Heroes of Radio

tbh

Ok - I'm posting this as a user not a mod, so the "rules" below are only guidelines, but let's try to keep it clean.

This thread is a mirror to the negative threads that have been popping up of late. So, here are the guidelines


[*]This thread is for you to post your hero of radio - any personality you think is everything a presenter should be

[*]Please don't comment on anyone else's post. If you agree with someone, thank their post. If you don't, well, that's life isn't it? Post your own

[*]Post as many as you like, but give each hero their own post


simple



To get the ball rolling,

tbh

The Gay Byrne Radio Show, RTE Radio, 1972 - 1999.

The immortal uncle Gaybo. Probably best remembered for the Late Late, but I think his radio show played a massive part in helping Ireland to evolve and change. I did find him irritating and slightly too slick, but he really struck a chord with the real powerbase in Ireland - the Irish mammy. Most of all tho, if I heard the jingle on the radio, it meant I wasn't in school

john concannon

As I am in my twenties the DJ I respect the most in Ireland is Rick O'Shea.

A diamond in the rough who doesn't play every feckin generic pop thrash out there offering his selection of the top songs today with a perfect mix of alternative music from the past.

He suffers from epilepsy and is the main personality attributed to Irish sufferers.

2fm are extremely lucky to have him in my opinion.

Thats my opinion.

DT100

I would agree about Gaybo..Its funny because earlier today I was thinking about the gay byrne hour and wondering what the theme music was called.I remember the way the jingle finished at the end of the programme just as he finished talking..What I remember about Radio when I was going to school is Mike Murphy on radio 1 at breakfast time.[ Showing my age now lol ]

alpha2zulu

The Chris Moyles Show, BBC Radio 1

I know i've let it be known on this forum before that I'm a big fan of his work but Moyles is such an entertaining broadcaster and of a standard that I have never been able to find comparable on radio here in Ireland.

The most entertaining aspect about his work is that his humour and personality comes across as completely honest and never sounds like its been scripted beforehand which comes as a breath of fresh air when I switch on the net after work or college every day!

mike65

Kenny Everett

Made the medium what he wanted it to be, a few reel-to-reels and a fevered
imagination. Just a pity he unwittingly created a template for witless whackiness from which radio still suffers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kenny_Everett_-_Capital_Radio_excerpt.ogg

Mike.

Bard

Tom Dunne

Made the jump from performer (in Something Happens) to jock all too easily. Presents Pet Sounds from 7 to 10pm, Monday to Thursday where he plays interesting music, knows his stuff and is easy on the ear. Plus, he really shines when he fills in for presenters on other programmes, which is commendable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dunne

Cole

Pat Kenny

The one show that I always try to listen to. A good mix of serious current affairs and lighter, but generally very informative and educational, topics.

His preparation for each item he covers is meticilous and god help the person who tries to pull the wool over his eyes. His grasp of the issues is generally excellent.
At times he does tend to interrupt a little too often and 'show off' his knowledge, but then nobodys perfect.

I cannot understand why he gets such negative press. I think it is very often from people who jump on this bandwagon of judging who is 'cool' or not.

A real pro. Keep up the great work Pat and feck the begrudgers.

Uncle Joe

George Hook...a true 21st century philosopher

irish_bob

<EDIT>

It's not that difficult a concept to grasp, is it?

Read the opening post carefully before responding to this thread again.

- monkeyfudge

Dudess

Peelie (R.I.P) for his fantastically warm, sincere, relaxed, conversational style, which so many could relate to.

And of course for his utterly exemplary taste in music!

Dudess

Matt Cooper for the way he fearlessly challenges both sides to the bitter end.

limerick_man

Will Leahy on 2fm. . . . I've done some radio and his shift is as thight as it gets, he mixes everything so well - keeps the show fun and interesting. The single most underrated presenter on national airwaves!

Ray D'Arcy is given the creative space every DJ should be, his show has such a great mix of music, you hear so many different sounds - many which you either dont hear or dont hear much of, his music selections is one of those things i cheerish in life. Hearing those odd songs you want to love but dont want to become to close to.... its a special thing

jor el

As talk shows go though, Matt Cooper's is my favorite. I know a lot of people don't like him, but he is great at standing on the line between the two sides. He never ( or very rarely anyway) shows bias and is well able for the PR pros that are often on with him.

One of the best DJs around though is Tom Dunne, especially when he does other peoples shows, like The Ray D'Arcy Show. He's always great craic, fits in with whatever show he's doing and whatever people he's working with.

heybaby

Gaybo has got to be the daddy of all radio presenters as far as I'm concerned there is no one better on any station or has there been. To have taken on the plethora of subject matter he did on a daily basis took some doing. If Gaybo reviewed a book straight to the top of the best seller list it would go. It was his ability to be an entertainer, empathiser, interviewer and above all as a listener that made him so good.

Larry Gogan has to get a mention. I mean he's been doing the business as a jock for 40 odd years. His style is so neat , concise and no nonsense, a professional to the core.

Tom Dunne seems to be exceptionally flexible in terms of the kind of programme he is able to present. Till recently he was deemed to be the indie / alternative radio presenter of choice. However after being asked to fill in for Ray and Ian on Today fm he has shown he has a very refreshing style which enables him to adapt to a variety of show formats.

Mat cooper is probably the best radio presenter in current / news affairs. Always with the listener in mind his style is to the point. He's very sharp and isnt afraid to ask the difficult questions. The nature of his 3.5 hours on radio each day mean there is a large scope of material for him to deal with, which i think he does with authority.

SEPT 23 1989

A down to earth, decent man who always has a tale to tell and was far superior in the presenting of Liveline than Joe Duffy is or will ever be.

nicolaonfire

Someone who can't be mentioned on this forum.
So I'm not going to name him.

Also Chris Moyles and Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1

gogglebok

Mike Murphy. Very funny when he was doing normal DJ things, and completely without vanity on The Arts Show. He never tried to outshine the guests, or pretended to know everything about the subject. (Despite his obvious intelligence.) His curiosity and interest seemed genuine, and he brought the best out of most guests.

He was good on telly too, but that's another thread.

DublinWriter

mike65 wrote: »

Kenny Everett

Made the medium what he wanted it to be, a few reel-to-reels and a fevered
imagination. Just a pity he unwittingly created a template for witless whackiness from which radio still suffers.

+1

I remember listening to him in the early 80's when he got a slot back with the BBC on Radio 2. His jingles were the aural equivalent of dropping Acid.

He was a true original and never let his 'zaniness' get in the way of the music. He always remained respectful to the music he played and was essentially a geek at heart, spending hours and hours alone with a reel-to-reel perfecting each insane 5-second jingle.

I think his subsequent TV career debased him a little, although he played the part, radio was his natural medium.

RIP 'Cuddly' Ken.

DublinWriter

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

A down to earth, decent man who always has a tale to tell and was far superior in the presenting of Liveline than Joe Duffy is or will ever be.

Indeed...and the trout was the finest.

He was always a breath of fresh-air when standing in for Joe Duffy during the obligatory 4-month annual summer hibernation at RTE. His radio columns for 5-7 Live/Drivetime have always been very insightful.

Fuzzy Clam

DublinWriter wrote: »

+1

His jingles were the aural equivalent of dropping Acid.

Love the analogy!!!

Indeed Kenny and the (also) late Tony Allen are heroes of mine. People who were born for the medium. It's a shame that radio doesn't foster (or fester, for that matter) that type of talent these days.:mad:

Trick of the Tail

Talk Radio heroes: Iain Lee on Virgin on Sunday nights, and the master (this side of the Atlantic anyway) has got to be Nick Abbot, on LBC weekdays 7.15 -10.

Both require a little patience to 'get' them, but both are brilliant.

A.

raven136

Tony Kornheiser..talk radio from the us,host of pti and very funny ont he radio.

John Kelly..loved his radio one show and the night johnny cash died he played only his stuff.

Donal Dineen...here comes the night with..that was a terrific showans his taste and diversity of music is always fantastic.

John Creedon..wasnt a big fan of his day time show but at night he has excelled.The shift workers saviour.

Philip King..grwat music and the has a terrific atmosphere with his half irish/english live from the west kerry gaeltacht.no better way to spend an hour on saturday evening.

Chris Moyle/Russel Brand/Johnathon Ross/..the quality of the bbc radio comedy presenters is second to none

Cole

raven136 wrote: »

Chris Moyle/Russel Brand/Johnathon Ross/..the quality of the bbc radio comedy presenters is second to none

The Jonathon Ross show on BBC Radio 2 is fantastic. I used to plan my Saturday morning around it, when I lived in England.

raven136

Cole wrote: »

The Jonathon Ross show on BBC Radio 2 is fantastic. I used to plan my Saturday morning around it, when I lived in England.

pure class,did anyone hear him unterrupt the russell brand show a few weeks back.One of the funniest pieces of radio i have heard in a long time.Check out the Russel Brand podcast if you havent heard it.

tbh

Guys - we want to keep this thread as clutter free as possible. Therefore, if you agree with someone, please thank their post, or write your own post (please don't reply to someone else's post). If you don't agree with someone's choice, you'll just have to let it go.

humberklog

Chris Evans.
He stuck a slab of semtex under the remaining dusty jocks on radio1 and in doing so dragged BR1 in the 21st century where once again it became the standard for contempory music and light entertainment. R1 was choking on it's own vomit before his arrival. A ginger hero!


John Peel (just out of respect).

Fago!

I think Ray Foley is an asset to the radio world.

I like the way he can identify with his young listeners aswell as the older ones. The music he plays is great and he's a good laugh.

He can make light of any situation and is inventive with his features.

He has all the characteristics of a good presenter.

psychic-hack

The real heroes of radio are the radio engineers.
Long hours, terrible conditions sometimes, dedication and intelligence!

Without these guys, none of the above would ever get heard.

humberklog

psychic-hack wrote: »

The real heroes of radio are the radio engineers.
Long hours, terrible conditions sometimes, dedication and intelligence!

Without these guys, none of the above would ever get heard.

I'll see your slightly askew take and raise you a Marconi.

Dudess

Dave Fanning - excellent taste in music, excellent interviewer with extraordinary knowledge, nice relaxed down-to-earth style, articulate and witty.

Latchy

As mod mike said , Kenny Everett for his zany radio persona which he sucessfully moved to tv .

He played these amazing jingles and funny outakes in between records ,all made by himself and probably the best, and funniest at sending everybody up ( including himself )

Alan freeman , an icon of british radio for his presentation skills .

John Peel , like Everett a rebel who played what he liked ,not what he was told to and by his own rules .

Fago!

I think KC on Red Fm in cork is a great radio Presenter.

He does a fantastic show and he always has something to make you laugh!

suckslikeafox

I agree with whoever said Ray Foley, without a doubt the funniest man on raido today.

At a time when most shows think you need Gift Grub style sketches to be funny Foley and his crew do it with genuine wit and a touch of insanity. Pet death notices, who else could make that funny?

irish_bob

suckslikeafox wrote: »

I agree with whoever said Ray Foley, without a doubt the funniest man on raido today.

At a time when most shows think you need Gift Grub style sketches to be funny Foley and his crew do it with genuine wit and a touch of insanity. Pet death notices, who else could make that funny?

ray foley isnt bad but where i would fault him is , he is so sure of how funny he is

tSubh Dearg

Can I just take this opportunity to remind people posting in this thread to read the rules set out at the top.

This means, no responding to other people's posts, you are only to talk about your own Hero of Radio.

bbability

Colm Hayes - This man has been at the centre of entertaining radio for over twenty years. He has been the centre of radio in Ireland for over 30 years and his name certainly deserves to be up on this thread for his contribution to Irish radio especially to breakfast radio for the past 15 years in Dublin where his shows were at the top of the ratings.


Jason Maine - For me in my early years of life this man was the voice of radio. I wanted his voice. To date it has to be one of the best voices Irish radio listeners have had the pleasure to listen to. In the later years on 104 and Q102, he was the voice of overnights. I know hundreds of people who hated working nights but loved listening to the Ace with the Pace or The man with the Plan. Long live people and voices like Jason Maine. Irish Radio needs him back behind the mic.

DT100

The staff of Harbour Hotel:D

Quint

Off The Ball
Eoin McDevitt, Ken Early, Murph, Simon Poshboy Hick etc. The best show on radio by a mile. First thought it would be rubbish when Ger Gilroy left, but it's actually better with Eoin McDevitt. They get in amazing people to interview and get in world class pundits on whatever sport they're talking about. The only let down is Roddy Collins on the Eircom League section. The show is amazing except for this joke - like a perfectly cooked t-bone steak a bird shat on. Get rid of Roddy and get in ANYONE - and it's the perfect show