Mid West Radio

WesternZulu

Just wondering whats peoples opinions on mid west radio?

Personally, my god, i think its awful (well if your under the age of 50, otherwise its brilliant).

From listening to other local and regional radio stations, they seem to be a lot better.

M cebee

great for the music in the late afternoons-when i'm workin

couldn't listen to it oherwise

threebeards

WesternZulu wrote: »

Just wondering whats peoples opinions on mid west radio?

Personally, my god, i think its awful (well if your under the age of 50, otherwise its brilliant).

From listening to other local and regional radio stations, they seem to be a lot better.

To me as a 30 something, the music etc is muck but it has to be looked at in isolation. I don't know the stats but I imagine the demographic they're after is the 45 plus age group and mainly in rural areas. To older country people it's a God send in that they get the local news and views which is vital. I always recall years ago in my Grandfathers house (which was a typical farm), when the postman arrived with the Irish Independent (yeah he used to deliver the papers as well), everything was dropped until the Death Notices were read from the paper - this is a real old Ireland thing. Now Mid West read the Death Notices twice a day and I can only guess that the listenership figures at both times of the day are higher then than at any other point during the day.

Like any other regional radio station, they try to vary the content; from David Cawley in the morning which is probably as contemporary as the music gets, to the West of Ireland version of Liveline with Tommy Marren where issues local, national and international are discussed according to the tone of the phonecalls received, to the God awful Paul Claffey who really has become something of a cult figure in Mayo/Roscommon.

Another area that's huge is the whole local sports thing. Angelina McHugh has become a household name in the West as a result of her sporting knowledge and presentation. At the weekends, anybody interested in club football, hurling, soccer, basketball etc will be kept right up to date with scores or results. You can be guaranteed that any major game involving the Mayo footballers will be broadcast on MWR which has also propelled Mike Finnerty as a commentator onto television screens with Setanta Ireland.

One thing is for certain, Mid West Radio is much more than just a radio station - it's a brand and a bloody huge one at that. You could have a concert/musical in the TF in Castlebar with poor ticket sales but if MWR put their name to it, it becomes a sell out immediately. For example, there are plans in advanced stages for a musical based on the life of Monsignor James Horan and the whole Knock Airport thing to take place later this year and Mid West have already put their name behind it. Mark my words, that musical will become an instant sell out and will gain a huge profile because of Mid West - that's the power of Claffey. While I don't like him, just like Michael O'Leary, he saw a market and went for it and for all his blackguarding on the radio he's a very astute and driven businessman.

Mid West Radio, while it might not be yours or my cup of tea, is so powerful in the West of Ireland that it will survive, thrive and will be here for a hell of a long time to come.

WesternZulu

True, there is some good stuff on it, like the local sports coverage for one.

But the music, its like an orgy of continuous bad irish country and western music played nearly all day.

Sometimes id listen to Galway Bay and we can just about get Clare FM here. What them stations do compared to Mid West is that they mix it up a lot more, you have your regular music and there is also shows for the older audiences that enjoy country and western music, fair is fair, everybody is kept happy. With mid west its like we will play as much garbage as we can and if you don't like tht type of music well tough. Its meant to be regional radio station to cater for all...not just the stuff that Paul Claffey is into.

threebeards

WesternZulu wrote: »

True, there is some good stuff on it, like the local sports coverage for one.

But the music, its like an orgy of continuous bad irish country and western music played nearly all day.

Sometimes id listen to Galway Bay and we can just about get Clare FM here. What them stations do compared to Mid West is that they mix it up a lot more, you have your regular music and there is also shows for the older audiences that enjoy country and western music, fair is fair, everybody is kept happy. With mid west its like we will play as much garbage as we can and if you don't like tht type of music well tough. Its meant to be regional radio station to cater for all...not just the stuff that Paul Claffey is into.

I agree 100% with you about the music but Claffey isn't stupid - you're right about him playing the stuff that he's into, and by "into" I mean acts that he can potentially make a € out of i.e. he tends to self promote simply because when he runs his holiday packages from Knock to wherever, it's no coincidence that his "favourite" acts are the ones playing on the holiday tours. Paul Claffey "plc" is a thriving business and you have to take your hat off to him for that. He knows his market and exploits it brilliantly. Thankfully we have some quality national radio stations (Newstalk being my station of choice at the moment). I work on the road and tend to flick through stations depending on where I am but to me the regional stations are much of a muchness.

Asmodean

was working in ballina a couple of years ago and used to listen a good bit. music in the mornings and lunchtime was diabolical (almost identical to wexfords southeast radio) but the afternoon show wasnt the worst. the older presenters have some chip on their shoulder though! people were raging one day over how foxford was designated a village so i texted in and agreed that foxford is just a very small village. the presenter read out my text and started getting really defensive saying stuff like 'ah listen to this fella. he must obviously be from dublin!' i caught inklings of sentiments like that a lot of the time on midwest. bit of an insular attitude to have i reckon.

PogMoThoin

They should rename it TurFM

Terrible Horse shít, its a station for grannies

nuac

RMW - good for local news, death notices, sports coverage.

Some good presenters/ newscqsters. Like Tommy Marren, theresa O'Malley, Leamy McNally. Paul Claffey over-does the culchie accent and approach, makes me cringe.

M cebee

he does this 'favour of the day' where listeners vote(work!!) for midwest!

he's no daw claffey -he just sounds it

Neworder79

I agree with most of the comments, excellent for local news coverage, sport, and the morning topical call in show is usually good, and the occasional documentary/entertainment and special reports are well done.

Other than that the remaining 80% of programming is in my opinion diabolical and almost totally aimed at a narrow 50+ age group with a country & western theme and a nostalgia for the wonderful old conservative Ireland of the 50s. No doubt there is a large market for traditional and country music, but to completely tailor a station to a declining interest and ignore all other audiences seem madness, don't they realise they have to diversify or they will lose most of their core audience to old age! Not that all people over 50 want this either, most of my seniors similarly dislike it.

Have they not noticed how the county and region has moved on and become a more dynamic modern place to live and work over the last 20 years. Cows, barn dances and militant catholics no longer have much relevance to the daily lives of most people in the region. What I really can't stand is the conservative religious (catholic) slant they take on many topics, constant ads for religious events with virtually no mention of any other faith, and giving airtime to the likes of Joe Coleman and any other religous nut that wants to call in and tel lus how to live. Not to sound anti catholic but it just seems a completely biased and unbalance position for a modern radio station.

And as for the death notices, I know they are useful but do they have to stick them at the beginning of the main news bulletin and make everyone sit through them!

happyoutscan

'Tis an awful shame our parents, grandmas and grandfathers have a radio station that they can listen to and enjoy, something that keeps them up to date with the goings on in their local communities isn't it???

Christ will ye get over it, if ye don't like it listen to something else like normal people do. You do have alternative choices so grow up and take them.

KoNiT

Morning show is pretty OK, afternoon is OK - Mid morning is entertainment for other people.

Community sense on the radio is very good - from missing kids to missing cattle..

School call outs ... no school today due to missing cow found in school..

Local road conditions called out in the morning too.

Death's call out is OK -I used to get miffed but not anymore.. must be getting old.

mista_2k10

Hate the tommy marren show. Theres always auld people ringing in complaining about things like television programs and what not

StudentDad

Mid West Radio .... I get subjected to it at work ... misery FM ...
*shudders at the thought of it*

SD

magnumlady

I really like the Paudric Walsh show in the afternoon.
Also last winter the radio station as a whole was great for keeping Sligo and Mayo updated about bad roads, schools closed etc.
I actually miss North West Radio....we now have Ocean and to try and find out any local information during the snow was beyond a joke.

whadabouchasir

happyoutscan wrote: »

Christ will ye get over it, if ye don't like it listen to something else like normal people do. You do have alternative choices so grow up and take them.

At least there's i102-104 for us young Wans!

loldog

threebeards wrote: »

For example, there are plans in advanced stages for a musical based on the life of Monsignor James Horan and the whole Knock Airport thing to take place later this year and Mid West have already put their name behind it.

That sounds appalling, I must go and see it.:)

.

Oscar Bravo

The best show on Midwest at the moment is the Classic Express which is on Monday-Friday 6pm-8pm.

Kristopherus

MWR = Mayo's Worst Rubbish.

Stroke Politics

For the brief time that I lived in Mayo, I remember it as THE RADIO STATION THAT SHOUTS AT YOU! Maybe it was for the hard of hearing, and I thought it was Knock Basilica FM, there was such a strong religious ethos to it, but proof of the pudding was in the listenership figures - consistently over 70% of market, so they knew their audience and what they liked. Wasn't to my particular taste, but good sport at the time, Liam Horan and Willie the Shoe was the one programme I'd listen to....

jkmanc1974

The Sport coverage on MWR is excellent, whilst the Late Late Lunchbox from 3pm to 5pm is quite good also with some decent music(think Padraig Walsh presents this)....

Could not abide either the Tommy Marren or Paul Claffey programmes in the mornings though(no fault of Tommy himself who is a good broadcaster however how some of the callers get allowed airtime in the first place is anyones guess!) however credit to PC, a very shrewd operator who is making plenty no doubt!!!

Brgds
Johnny