Lyric fm's Breakfast show presenter - Marty Whelan.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 16-12-2011 4:50pm

In the past Whelan has never tended to last too long in any particular radio role before been removed. While his ejection from Lyric is long overdue I can see action been taken in the coming months.

doomed · 17-12-2011 9:29am

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

In the past Whelan has never tended to last too long in any particular radio role before been removed. While his ejection from Lyric is long overdue I can see action been taken in the coming months.

If only. I am less optimistic. RTE management doesn't care about Lyric and the 3%. Its a useful consolation prize for the RTE family.

I can imagine a conversation: "We have to find something for poor old Marty. Every time I go into the canteen he looks at me with those big sad eyes and I still feel a bit bad about the way we keep dumping him. Dumping!!! Hey! What about Lyric?; he can't do much damage there and even if he does, who cares. All those music snobs being force fed Bing Crosby and Perry Como should be a bit of a laugh").

Itssoeasy · 17-12-2011 10:29am

I won't start a new thread but on Wednesdays in work the radio is always set to lyric fm, and was off for a week. The question is where the Hell has Liz nolan ? She was the best thing about lyric.

Dirigent · 17-12-2011 12:45pm

Itssoeasy wrote: »

I won't start a new thread but on Wednesdays in work the radio is always set to lyric fm, and was off for a week. The question is where the Hell has Liz nolan ? She was the best thing about lyric.

The schedule changed recently. She's now in the slot formerly occupied by Niall Carroll (weekdays 4-7pm).

Tzetze · 17-12-2011 2:00pm

Dirigent wrote: »

The schedule changed recently.

I miss Paul Herriott in the mornings. Has he left Lyric?

Dirigent · 17-12-2011 2:14pm

Tzetze wrote: »

I miss Paul Herriott in the mornings. Has he left Lyric?

He took over Eamon Lawlor's slot presenting the 8pm concert. Eamon retired.

Rebelheart · 21-12-2011 5:31pm

This retard has entered a class all of his own. This morning on the drive in I turned over. He was playing:

'Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! it's off to work we go' from an album called Ultimate Disney.

He's taking the piss, some parody of the most inappropriate person imaginable to be presenting a show on a classical music station.

Lyric FM has turned into a bad joke with this clown.

Sincerely.

ziggyman17 · 21-12-2011 6:26pm

Rebelheart wrote: »

This retard has entered a class all of his own. This morning on the drive in I turned over. He was playing:

'Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! it's off to work we go' from an album called Ultimate Disney.

He's taking the piss, some parody of the most inappropriate person imaginable to be presenting a show on a classical music station.

Lyric FM has turned into a bad joke with this clown.

Sincerely.

I agree.. At the start I thought his mix of music was'nt too bad.. But the last few months, he has become a joke. Full of cowboy music and Michael Buble.. other rubbish..

Dirigent · 21-12-2011 6:33pm

I just don't listen anymore in the mornings. When sport, ads or traffic come on on MI I just turn the radio off. He used to play the odd enjoyable lollipop but when it finished, the "da da dum dah day" at the end ruined any enjoyment.

Almaviva · 26-12-2011 8:58pm

Anyone have any info on when Ann Doyle is joining the Lyric team ?

doomed · 07-01-2012 10:08am

Marty in the Morning, music for the rest of the day.

Maggie McGaggie · 24-01-2012 1:44pm

I don't know if this is in any way relevant to Marty on Lyric but it just struck a chord with me.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/bland-on-bland-2995778.html

doomed · 24-01-2012 11:44pm

Maggie McGaggie wrote: »

I don't know if this is in any way relevant to Marty on Lyric but it just struck a chord with me.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/bland-on-bland-2995778.html

Not only does the good doc write better than anyone working for the Indo stable but he is bang on. Marty is a particularly distressing symptom of the RTE malaise, being allowed to babble on inanely between bouts of dead at birth MOR.

pinkypinky · 30-01-2012 10:43am

Lyric just tweeted that Marty is off for a couple of days and Trish Taylor is sitting in. Rejoice.

Must re-tune for tomorrow morning!!

johnnyk66 · 30-01-2012 11:59am

pinkypinky wrote: »

Lyric just tweeted that Marty is off for a couple of days and Trish Taylor is sitting in. Rejoice.

Must re-tune for tomorrow morning!!

Happy days

:):)

Tzetze · 30-01-2012 12:18pm

I could happily listen to Trish Taylor read the phonebook.

ntlbell · 30-01-2012 4:51pm

I only caught part of the show this morning but did she not really just go through the same sort of playlist marty would normally?

TimmyTarmac · 31-01-2012 9:26am

Yes, ntlbell, I believe she largely did..... many many John Barry tracks including Born ****in Free (again), Superman main theme, Ella Fitz and a showtune from Oliver!

In fairness, it wasn't as bad as an average Marty Whelan morning (Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' followed by Grieg anyone?) with probably a bit more core classical content.

It would suggest to me that the production people involved are now so abused by the terrible mix of music on MITM that they don't know any better. That or they're tone deaf anyway and were recruited specifically to work on a train wreck like this.

johnnyk66 · 31-01-2012 10:06am

ntlbell wrote: »

I only caught part of the show this morning but did she not really just go through the same sort of playlist marty would normally?

I have to agree with you, not only was the music disappointing but having to listen to Her natter on about some bloody tv program and who got Oscars for whatever. Lyric have already set aside program slots for this rubbish we don't need it at breakfast time. Looks like I'll have to go back to Radio 1 and the bailouts, ECB, etc etc

Perhaps the time has come to close Lyric and save the taxpayers money, the station has clearly failed in its mission.

pinkypinky · 31-01-2012 1:03pm

I listened this morning - the music wasn't terrible but it wasn't brilliant either. She did go a bit with entertainment news.

ntlbell · 31-01-2012 2:09pm

I don't think it really matters who presents this show. The production team behind it rightly or wrongly have a direction they want to push it regardless of who's in the chair.

Sandwlch · 31-01-2012 2:12pm

ntlbell wrote: »

I only caught part of the show this morning but did she not really just go through the same sort of playlist marty would normally?

Bound by management to play the same rubbish as Marty I would guess. You couldnt have a sub coming and improving the quality of the programme. People might enjoy it. More people might listen to Lyric. Which would be contrary to the Lyric policy.

Maggie McGaggie · 02-02-2012 10:27pm

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0202/jnlr.html

http://www.word-detective.com/2010/03/04/bad-penny/

Coriolanus · 03-02-2012 7:21am

Hahah, Hugo is trolling the comments section.

Maggie McGaggie · 03-02-2012 2:04pm

This is the comment that Hugo left on the latest JNLR figures. Where does he get the evidence on a surge in listenership for MITM?

Hugo:The rise in RTE Lyric FM's figures is very encouraging. It demonstrates that the station is in tune with the public mood. The shift towards a more broadly-based conception of public service broadcasting in the musical field is clearly paying dividends. The public now wants a warmer musical output in cold economic times, and gets it. The surge in listenership for Marty in the Morning is particularly pleasing. It's the foundation in the morning, building an audience to stay with the service throughout the day. Hoping for yet further increases.

TimmyTarmac · 03-02-2012 3:02pm

Fair play to him. I like the comment left by someone after his, saying Hugo must be 'Jim Corr's brother'.

There was an increase in the MITM listenership to 25000 listeners.
That's up 6 thousand, year-on-year. Up 1 thousand, book-on-book.

Is that a surge?

It seems John Kelly increased his listenership to 35,000 playing Mongolian noseflute music and Leonard Cohen.

The daily programme with the highest listenership is Classic Drive - a show that seems to just play classical music with 57000 listeners each day.
Is there perhaps a lesson in this? Anyone?......Anyone?

Doodah7 · 03-02-2012 9:27pm

Hugo is also practically a daily contributor to MITM at this stage with his observations on life and the antics of his erstwhile 'wife' Daphne. It is often quite amusing and pretty well written.

It's a pity he dirtied his copybook around here as I enjoyed his wind-ups...

Maggie McGaggie · 07-02-2012 12:27am

Heard a few minutes of mitm today. I will never be a fan of mw but i was really disgusted to hear his snide comment after an advertisement for Gerry Godley's "Reels to Ragas" was played. Whelan's aside was "Well i'm convinced". Whelan we know that this genre would not be his scene but don't insult his audience please. Showed a lack of class and a nasty side to marty.

Later on in the day Whelan was doing a voiceover advertising the Met Opera's HD production of Verdi's opera "Ernani". Really beggars belief doesn't it.

doomed · 07-02-2012 11:02pm

Maggie McGaggie wrote: »

Later on in the day Whelan was doing a voiceover advertising the Met Opera's HD production of Verdi's opera "Ernani". Really beggars belief doesn't it.

What idiot though getting him to advertise an opera would actually help sales? It would be like David Norris advertising for the GAA.

Harry Angstrom · 08-02-2012 1:25am

Maggie McGaggie wrote: »

I will never be a fan of mw but i was really disgusted to hear his snide comment after an advertisement for Gerry Godley's "Reels to Ragas" was played. Whelan's aside was "Well i'm convinced".

I think that's a hilarious comment from Marty.

I saw Gerry Godley on The View one night a few years back. The guy took himself way too seriously.

pwurple · 09-02-2012 3:51pm

Just happened on this thread today, Hurrah! I'm not going out of my mind. Someone else hears it too! I have just gone back to a commute in the morning the last month, and was happily listening to Liz for a few days, when Bammo, Marty Whelan comes on the scene. I thought he was a stand-in. But no, he is the permanent. Has lyric become a retirement home for those past their appeal on the other stations?

I am gutted. I used to love the Opera 'Cereal' segment ... where there would be a quick description of the opera and what was going on, and a short piece of music. I'm no aficionado by a long shot, so I felt I was getting a very accessible introduction to some opera, which I don't normally have time to listen to.

Some of the choices are ok, but I've heard them all before. Where is the adventure, the sense that I am hearing this for the first time in ages. The playlists are put together in a very disjointed way, and far too much Marty Waffle. Why does he put on voices and accents? Annoying.

A better indicator might be my passenger, who at 10 months old, waves and claps her hands on our commute to the music, which is all new to her, and screams blue murder when Marty starts to "speak".

bureau2009 · 09-02-2012 4:03pm

pwurple wrote: »

A better indicator might be my passenger, who at 10 months old, waves and claps her hands on our commute to the music, which is all new to her, and screams blue murder when Marty starts to "speak".

+ 1

(And I'm a grown adult!

)

telekon · 09-02-2012 4:11pm

Nevore wrote: »

Hahah, Hugo is trolling the comments section.

God I miss Hugo, he was hilarious. He got up so many people's noses off here, it was pure trolling genius.

Maggie McGaggie · 09-02-2012 11:28pm

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I think that's a hilarious comment from Marty.

I saw Gerry Godley on The View one night a few years back. The guy took himself way too seriously.

So,it's hilarious to make sarcastic remarks on other presenter's shows. No, it is plainly rude. MW should be in sack-cloth and ashes. The temerity of this mis-fit is baffling. It demonstrates that he has no grasp on the importance of music in the lives of many people. Gerry Godley has introduced me to many artists i would not have had the opportunity of being acquainted with. MW and music are not even fourth cousins. Ronan Gilligan used to be a good boy on AA Roadwatch but he has fallen into Marty's wormhole of incessant tripe and natter. This morning he seemed to be obsessed with Neven Maguire becoming a father of twins. Who cares?

Harry Angstrom · 10-02-2012 1:14am

Maggie McGaggie wrote: »

Heard a few minutes of mitm today. I will never be a fan of mw but i was really disgusted to hear his snide comment after an advertisement for Gerry Godley's "Reels to Ragas" was played. Whelan's aside was "Well i'm convinced". Whelan we know that this genre would not be his scene but don't insult his audience please. Showed a lack of class and a nasty side to marty.

Maggie McGaggie wrote: »

So,it's hilarious to make sarcastic remarks on other presenter's shows. No, it is plainly rude. MW should be in sack-cloth and ashes. The temerity of this mis-fit is baffling. It demonstrates that he has no grasp on the importance of music in the lives of many people. Gerry Godley has introduced me to many artists i would not have had the opportunity of being acquainted with. MW and music are not even fourth cousins. Ronan Gilligan used to be a good boy on AA Roadwatch but he has fallen into Marty's wormhole of incessant tripe and natter. This morning he seemed to be obsessed with Neven Maguire becoming a father of twins. Who cares?

Is that you Hugo??

Maggie McGaggie wrote: »

Marty started the show with a movement from Vivald's Four Seasons again today. How does he do it? Absolute brilliance. He seemed a bit shell-shocked with the announcement of the impending depature of Kathryn from WS. I sent him an encouraging text. If you can somehow get a copy of Saturday's Independent weekend supplement you will find a sumptuous Christmas pudding recipe originating from the old days of MacNean. Time to get out the plastic bowls, tin foil and twine.

doomed · 10-02-2012 10:03am

pwurple wrote: »

Just happened on this thread today, Hurrah! I'm not going out of my mind. Someone else hears it too! I have just gone back to a commute in the morning the last month, and was happily listening to Liz for a few days, when Bammo, Marty Whelan comes on the scene. I thought he was a stand-in. But no, he is the permanent. Has lyric become a retirement home for those past their appeal on the other stations?

I am gutted. I used to love the Opera 'Cereal' segment ... where there would be a quick description of the opera and what was going on, and a short piece of music. I'm no aficionado by a long shot, so I felt I was getting a very accessible introduction to some opera, which I don't normally have time to listen to.

Some of the choices are ok, but I've heard them all before. Where is the adventure, the sense that I am hearing this for the first time in ages. The playlists are put together in a very disjointed way, and far too much Marty Waffle. Why does he put on voices and accents? Annoying.

A better indicator might be my passenger, who at 10 months old, waves and claps her hands on our commute to the music, which is all new to her, and screams blue murder when Marty starts to "speak".

I know how she feels.

What you say about opera cereal makes a lot of sense. To introduce people to new music you don't have to package it with a gabby DJ or dilute it with a pile of MOR elevator music. An informed presenter who loves the music and wants to share the pleasure with others is way way better.

Years ago RTE1 used to have Des Keogh who presented "music for middlebrows". The man (incidentally way more talented and funnier than MW) loved the music and introduced a lot of people (including me) to it. It wasn't perhaps the most adventurous playlist but it didn't aim to be. For opera there was the wonderful O'Brien on Song playing truly great singers that will now never be heard again on Irish radio.

I wish Marty no ill. There is a place for his inane patter and easy listening music. Its called 2 FM and it has a much bigger audience. Maybe they can bring him home.

Maggie McGaggie · 10-02-2012 2:30pm

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Is that you Hugo??

You have taken those quotes out of their context. I got fed up of Hugo trolling the thread so i said |"if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". I have always been against MW on Lyric but to give Hugo his due he certainly livened up things on here.

Harry Angstrom · 11-02-2012 2:45am

Maggie McGaggie wrote: »

You have taken those quotes out of their context. I got fed up of Hugo trolling the thread so i said |"if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". I have always been against MW on Lyric but to give Hugo his due he certainly livened up things on here.

Well Maggie, it wouldn't be the first time that Hugo has carried on conflicting conversations with himself using two separate accounts........

Coleyoscar · 14-02-2012 11:16pm

I can remember when Lyric FM started a dozen years ago or so. I remember thinking what a pleasure it was to have lovely music and knowledgeable presenters (anyone remember that great guy from the US who used to present the original breakfast show?).
Now we’re reduced to RTE’s version of a cheesy game-show host playing Peter blessed Gabriel and Rod blinking Stewart interspersed with third rate witless Terry Wogan impressions .
I have literally given up: he’s driven me from Lyric completely.

doomed · 14-02-2012 11:26pm

Coleyoscar wrote: »

I can remember when Lyric FM started a dozen years ago or so. I remember thinking what a pleasure it was to have lovely music and knowledgeable presenters (anyone remember that great guy from the US who used to present the original breakfast show?).
Now we’re reduced to RTE’s version of a cheesy game-show host playing Peter blessed Gabriel and Rod blinking Stewart interspersed with third rate witless Terry Wogan impressions .
I have literally given up: he’s driven me from Lyric completely.

+1

RTE take a bow. The thing is, the people currently in charge are different from those who set it up so maybe they just don't get it.

Dirigent · 15-02-2012 9:57am

Coleyoscar wrote: »

I can remember when Lyric FM started a dozen years ago or so. I remember thinking what a pleasure it was to have lovely music and knowledgeable presenters (anyone remember that great guy from the US who used to present the original breakfast show?).
Now we’re reduced to RTE’s version of a cheesy game-show host playing Peter blessed Gabriel and Rod blinking Stewart interspersed with third rate witless Terry Wogan impressions .
I have literally given up: he’s driven me from Lyric completely.

+1 NAMA to a googleplex.

pinkypinky · 15-02-2012 10:58am

I heard 3 mins of some story that seemed to have no end from "Hugo" this morning on MW. I had to turn it off then. Yesterday, I heard a sport bulletin during their drive time show. Grr.

Dirigent · 15-02-2012 1:04pm

Coleyoscar wrote: »

anyone remember that great guy from the US who used to present the original breakfast show?

It's been nagging me all morning, but at last I remembered! Tom Crann. Excellent broadcaster, although he never learned how to pronounce "baroque"!

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/about/people/mpr_people_display.php?aut_id=13

ziggyman17 · 15-02-2012 6:25pm

it has got really bad the last few months.. he use to play some classical music, when he first started on the breakfast show, but now the classical music has more or less disappeared, all this american song book crap, crooners, this is all that he plays now.. and why has that hugo got a 5 minute slot every morning.. does he really think anybody wants to listen to hugo's silly stupid ramblings..

doomed · 15-02-2012 10:29pm

ziggyman17 wrote: »

.. and why has that hugo got a 5 minute slot every morning.. does he really think anybody wants to listen to hugo's silly stupid ramblings..

Just another cozy day in Montrose.

Maggie McGaggie · 15-02-2012 10:38pm

ziggyman17 wrote: »

it has got really bad the last few months.. he use to play some classical music, when he first started on the breakfast show, but now the classical music has more or less disappeared, all this american song book crap, crooners, this is all that he plays now.. and why has that hugo got a 5 minute slot every morning.. does he really think anybody wants to listen to hugo's silly stupid ramblings..

I have pretty much given up on Lyric, along with many others on here. Getting rid of Paul Herriott from presenting his own show was the last straw for me. Why not put Marty Whelan on the Lyric concert? It would be a more suitable position for him, if they are so intent on giving him a job.

Difficult as it is to believe but i have to agree that the show has worsened. I logged onto his lyric fm mainly to get the link for music played during the week and this is what caught my eye.

Arrivederci means 'see you again soon' in Italian

I posted here before that i believe Hugo's nonsense is written by Marty. MW reminds me of a man who likes to laugh at his own jokes and his giggling gives the game away. Hugo is supposed to be an erudite character yet he never mentions anything beyond the mainstream, a mainstream where MW sits very comfortably. He has spent too long listening to Wogan and now has Sir Terry's style down to a tee.

ntlbell · 16-02-2012 10:19am

I think from 8 to 8.25 this morning we had adverts (I don't recall hearing adverts on lyric before?) then some awful love song from movie. The traffic. some nonsense about MW's mother and then the news. why bother?

TimmyTarmac · 16-02-2012 10:37am

Yes, i do believe that it's actually getting worse. The mindless patter between the presenter and traffic person is reaching crisis levels. It's doing no favours for that young wan from AA Roadwatch who clearly believes that playing Marty's twee little game will lead to a nice presenters gig somewhere. It won't. She'll just be remembered as that anoying woman from the AA.

The music selection continues to go down into the sewers, and without the invention of the calendar, the programme makers would actually have to think about the music content as opposed to their plan of playing a load of jumbled up musical shoite with some classical lollipop afterthoughts fired in as well.

It's time to think about the Jobsworths who work in a production capacity and collaborate with the presenter in creating this offensive garbage on a daily basis. They are, at best, sincere people with profound learning and hearing difficulties or at worst, lazy lazy cynical 'ah shur it'll do' merchants. How do they sleep at night?

Maggie McGaggie · 16-02-2012 10:57am

TimmyTarmac wrote: »

Yes, i do believe that it's actually getting worse. The mindless patter between the presenter and traffic person is reaching crisis levels. It's doing no favours for that young wan from AA Roadwatch who clearly believes that playing Marty's twee little game will lead to a nice presenters gig somewhere. It won't. She'll just be remembered as that anoying woman from the AA.

I meant to mention the AA presenter. Every bulletin seems to be made up of two minutes traffic and three or four minutes of rubbish on what they are doing for the day. It's not just one AA person who is doing it, they are all at it now even Ronan Gilligan, who did the traffic for years on the Carl Corcoran breakfast show, and never said a word, has fallen into Marty's trap. As for the music selection, unbelievably it has degraded. Timmy, what is your opinion on Hugo? I think Marty writes that garbage but i could be wrong.

TimmyTarmac · 17-02-2012 10:49am

It is my view, Margaret, that the Hugo who's unfunny claptrap is broadcast each morning around 9 am on MITM is the same Hugo Brady Brown who frequented this area for a while (till the unfortunate double personality business took hold). He also now has a Twitter account . Although how he can keep it to 140 characters, I'll never know because I don't follow. I know he denied being the Hugo of MITM on this thread but I believe him to be one and the same person.
As for Marty Whelan himself writing it? I don't think so.
To do something like this for so little popular or monetary reward, it requires discipline, application, being able to concentrate for more than 2 seconds and a pathetic craving to be appreciated be anyone - anyone at all.
Marty and Hugo only share the last characteristic.

Lyric fm's Breakfast show presenter - Marty Whelan.

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