquisitions in Ireland that fit with our business model, but we don’t comment on speculation,”. Interesting stuff.
Wireless seem happy enough with life too, but it sounds like FM104 is a bit of a sore point. They’re launching a new show soon, and I don’t think the details of that are public yet so I won’t say anything that could get me in trouble. They spoke positively of Bauer, indicating that they work well together on wider industry initiatives. It seems that despite the poaching from one another in the Cork market, they seem to be doing okay.
Bauer on the other hand are flying along. They’ve had great JNLR success, and had no major complaints. The most interesting statement about Bauer actually came from 2FM boss Dan Healy, who said he’d expect a listenership drop in the 9am slots for both Today FM and Radio1. Dermot left today FM recently leaving Dave to go solo, while Tubridy, well, let’s not talk about that.

That’s only scratching the surface, so I’d highly recommend this article from the Irish Times. A huge amount of work went into this and it’s clear to see. Fantastic journalism.

Read the article here

Quick Bits

Newstalk reporter ⁨Henry McKean⁩ became an Irish citizen

Aodh Máirtín Ó Fearraigh has been appointed regional manager of RnaG in Donegal

Maura Derrane will be taking the Tubs slot on Radio 1 for two weeks, as RTÉ look to try new people in the slot

An Irish Radio pub quiz is taking place in Cork next week

Radio Nova had 13th birthday celebrations

Sheila Naughton has started as a multi media reporter at Bauer🎉

This Week In Radio 26/8/2023 (americas longest running Irish radio show comes to an end)

Lots happens in the radio industry each week so here’s a summary of the week we just enjoyed.

Here’s What Happened

It’s been oficialy confirmed that the Adrian Flannelly show, the longest running Irish radio show in America won’t be returning to the airwaves this Autumn. The show had an incredible 54 year run.

Adrian’s show reached 2.5 million listeners across America in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and was responsible for huge political movements within the Irish community in the states.

The show ended in July, but it’s now been announced that it won’t be making a return. There are wonderful tributes to the show, many of which can speak to its importance with much more authority than me.

Even if you haven’t heard the show though, one thing is obvious. If you host a show for 54 years, your going to have impacted many peoples lives. The impact is truely huge.

This marks the end of an era for Irish radio in America. Congratulations to the shows team on an incredible run, and very best wishes for the next adventure.

Read a tribute to the show here

It’s now been a week since we heard that Ryan Tubridy wouldn’t be returning to radio 1. We’ve had some interesting reaction both around Tubridy’s future career and his replacement.

The most interesting news around Tubs himself has been the rumour that he’s been approached by conservative UK News Channel GB News.

The channel have focused a lot on cancel culture, so maybe that’s where this has come from, but it’s impossible to know. Before everything exploded for Ryan, a deal was nearly signed for him to return to his radio show and launch a podcast, with a pay package of €170,000. It’s unclear if GB News would pay that amount, but it’s interesting all the same.

The other news has been around a replacement in the 9am radio 1 slot. The show was rebranded on Monday to the nine o clock show, but doesn’t have any of its own imaging or branding yet. It’s currently using a generic entertainment theme from the Reel World package made for radio 1 a few years back.

You’ve had the expected suggestions, alongside Louis Walsh requesting a reality tv selection show, but ultimately it’s just a waiting game. Whoever fills the slot will have big shoes to fill, but it’s unclear as of now who’ll take on the challenge.

RTE have had other interesting moments this week including the reveal of the payments for the reports into the payments, as well as a press conference interrupted by climate change protesters, Really this is all starting to become a standard RTÉ week at this point, so things are still a bit of a mess.

RTEs new programme launch is this week so hopefully that can be a line in the sand for some of this. It’s been a rocky few months and it’s really been a damaging incident for broadcasting as a whole.

Read the story here

Finally this week, it’s IMRO time again. The shortlist was published this week marking the countdown to the big night. There was a record number of entries, with organisers saying “Local and national stations from every corner of Ireland brought their A-game, resulting in a challenging yet rewarding judging process.”

That judging process involved a Huge 110 judges from accross the industry, so a wide set of views should be reflected in the shortlist.

The event will return to the Lyrath Estate Hotel on Friday 6th October, where I’m sure there will be absolutely no RTÉ Jokes. It’s great to have this event encouraging the industry and it’s always great to see those who love broadcasting come together for a Big party, where the achievements in the industry can be celebrated.

Well done to everyone who was nominated. We look forward to bringing you more IMRO coverage in the weeks ahead. Let us know on our x account now, what’s your favourite IMRO memory?

Read the story now