RTE new 'Drivetime' show

Crubeens

Anyone hear it yesterday? I thought it was quite poor.

I also can't believe that they can get away with calling three separate radio programmes one show. Their top line listenership figures will be great, but I don't think its fair.

FlutterinBantam

havn't heard it.... will listen today and I will give an opinion

_feedback_

Crubeens wrote:

Anyone hear it yesterday? I thought it was quite poor.

I also can't believe that they can get away with calling three separate radio programmes one show. Their top line listenership figures will be great, but I don't think its fair.

If you're going to give an opinion can you elaborate a bit... Don't think a comment like that is going to blossom in to any sort of intelligent discussion.

Crubeens

If you're going to give an opinion can you elaborate a bit... Don't think a comment like that is going to blossom in to any sort of intelligent discussion

I was just looking for people's opinions - if you heard the show, why not post what you thought? If not, then you're not going to contribute to any intelligent discussion either.

And I'm also interested in what people think about combining three shows in to one, and how this will impact on the top line figure. Not much I can elaborate on there - in my opinion Mary Wilson, Des Cahill and Dave Fanning are fronting what are effectively separate shows yet the station will claim the combined listenership figures for the one Drivetime show. I personally think thats cheating a bit

stipey

Crubeens wrote:

I was just looking for people's opinions - if you heard the show, why not post what you thought? If not, then you're not going to contribute to any intelligent discussion either.

And I'm also interested in what people think about combining three shows in to one, and how this will impact on the top line figure. Not much I can elaborate on there - in my opinion Mary Wilson, Des Cahill and Dave Fanning are fronting what are effectively separate shows yet the station will claim the combined listenership figures for the one Drivetime show. I personally think thats cheating a bit

Is your name Matt or George by any chance?

Crubeens

Is your name Matt or George by any chance?

...busy till 7pm...will post later...;)

FlutterinBantam

Listened so far ...comments....

Mary Wilson very stilted.... quite a few 'missed hand offs' to use gridiron terminology... Mary knows nothing about sport.. obvious from the 'golf' clip with Cahill.. no chemistry whatsoever between those two...


overall impression so far... dull ... sterile....

crybaby

there split up into three different segments have no idea why RTE are trying to lump them together

the end of the sport sounded grand the usual really and the bit that fanning did on electric picnic was god didnt hear any of wilson

FlutterinBantam

heard the 1700-1900 bit ... comments as above.... What was Cahill doing interviewing Platini? embarrassing I thought... what relevance... none.

Equally embarrassing the interview with the irish rugby player (female)

Patronising or not!!!!


So far soooo bad..... Who's on newstalk at this time?

DublinWriter

I never thought I'd miss 5-7 live.

RTE are just handing it to Today FM and Newstalk.

sudzs

Think I'll be switching over too...

Thought after Mondays show someone would have told Mary Wilson NOT to talk over people she's interviewing and to listen to what they were actually saying...

Tho I enjoyed Dave Fanning last night but I was halfway through a bottle of wine at the time!

popebenny16

Firstly the signature tune was way too low in the background at the start of each programme (anyone remember Pat Kenny's one from the 80's - thats a signature tune that makes you sit up and listen!). Secondly, Mary Wilson seems a bit lost in her links, when someone stops talking to her there is a bit of a gap, but that'll go as she gets a bit more comfortable with the job. She also misreads the script a bit (that girl in austria was apparently from australia yesterday) but that's a theething problem.

Thirdly, Des Cahill started off full of beans on Monday by yesterday he sounded really depressed! Guess he's missing the glory days with Ian Dempsey and the 2fm breakfats show.

Finally, Dave Fanining is simply doiong his own show, an hour later, on a different channell. It has no connection with the rest. They really should have given Des and Dave 45 min spots and the end rounded up by Mary at say 7.45, to give it more cohesion.

Matt Cooper must be laughing like a drain and to be fair his show has imnproved since it started at 16.30. Problem is that Marion McKeown seems to be on Dave Fannings slot now and that's Cooper's loss.

FlutterinBantam

Well said yer Holiness... that about sums it up..

One other thing ..they seem to think that saying everything @ 100kph gives 'ooomph' to show.... needs a lot more than that I'm afraid.

medja

It just doesn't sound right. Not going over to the newsreader at 6.30 is nuts. why not have mary introduce Des at 6.32. and then bring her back at 6.58 to continue.

5/7 live moved along nicely until 6.30, it was a bit stop start after then but the links with Rachel English just about kept it going. Now there's no life in the programme from about 5.06

squibs

What is Rachel English doing now? She was excellent - great voice, well informed, never belligerent during interviews, great repartee with other journalists.

NUTLEY BOY

I've stopped listening it is so bad. Typical RTE. Take someting that works and wreck it.

Switched over to Newstalk and I intend staying there !!!!

FlutterinBantam

I might be with ya..... Mary Wilson.... dry as a witches tit

DublinWriter

FlutterinBantam wrote:

I might be with ya..... Mary Wilson.... dry as a witches tit

Tuned into it the other day.

The controller of RTE radio should be taken out and escorted to the gate for this limp, stale cheese sandwich of a programme.

RTE kill yet another cash cow. Expect licence fee increases soon to cover management's incompetance.

projectmayhem

RTE are royally fewqed when newstalk goes national.

...that is all.

DublinWriter

projectmayhem wrote:

RTE are royally fewqed when newstalk goes national.

...that is all.

That's not all. Newstalk have a loyal band of 'jackeen' listeners. If they have to dilute the format to go national, then their audience might just defect to Today FM.

Either way, RTE Radio just isn't an option anymore.

projectmayhem

DublinWriter wrote:

That's not all. Newstalk have a loyal band of 'jackeen' listeners. If they have to dilute the format to go national, then their audience might just defect to Today FM.

Either way, RTE Radio just isn't an option anymore.

this is true. i'm assuming declan carty is bricking it right now, since his show is very dublin-centric. they can't have the same show for cork, galway etc. unless he switches it up to talk about local issues in "irish cities" generally...

but you're right, the audience will be split between todayfm and newstalk because RTÉ is just bland and boring rubbish tbh. hell right now i listen to far more american radio, even with the annoying ads and horrendous fcc regulation... it's still better then irish radio.

nicelives

Mary Wilson was excellent doing the court reports in the past, these three shows don't compete with Newstalk or Todayfm, it's a pity we have to pay for it whether we listen or not. I really enjoyed the old format and Rachel English was very suited. For the national broadcaster to get someone who's only coming up to speed is crazy, no independent station would ever risk this, maybe the licence fee is too high that they can afford to lose listeneres in the short term, the fee should be reduced to make RTE more professional.

projectmayhem

nicelives wrote:

the fee should be reduced to make RTE more professional.

i think the fee should remain as-is, but have a performance rating for RTÉ, by doing a public opinion poll (the same format as radio listenership figure stuff, calling people and asking). depending on their rating, they get more or less money. any left over money from the license fee "fund" should be put into local & community radio... maybe then we wont have this rut of 1) bad radio generally and 2) bad radio "talent", since if community radio got funding we could "find" real talent out there and bring them up in the ranks, as it were.

crybaby

dave fannings bit has been very impressive so far i think, its ridiculous calling it one show though

DublinWriter

crybaby wrote:

dave fannings bit has been very impressive so far i think, its ridiculous calling it one show though

I agree. Did anyone else hear Dave's slow last week were he just played classic vinyl tracks? I was listening to it on my Tivoli Mono Radio in the kitchen and the sound was just amazing, a really interesting show.

RTE shoe-horning both shows together is just sloppy thinking and really confuses the brand.

Sadly, creative management of the Radio department of RTE has been lacking for years now.

ifconfig

I'm watching the Crimeline TV programme tonight and I recalled
that Con Murphy was (in my opinion) an excellent stand in
for Rachel English on the original format 5-7 live. He has
a very engaging style and although his home turf was/is
sport coverage he still has more than enough intelligence
and wit in evidence to have been IMO a very natural fit
for the anchor job for the evening slot.

Has Philip Boucher-Hayes contributed anything to the
programme so far ? I think he is a very considerable
radio talent and I even forgive him for his ever so slightly
plumby accent.

At the moment I'm struggling with the RTE Drivetime
current affairs coverage. I agree with most on this thread
that Mary McCarthy's delivery is a bit too sober (worked
immaculately for detailed court reports) for this sort
of infotainment prime time radio show.

-ifc

FlutterinBantam

Its Mary Wilson ... but does it matter.... regarding Con Murphy,I agree with you,nice guy and all that, but lacks the killer touch for this kind of programme,too anxious to please everyone and we all know you can't do that!!!

Bouchier-Hayes...Dublin 4 man to the backbone,typical West -Brit,but has the bit of needle in him to poke around a bit,especially when he comes head to head with any of the Lenihan lads..he wouldn't be bad.

One way or t'other Ms Wilson ,fine reporter she may well be,but to me it is patently obvious she hasn't got what it takes to carry a programme like this.

The sad part is that I knew that before she was appointed ,which makes you wonder what RTE management are up to...... or are they up to it????

DMC

I've given it a few weeks to bed in, and I agree with much of what has been said here.

With Phillip Boucher-Hayes and Fergus Sweeney still there, really, all that was needed was, with Rachael English going, change the presenter and change the audio beds, and leave the show with the rest of its bits intact; business news at 6:50pm, farm news at 6:40 etc.

As for Mary Wilson herself.... I'm willing to give her more time, as she has improved since the first week.

I'm happy enough with Dave after 7pm, but is the 30 minute Sports programme that inflexible? Today, farm and business news were dispensed with, within the 90 minutes of Mary Wilson's part of the show.

Some shows take time to settle, but it was glaring that with Bertie and co still on their feet in the Dáil, that cutting to Des and really, items that were filler and of no substance, while our Taoiseach was on the ropes was not the correct decision.

After a month I'll give my opinions on Derek Mooney....

FlutterinBantam

Be sure to mention that if he doesn't stop that upward inflection of his voice at the end of some words I'll send the thranny into row Z...I'm sure you will notice it.

PS. Listening to Creedon on Late Date ..he doesn't sound at all happy???

DMC

Yes, well... Creedon doesn't have the interaction with the daytime audience he used to have. This sounds like him back at Risin' Time.

FlutterinBantam

Not a happy camper... goin thru the motions,as far as I can tell.

Chillwithcian

I strongly think they should bring back 5/7 live, i dont think this news presenter handles the formality of her program as well like rachel english did.:mad: Besides it did have good JNLR figures....