brainwash fm

Insect Overlord

Ok, I'm starting this thread with a bit of a rant, because it's late and I got very little sleep last night. I'll try to put more substance into my points tomorrow.

Basically, I'm getting seriously annoyed with Spin Southwest FM. I just find everything about it completely repulsive. The music playlist is awful. The 5 word weather gimmick is a mockery of the meteorological system. The advertising is not only repetitive, but is also delivered in a hideous NYC accent, with sound-bites thrown in left, right and centre for no apparent reason. The DJs (and I use that term loosely) chat away about serious news items the same way they'd discuss a bad take-away, then rant on about how great the "celebrity" in their entertainment news section is.

The music, the advertising of products/services/places, the endless self-pimping and the general content of their links are focused entirely on self-gratifying, immediate-satisfaction-or-it's-not-important, party-or-you're-not-cool bullshit. The whole thing stinks of idiocy, skewed perspective on reality and an ethos that the sole ambition of youth should be to get rich, go clubbing, buy stuff and make love in this club.

Now, the obvious solution would be to find another station, or play an MP3. I do this whenever it's possible. Unfortunately, I often find myself a passenger in other people's cars, and they want to listen to Spin while they drive. I have no control over what radio station I hear in the gym or in some shops. I can't avoid it around Limerick!

Does anyone else in here share my pain? Or am I in the elitist, snobby minority?

talkingclock

honest to god - i never tuned into this station. and now i know why. since Radio Room 101 aka limerick life95fm ("All your worst fears come true") i lost all hope regarding private radio stations.

so just don't tune in anymore!

MarkR

The ghetto style news reporting makes me cringe. The presenters always have the same formula for any conversation. They read something out, they ask Do you think *insert agreeing statement there*, or do you *insert opposite here*. All the time.

I do switch it on for background music if I can't get anything but farm reports, but it's pretty bad sometimes!

JerryHandbag

Sounds just like ****e95Fm so....take your mp3 player with you and use it while being a car passenger...be a snob! No-one should have to listen to that garbage...

Poxyshamrock

No one's forcing you to listen to it, so why are you complaining?

Limerick Dude

The worst thing is when after they finished reading out the news they say, "And thats the low down" .......*shudder*
:rolleyes:

vkid

its awful alright. Those two on during the day on the "talk show" are the worst radio chat show hosts ever..

Insect Overlord

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

No one's forcing you to listen to it, so why are you complaining?

I'm complaining because it's my right to express an opinion.

Aside from that being blatantly obvious, I ocassionaly do feel as though I'm forced to listen to it. I often get lifts in the same car as my younger sister, who's in the habit of calling shotgun. This gives her control of the radio. And, no matter what time of the day, she always wants to listen to Spin (as a family, we gave up on 95fm's breakfast show years ago).

My problem is not just with the incredible lack of quality/talent which Spin possesses, but also with the influence of their mind-numbing ethos as a station. One of their soundbites is as follows: "We're not exactly Morning Ireland". It sums up pretty much everything about them: i) they have no interest in anything remotely important in the real world, ii) they promote the idea that ignorance and nonchalence are positive qualities, iii) they infer that celebrity, excess and indulgence are what its young listenership should strive towards.

Until you see the effects of this first-hand it's quite hard to take it seriously, I'll admit that. But when your younger siblings and their friends spend so much of their time listening to crap, and then giving out to you "because you think way too much", it becomes all too clear.

krudler

This is why i never listen to the radio, I've had my current car for just over a year and have yet to tune in a radio station on the stereo, i have an mp3 player with a random playlist, better than anything Spin will ever play and its stuff i acually want to listen to, the lack of obnoxious dj with annoying irish/american put on accent is only a bonus

mud

:mad: the spinnies in their motherforking minis were in Shannon on Sat, whole area covered in burst spinfm balloons this morning

utter rot!


Have serious aversion to Limerick's live (live) 95fm

worked out in Hell in Raheen for a few years, you'd think twelve hour graveyard shifts would be bad enough but no! was forced to listen to late night love then a repeat of some god awful chat show that was rubbish the first time round!

ggrrrrrrr:mad:

Roadend

I've only heard spin SW once and it was around lunch time. Hearing DJ's barely out of short pants dispensing life advice to teens with
"problems" was nothing short of hilarious. I thought it was a comedy station.

anoble66

i think you have to be under 25 to be able to listen to that station....cant stand it. Usually switch between TodayFm, Newstalk and the Ipod.....lets be honest...most of the stations during the day are bad..

Limerick Dude

Today Fm is probably the only radio station i would listen to consistently, maybe 2fm here and there, the rest make my skin crawl.

bazz26

At least they don't have Len Dineen (yet)!

JerryHandbag

krudler wrote: »

This is why i never listen to the radio, I've had my current car for just over a year and have yet to tune in a radio station on the stereo, i have an mp3 player with a random playlist, better than anything Spin will ever play and its stuff i acually want to listen to, the lack of obnoxious dj with annoying irish/american put on accent is only a bonus

Same here I havent bothered replacing my car aerial, cant tune in any stations and I think its no loss...so glad of my ipod and Cds:D

LadyTBolt

vkid wrote: »

its awful alright. Those two on during the day on the "talk show" are the worst radio chat show hosts ever..

+1

The lunchtime chatshow hosts are totally brutal. They try to have a text in/phone in public discussion about topics they have not got a clue about. The guy isn't too bad as he seems down to earth but the girl is painful. I used to listen when they first came on air as the people ringing in were funny but now I just can't do it anymore.

grenache

Spin SW is pretty awful, no doubt about it, i didn't think you could find a station worse than Sh*te 95fm but Spin ticks all the boxes. To say that some of the presenters are amateur-ish would be a major understatment. Most of the male presenters sound like pre-pubescent school boys and the female ones should just be given crash courses in humour. The phone in show in the afternoon, Spin Talks Back, is the worst excuse for entertainment i have yet to come across, they are so so bad. West Limerick 102 is only a community based volunteer radio station and yet it is 10 times more professional than Spin. I really feel sorry for the people of Limerick having to listen to such rubbish.

brousuka

I find Spin SW a great station, no really I do! The voices of those 2 who present the daytime chat show scares all the crows away from my back garden when I turn up the volume! I swear, it actually happens. Tried it with most other stations but does'nt work. Thanks Spin SW!!!

Sabre0001

Sometimes it's fine - I like the 10hits in a row because there's less chatter. Don't like it - CDs, MP3s, other radio stations...It's not like it's the only one to be fair...

vkid

brousuka wrote: »

I find Spin SW a great station, no really I do! The voices of those 2 who present the daytime chat show scares all the crows away from my back garden when I turn up the volume! I swear, it actually happens. Tried it with most other stations but does'nt work. Thanks Spin SW!!!

Brilliant. Probably would work too..anyone would run from those two eejits.

mud

Sabre0001 wrote: »

Sometimes it's fine - I like the 10hits in a row because there's less chatter. Don't like it - CDs, MP3s, other radio stations...It's not like it's the only one to be fair...

no . .. . but it's the one being discussed, I found my mp3 player in a puddle of coke last week so haven't much choice now, it's either cringe radio or me singing out loud and getting really frustrated when I can't remember the words

local radio stations round here have pretty much disappeared into farcical realms but it must work on the gen pop as it's been going on for a long time now, I just don't think that a radio station should actually make me angry, maybe it's my prob and not theirs




but *I* think it's theirs :cool:

ergonomics

I listened to it once and happened to catch the news. They referred to the government as 'Brian Cowen and his posse'. I think that's enough reason to turn off for now and forever.

talkingclock

can we agree now that Limerick is accomodating 2 of the worst stations that this country has? for ye splitting hairs: i know that raheen is technically county limerick...

another down for the city.

Liam Byrne

While I can see where the OP and other posters are coming from, it's unfortunately a reflection on the current trivia/fashion/"celeb" obsessed society.

Scan through most of the Sky TV channels and you'll get the same brain-dead "infotainment" or whatever the hell they're calling it these days.....

So - because it applies across the board - it's a little harsh to single out Spin for it; even relatively ok stations like Today FM have an annoying habit of including Big Bother updates in their news stories while that's on, and there's a MASSIVE case of "the emperor's new clothes" when the media conspires to "make" something rubbish seem important or cool.

As for the comments about Limerick playing host to 2 of the worst stations - remember that Spin is part of a franchise - the same franchise whose Dublin version refused to say "Limerick" and used a well-known "colloqualism" when referring to the city in a "news" bulletin, and this was long before the "South-West" version came on air.

So the question has to be asked: why did the BCI licence it, knowing from the Dublin version what it would be like ? and why did local people buy in to the franchise, knowing what it was like and how it referred to Limerick ?

The answer : the "youth" market has disposable income and this same youth market is relatively brain-dead when it comes to peer pressure and the urge to feel "cool".

Yes, it's brain-dead radio - no argument there. But it's also unfair to single it out as unique when there are similar brain-dead stations elsewhere and when Sky's TV listing is riddled with similar "Amy Winehouse's latest hairdo is more important than proper news" rubbish.

Chong

An Fhile wrote: »

Ok, I'm starting this thread with a bit of a rant, because it's late and I got very little sleep last night. I'll try to put more substance into my points tomorrow.

Basically, I'm getting seriously annoyed with Spin Southwest FM. I just find everything about it completely repulsive. The music playlist is awful. The 5 word weather gimmick is a mockery of the meteorological system. The advertising is not only repetitive, but is also delivered in a hideous NYC accent, with sound-bites thrown in left, right and centre for no apparent reason. The DJs (and I use that term loosely) chat away about serious news items the same way they'd discuss a bad take-away, then rant on about how great the "celebrity" in their entertainment news section is.

The music, the advertising of products/services/places, the endless self-pimping and the general content of their links are focused entirely on self-gratifying, immediate-satisfaction-or-it's-not-important, party-or-you're-not-cool bullshit. The whole thing stinks of idiocy, skewed perspective on reality and an ethos that the sole ambition of youth should be to get rich, go clubbing, buy stuff and make love in this club.

Now, the obvious solution would be to find another station, or play an MP3. I do this whenever it's possible. Unfortunately, I often find myself a passenger in other people's cars, and they want to listen to Spin while they drive. I have no control over what radio station I hear in the gym or in some shops. I can't avoid it around Limerick!

Does anyone else in here share my pain? Or am I in the elitist, snobby minority?

Hear Hear An Fhile, its pure tripe.

On the few occasions I have to endure it I felt like I was gonna go mental.

They call the guards "THE BOYS IN BLUE" shower of numpties, I hate the station.

Whats even more funny is when you see a bloke driving those ridculous pink mini's.

A fair and noble rant An Fhile, everyone agrees.

um7y1h83ge06nx

ergonomics wrote: »

I listened to it once and happened to catch the news. They referred to the government as 'Brian Cowen and his posse'. I think that's enough reason to turn off for now and forever.

Yeah, the news is bloody annoying.

They're trying too hard to be 'cool' and 'hip'

Another quote was "Berties and his cronies".

I really don't believe that in order to be modern you need to dumb everything down.

But then again as another poster said, look at Sky, tabloids etc.

Insect Overlord

+1 to everyone mentioning other examples in the media.

I'd noticed the same thing in Today FM's news items, but I could tolerate that as they usually make up for it with a decent mix of music. As for Sky, I only watch Sky 1 now for the Simpsons, I never watch Sky News, I make tea/go to the toilet/ get a snack during when there's adverts during Sports, and I only read the headlines on SSN. It's the same on BBC teletext (Ceefax), their entertainments section can usually be divided 80:20 in the crap to relevent stuff ratio.

My big problem with Spin is that it seems to offer no redeeming qualities. With all the other examples I can still find something I like, even it it's just for one hour out of their entire schedules. In the case of Spin, I get pissed off no matter what time of the day I hear it. Both my brother and my sister have it on in the car and around the house. I guess that's one of the problems of being the eldest in a family...

BarryCreed

The show as Gaeilge on Sunday mornings is good though!:pac:

gaf1983

Liam Byrne wrote: »

As for the comments about Limerick playing host to 2 of the worst stations - remember that Spin is part of a franchise - the same franchise whose Dublin version refused to say "Limerick" and used a well-known "colloqualism" when referring to the city in a "news" bulletin, and this was long before the "South-West" version came on air.

Didn't know that - was there a complaint made?

fatgav

BarryCreed wrote: »

The show as Gaeilge on Sunday mornings is good though!:pac:

you would say that :P

in all seriousness though, spin is a business aimed at a target market. i don't like the news as a listener, but on the times i have heard it i wouldn't be able to argue with their story selection in terms of the audience. i don't like the language, but if you're today's 'yoof' and you buy the sun/star then this is just a radio version of tabloid news. it's a station that lives and dies by it's music. if you like that, then it's perfect for you. if not...there's choice elsewhere

Liam Byrne

gaf1983 wrote: »

Didn't know that - was there a complaint made?

Made and upheld, but Spin 1038 "refused to apologise". **** [Disclaimer: That's a well-known colloquialism too! ]

http://www.radiowaves.fm/news/2004/April.shtml

Scroll down to "Friday 23rd April 2004" (about two-thirds of the way down).

Insect Overlord

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Made and upheld, but Spin 1038 "refused to apologise". **** [Disclaimer: That's a well-known colloquialism too! ]

http://www.radiowaves.fm/news/2004/April.shtml

Scroll down to "Friday 23rd April 2004" (about two-thirds of the way down).

Fucking wankers :mad:

Liam Byrne

No argument here...

I wonder did they ask - after the samuri incident in the pub in Dublin last year - if specialist Gardai would be drafted in from "Swords" ? :P

Probably not - cowards never sh*t on their own doorstep.

gaf1983

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Made and upheld, but Spin 1038 "refused to apologise". **** [Disclaimer: That's a well-known colloquialism too! ]

http://www.radiowaves.fm/news/2004/April.shtml

Scroll down to "Friday 23rd April 2004" (about two-thirds of the way down).

Not only were they offensive but inaccurate too:

Also, the Commission noted that the news item in question related to a shooting that took place in Adare and not in Limerick city.

Liam Byrne

gaf1983 wrote: »

Not only were they offensive but inaccurate too:

Ah don't you know that there aren't any "real" cities outside Dublin, so a city & a county can easily be confused by those jackeens.... :P

Seriously though - are you surprised ? Doesn't even the name of the station give a clue to the level of Spin they're likely to put on a story ?

On the odd occasion that I'd actually hear Spin's "news" :rolleyes:, I'd take it with the same grain of salt that I'd need when reading any of the "Oirish" tabloids, Sunday World, or Sunday Indo.

grenache

Liam Byrne wrote: »

this was long before the "South-West" version came on air.

You can guess even by the stations geographically incorrect name that it was set up by some clueless Dubliner. The area that Spin covers (Limerick, Clare, North Tipp, North Kerry) is not even in the South West for gods sake, its the Mid West!!!!

Liam Byrne

grenache wrote: »

You can guess even by the stations geographically incorrect name that it was set up by some clueless Dubliner. The area that Spin covers (Limerick, Clare, North Tipp, North Kerry) is not even in the South West for gods sake, its the Mid West!!!!

Hmmm.....I don't know about that; I know we've mentioned the Dublin version in the thread, but Spin SW is a separate station that just uses the franchise name & logo, as well as a few recorded interviews and inserts.

And doesn't Mid-West Radio - in MAYO :eek: have the luxury of being the first "geographically incorrect" name ?

Of course, with "Dublin's 98FM" actually on 98.1, "FM104" actually on 104.4 to confuse your radio/RDS display, as well as 100-102 Today FM on 105.5 in parts of the country, naming of stations doesn't seem to be something they hired the bright sparks of this country to do! :P :rolleyes:

RINO87

i know i slated 95 in an earlier thread, but in fairness spin is a business, there to make money, not to provide a public service, they have a target market and have to please them, it not their fault that youth culture has gone head first down the jacks!!

Insect Overlord

RINO87 wrote: »

i know i slated 95 in an earlier thread, but in fairness spin is a business, there to make money, not to provide a public service, they have a target market and have to please them, it not their fault that youth culture has gone head first down the jacks!!

I agree with you up to a point. It's true that there's been a serious degeneration in the quality of what is accepted in popular culture. Personally I blame the Spice Girls :cool: From a technical point of view, a lot of the most popular songs played on Spin are quite complex in their production. Rhianna, Kanye West and Justin Timberlake have people behind them with serious knowledge of how to make effective pop music.

However, I believe that since Spin began targetting their current market, they have made a concerted effort to keep them hooked. They're doing this with the constant repetition of themes and ideas in their news, music, soundbites and other features. This can have a direct effect on the psyche of anyone who listens often enough.
They may not have sent youth culture down the jacks, but they certainly are helping to flush them further down.