98Fm

Ray Dio

The latest JNLR's are out and 98Fm has suffered probably the worst book in the stations history recording a market share of 7.7% and are now level with their sister station, Spin.

When they dropped to an 8% share they questioned the Ispos/MRBI survey methods and even conducted their own research (which they never released, one wonders why if Ispos/MRBI are "wrong"!)

Compare their current ratings to their historic rival Fm104's 12.2% and you quickly realise there's a huge problem.. but what is it? What would you do to improve the station?

IMHO, the problem starts with breakfast. They have to have one of the worst shows in the country!!

stevek93

I quite like 98Fm.

smcgiff

stevek93 wrote: »

I quite like 98Fm.

Damned with faint praise

stevek93

In saying that it wouldn't be my first choice of radio.

gavindowd

Dermot and Dave at breakfast, Mike and Orla at Drivetime

end of the road

gavindowd wrote: »

Dermot and Dave at breakfast, Mike and Orla at Drivetime

and either move the time of or get rid of the talk show at night. don't know why they put it on that time anyway its not as if its ever going to get higher ratings then the fm104 phone show.

JamesReeves

end of the road wrote: »

and either move the time of or get rid of the talk show at night. don't know why they put it on that time anyway its not as if its ever going to get higher ratings then the fm104 phone show.

With the phoneshow and the Joan Lea show they aim for a different demographic, usually the Joan lea show is more, to make a stereotypical comment here, old biddies ringing in for a chat more than anything.

Dermont & Dave are brilliant..

Jimmy Bottlehead

JamesReeves wrote: »

With the phoneshow and the Joan Lea show they aim for a different demographic, usually the Joan lea show is more, to make a stereotypical comment here, old biddies ringing in for a chat more than anything.

Dermont & Dave are brilliant..

I honestly (hand on heart) don't know how the hell Joan Lea is left on air, if she's not an elaborate joke being played on the listeners. I can't stand anything about her - her voice, her forceful opinions, the fact she encourages some listeners who she agrees with while shouting over those which she doesn't agree with.... she just typifies what is wrong with radio in Ireland these days.

malcolmplex

They're too safe with their playlists,though I suspect this could be levelled at a lot of music stations in the country.

heybaby

malcolmplex wrote: »

They're too safe with their playlists,though I suspect this could be levelled at a lot of music stations in the country.

I would agree. Most commercial stations are duplicates of eachother from a playlist perspective. Maroon 5, katy perry, lady ga ga, one direction, jessie j, ollie murs make up much of today's playlist. Throw in the odd token irish tune and an oldie and right there you have one hours radio, repeat ad nauseum. Radio stations seem loathe to break new songs or for the sake of variety play music from artists that dont make the top 20. Except for local news / current affairs programmes all radio is now homogenised countrywide.

Cienciano

I think 98 and 104 have been so bad for so long there's little they can do. They both have a name for being stereotypical terrible radio. "Zany" morning presenters, same 10 chart songs on repeat, jingles about how great they are on constantly.

heybaby

Cienciano wrote: »

I think 98 and 104 have been so bad for so long there's little they can do. They both have a name for being stereotypical terrible radio. "Zany" morning presenters, same 10 chart songs on repeat, jingles about how great they are on constantly.

FM104 are truly dire and so devoid of personality its shocking, it speaks volumes about the greater dublin listenership they have been so brainwashed by its blandness that they dont know any different. But at least fm 104 know what they are and have benefitted from 98 fm's collapse and q102's decline. Spin is probably the most exciting station musicwise in dublin because they arent afraid to break new artists and generally they get their audience better than the rest.

GSF

A lot of radio snob's who want to run down FM104 which must be giving its listeners what it wants if it is the clear market leader in Dublin's music stations.

UTV have got the market proposition clear - Q102 for older listeners; FM104 for younger listeners.

Communicorp is all over the place - Spin & 98 seem to be competing with each other. Phantom is a dead loss and NewsTalk is creatively bankrupt. Only TodayFm is working well. I'm sure they will find a way to screw that up soon.

heybaby

GSF wrote: »

A lot of radio snob's who want to run down FM104 which must be giving its listeners what it wants if it is the clear market leader in Dublin's music stations.

UTV have got the market proposition clear - Q102 for older listeners; FM104 for younger listeners.

Communicorp is all over the place - Spin & 98 seem to be competing with each other. Phantom is a dead loss and NewsTalk is creatively bankrupt. Only TodayFm is working well. I'm sure they will find a way to screw that up soon.

Nothing to do with being a radio snob, I simply find fm104 a very dull station, i find their breakfast show juvenile and their jocks lack any personality. FM104 has been successful because it has appealed to the lowest common denominator and thus a broad demographic, and it hasnt fiddled with that policy.

Simultaneously 98 fm has twisted and turned and attempted to redefine itself and and lost its audience in the process. 98 fm has not whatsoever competed for spin's listeners, they are two very different stations, from music to their jocks, there is simply zero comparison.

As regards communicorp, Today fm is a success no doubt at the expense of 2fm's complete lack of identity, newstalk is a terrific station and is also a success considering they're pitted against the heavy hitters in montrose. Phantom is on life support and right now is as relevant as RnaG. 98fm need to sort out their house, do they go older or younger?

Q102 are in a bit of bother, I think listeners have become fatigued with their 'more music less talk', and very very limited playlist, their jocks also lack personality ,but their saving grace is that 4fm and 98 fm are currently so poor numbers wise. If it was 3 years ago and 4fm had just started in their current incarnation, q would have a big problem, but i think 4fm will run out of money and time before long.

I don't know about now as I haven't listened to 98FM for years, but when I did listen to them back in 2007 it was as if their playlist had changed very little since the last time I had listened to them in 1996. Sure there was some newer stuff, but they were still playing Hot Chocolate, Alannah Myles and The Communards.

robo

Just heard this morning that Claire & Aidan are leaving 98FM - they announced it themselves, their final show is Thursday - do you reckon Dermot & Dave are moving back to breakfast??

Ray Dio

robo wrote: »

Just heard this morning that Claire & Aidan are leaving 98FM - they announced it themselves, their final show is Thursday - do you reckon Dermot & Dave are moving back to breakfast??

Heard that myself. A good move by the 98Fm hierarchy, but one made far to late. Rumour on the street is that D&D are to return to breakfast with Brian Mc Caul returning to the station for drive.

Wasn't the D&D move to drive in the first place because they had enough of the early starts? So what is the longevity in this move?

smunchkins

Ah now I'd have to disagree.
I'd listened to Ian Dempsey for about the last 15 years or so but was getting tired of the same old stuff so switched to Aidan and Claire about 4 months ago and I must say I immensely enjoyed their energy and dynamics.
Dermot and Dave are great too, so that will be some consolation, but I also appreciated the gender parity in the show. Its a huge shame they are going.

robo

Listen to both TodayFM & 98FM - like both. I think the chemistry between A&S was good! Loved the Dublin or nothing quiz.

gavindowd

Can't weight, I no-longer have to use the iPod at breakie!!

stargazer 68

smunchkins wrote: »

so switched to Aidan and Claire about 4 months ago and I must say I immensely enjoyed their energy and dynamics.
Dermot and Dave are great too, so that will be some consolation, but I also appreciated the gender parity in the show. Its a huge shame they are going.

Aidan and Claire are okay - not a patch on D&D in the morning though. Brian McCall is taking over the breakfast in the interim. Now I listened to him when A&C were on hols - wasn't impressed. Might have to find a new station - thing is I love the competitions on 98!

gavindowd

Dovies wrote: »

Aidan and Claire are okay - not a patch on D&D in the morning though. Brian McCall is taking over the breakfast in the interim. Now I listened to him when A&C were on hols - wasn't impressed. Might have to find a new station - thing is I love the competitions on 98!

Maybe they should bring back Deck Pierce who was there up till 10/10 (I think!!), then went to Dubai and now is on CH4fm. He was on drive for the Dublin's 98 era I think

smurfs5

gavindowd wrote: »

Maybe they should bring back Deck Pierce who was there up till 10/10 (I think!!), then went to Dubai and now is on CH4fm. He was on drive for the Dublin's 98 era I think

Yeah, Pierce used to do drivetime. Pierce made a comeback a few months ago and covered the Friday night show once which was weird. Whether he would be available to do a full-time show is unknown but I would like to see him come back to the station full-time for a weekday slot.
Maybe it's a bit extreme, but why don't they move D&D to breakfast, promote Steven Cooper to Drivetime, put Darragh O'Dea on 1-4 and give the 7pm slot to Brian Mc Caul. Personally, I quite like Cooper and thinks he deserves the promotion instead of a new presenter.

mtjm

Don't think Dec will be back in 98FM, reason I'd say is back when Andy moved to PD in 98Fm he pouched Dec from FM104 once Andy gotten into Classic Hits 4FM he got Dec to move to that station when he was back Dublin, I've notice that Andy had pouched few from FM104 to 98FM and some from 98FM are in Classic Hits 4FM

Travismccoy

Dec started on 98FM in 2006, nothing to do with Andy Matthews.

Dec had also been out of radio when he started in 4FM, he wasn't working in 98FM so he wasn't pouched.

BTW, it's poached.

marley123

Hadn't listened to it in a while & seems to be someone new doing it?

mtjm

marley123 wrote: »

Hadn't listened to it in a while & seems to be someone new doing it?

They left last Thursday

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056713114&page=2

bbability

It was never going to compete with the strawberry alarm clock.

chilloutrelax

Any news on who will be the new team??

gavindowd

Dermot and Dave, as said

chilloutrelax

gavindowd wrote: »

Dermot and Dave, as said

we will see