The state of Irish radio

chamar

I accept that television has reached a point of no return - there is no point even discussing it but does anyone else agree that radio in ireland is appallingly, appallingly bad??? It seems that practically EVERY radio show who's content is not musical is dictated either by the person presenting it or the views of the people listening to it. For me, that is such lazy programming. I can't remember the last time I switched on the radio to actually listen to a good radio programme - i.e. a documentary, a good interview, maybe a piece of journalism from elsewhere in the world. All we get on Irish radio is Joe DuffyGerry Ryan/Ray Darcy/Pat Kenny/Marian Finucane/George Hook/Mat Cooper/WHOEVER just talking absolute drivel!! I know there is a place for that in the schedule but these people & this style of radio have taken over!! How do they get away with it??

If you compare the likes of Radio 4/World Service/NPR to what we get you will understand what I'm talking about.

mike65

Talk is cheap and "phone ins" are even cheaper esp if the input is via 30c txts! (hello Newstalk!). It would be wonderful if a single programme could get through a few hours without reading out a (usually idiotic) text.

If you junk the junk then the airtime has to be filled with something, if its not MOR music (spare us) then it'll cost. I'd love to hear the classic BBC Radio 4
staples of plays, documentray and various comedy/game formats transfered to daytime Irish radio but it won't happen. Scrap Saturday was a crazy abberation.

Mike.

Mike.

projectmayhem

chamar wrote:

I can't remember the last time I switched on the radio to actually listen to a good radio programme - i.e. a documentary, a good interview, maybe a piece of journalism from elsewhere in the world.

if the people wanted this kind of programming (which i like, don't get me wrong here...) then anna-livia would be in a much better position, since afaik, they're one of the only stations (in dublin at least) that used to play some of the radio netherlands documentaries.

the fact is that ray darcy and the types of presenters you don't like get big ratings. if you're a program director, that's what you want...

chamar

I know what you are saying.......we get what we deserve! But it's bad enough that tv has been ruined without 'them' taking over the radio. And I agree, talk is cheap, it's just an awful shame. I can't listen to Irish radio anymore. I mean, the accents are a turn-off for a start! I just wish the powers that be would actually make some of these people go out and produce a good show instead of allowing them to sit on their behinds droning on and feeling important at the sound of their own voice! As well, RTE have no problem buying all these trash tv shows from the states as well as the soaps so why could they not buy a few decent programmes from the BBC or NPR for the radio? I don't know of one programme on the radio that they buy through license. Just a suggestion but god forbid Joe Duffy or someone else loses some of their airtime for something worthwhile.

Oh well, at least you can get foreign radio from the internet.

JoeFitz89

i really agree why the heck cant all the boses of irish radio stations wake up and realise that the programming is so bad..when will it happen??why cant rte radio be at the same standard of bbc radio or at least really improve the service

dulpit

I'm not too worried about the talk radio, what really annoys me s that every bloody radio station is generally a clone of each other when it comes to their play-list, its the same pop crap... There is little or no difference between the stations until the evening when, fair enough, it those diversify a bit... But its quite annoying having to listen to the same songs over and over all day, every day...

roxy

dulpit wrote:

what really annoys me s that every bloody radio station is generally a clone of each other when it comes to their play-list, its the same pop crap... There is little or no difference between the stations until the evening when, fair enough, it those diversify a bit... But its quite annoying having to listen to the same songs over and over all day, every day...

Are you in Dublin, dulpit? If you are, Phantom 105.2 is nothing like you describe above!

It should cure what ails ye

dulpit

roxy wrote:

Are you in Dublin, dulpit? If you are, Phantom 105.2 is nothing like you describe above!

It should cure what ails ye

Nope, living in the real capital...

catch--22

dulpit wrote:

Nope, living in the real capital...

Eh....Limerick?

homah_7ft

I agree with the OP's points during so called primetime. However once you are through that you do come across some more intelligent programming. I'm also in agreement with the texts comments. They really do interrupt the flow of a show and I wish they would choose not to read them out if they are the usual "Joe Soap" truism drivel.

Chillwithcian

Adverts,Adverts,Adverts! Horrible things that interrupt good radio shows!

Is it just me or do they seem to be getting longer and longer??:rolleyes:

BeatNikDub

The adverts pay to keep the stations going! Especially independents!
But BCI have regulations on amount of advertising radio stations can do, there are consequences for going over and radio stations are checked regularily for it.

dulpit

catch--22 wrote:

Eh....Limerick?

haha... no :mad:

tj-music.com

I am a radio program maker and try to do just this very thing. I travelled to Toronto to cover the XVI. International HIV/AIDS conference last year http://aidsconference2006.blogspot.com/ and just got back from Frankfurt where I covered the International music fair. Also went to the UK (my own expense) to cover events.

http://indepth2007.blogspot.com/

I only work for a community radio station and fundings are tight but I also do see the need for a different way of broadcasting. My own show turns 1 next month.

http://happybirthdayindepth.blogspot.com/

I am on Tuesdays between 3.30p.m - 4.30p.m on 90.3FM or via webstreaming on www.nearfm.ie - hope you listen in at some stage and enjoy it.

chamar wrote:

I accept that television has reached a point of no return - there is no point even discussing it but does anyone else agree that radio in ireland is appallingly, appallingly bad??? It seems that practically EVERY radio show who's content is not musical is dictated either by the person presenting it or the views of the people listening to it. For me, that is such lazy programming. I can't remember the last time I switched on the radio to actually listen to a good radio programme - i.e. a documentary, a good interview, maybe a piece of journalism from elsewhere in the world. All we get on Irish radio is Joe DuffyGerry Ryan/Ray Darcy/Pat Kenny/Marian Finucane/George Hook/Mat Cooper/WHOEVER just talking absolute drivel!! I know there is a place for that in the schedule but these people & this style of radio have taken over!! How do they get away with it??

If you compare the likes of Radio 4/World Service/NPR to what we get you will understand what I'm talking about.

tampopo

I just count my lucky stars and pray and give thanks every day that John Creedon is gone from the day time schedule, banished to the midnight slot.

Since Marian 'only the dogs can hear her high pitch' Finucane has gone to spoil the weekend I started to listen to premierfm. Good music, but the occasional news bulletin and the odd scores report wouldn't go amiss. The girl that did the Saturday Sports on radio1 last week, got on my nerves.

And Finucane and Dunphy are doing the exact same programme anyway. After playback I can just change over.

Used to live in America. Got hooked on the NPR show Cartalk. Any other fans of cartalk out there? Available at 6pm Sat and Sunday on www.kqed.org

DublinWriter

chamar wrote:

If you compare the likes of Radio 4/World Service/NPR to what we get you will understand what I'm talking about.

I'm a *huge* Radio 4 fan. Interestingly what they do is on a shoestring moneywise and they are always treated like the poor, but regal, relations internally in the BBC. Because of this, they are always treated with large amounts of latitute by the BBC Board of Directors.

What I'm trying to say there is quality radio programming can be done for peanuts. Money isn't the issue.

In Ireland, one single basic problem exists both with the public and private broadcasters; risk-aversion.

In the public sector RTE exist because they are employ a Civil Service mentality.

In the private sector, the Lowest-Common-Denominator approach applies.

But risk has paid off big time in the states. Just look at some of the syndicated shows, Howard Stern (well, maybe not in the last 12 months!), Car-Talk, etc.

Irish broadcasters, both public and private have yet to embrace playing the risk-reward game and come up with some truly original radio programming.

lynch_3001

i must agree with most of the comments below, the only real good radio is pirate radio, im sorry to say, it mighten be legal, but damn it its good!! i live in carlow, and regularly go to dublin, passing by tallegah(how the hell do you spell it!!) and sitting outside of the lights at brewleys hotel scan the airways, get some really good music for a mile or two.
i know its not the just the people around there its just they can have some good rock musi, or dance or whatever you into to! i remember back in the days of phatom fm, when t really was phatom, you really could get some good stuff on it, man they were the good days.
but i what i love is sometimes on radio one you might get a few comedy sketch snippits, on a friday, but that seems to be disappearing
so whose up for overthrowing the irsh broadcasting commision and settin up what ppl really want!! on radio as well as tv!!

but something, kinda related to this topic, what does it take, to get a community licence. i am trying to set up a radio station(internet and fm) for a college only working in sercet, on just the idea, atm. it would be for a college(carlow), and it would be nice to get a 5 mile throwing range., so to get all the houses.just we would like to be above board before we start running!!any ideas

The Muppet

lynch_3001 wrote:

but something, kinda related to this topic, what does it take, to get a community licence. i am trying to set up a radio station(internet and fm) for a college only working in sercet, on just the idea, atm. it would be for a college(carlow), and it would be nice to get a 5 mile throwing range., so to get all the houses.just we would like to be above board before we start running!!any ideas

That would be a community of interest licence. Cork Campus Radio and Spirit in Galway have successfully recieved these but be prepared for a lot of paperwork and red tape .


If you just wanted to cover the campus a low power institutional licence will do you. Still a fair bit of paperwork and red tape but nowhere near as much.

catch--22

The Muppet wrote:

That would be a community of interest licence. Cork Campus Radio and Spirit in Galway have successfully recieved these but be prepared for a lot of paperwork and red tape .

Don't forget Wired in Limerick!

lynch_3001

what would be involved...like equipment and the such, been trying to research but its next to impossible to find out what would be the best equipment, like quility of signal, and such.

what would be the concencus on this??

lets improve irish radio one step at a time!!

lynch_3001

also does any one know if i.t.t. got theirs??i know they applied

h2s

All I can say is TG for BBC and also the Internet.

All my radio listening is over the NET and 80% of it is BBC4 or BBC7, after that comes various progs on Newstalk like Moncrieff, with a tiny bit of RTE Radio 1 on a saturday morning.

Otherwise wouldn't bother with RTE, which is a pity because if the powers that be got the finger out we could have some real radio here.

Mind you their new podcasting section on their web has some tasty treats.