Radio stations outside of Dublin are stuck in the 90s

qwert2

When I venture out of Dublin now and again I tune into local radio stations. Stations such as Kildare FM, Louoth/Meath FM, Tipp FM, Clare FM, Midlands radio etc.

I can't help notice that a lot of the music they play is from the 90s! Nauseating easy listening stuff like M People, Sting, Alanis Morissette, Seal, and a lot of one hit wonders.

What the **** is going on?

Solair

It's a bit hard to generalise about "inside Dublin" and "outside Dublin". It's more 'urban' vs 'rural'.

The midlands radio stations are definitely not very cutting-edge in terms of programming and seem to aim at a very middle-of-the-road audience, but if that's what sells, that's what they do. Most of them are doing quite well in their respective markets.

There's a bit of a hit & memories / classic hits formula used by some of them alright, but then again you have to remember the demographic they're targeting is possibly older and they are trying to be an alternative to, rather than to go head-to-head with TodayFM and 2FM.

You couldn't really call Cork's RedFM or 96FM stuck in the 90s. Although, 96fm actually does specific 80s/90s themed shows (similar to Today FM). However they've a large urban market and huge penetration.

Same goes for the big regional stations like iRadio and Beat.

I was surprised though at how dated Galway Bay sounded, for a station that's got quite a large urban market.

Also, as far as I am aware, apart from the local stations in Dublin and Cork and the new regional ones, every other local radio station in Ireland still does obituaries. One or two even play the Angelus !

qwert2

Yeah good point. I should really change that to rural stations. Cork radio stations and other city radio stations are comparable to Dublin stations

ButtersSuki

qwert2 wrote: »

Yeah good point. I should really change that to rural stations. Cork radio stations and other city radio stations are comparable to Dublin stations

I was in a taxi from the airport to home last Friday afternoon. Taxi driver was listening to 2FM - the National YOUTH Station. They were playing Bryan Adams......

Solair

ButtersSuki wrote: »

I was in a taxi from the airport to home last Friday afternoon. Taxi driver was listening to 2FM - the National YOUTH Station. They were playing Bryan Adams......

I don't think 2FM really is a 'national youth station'. Well, it might have been in 1979, but it's a mixed-format music station with a hell of a lot of talk in the mornings. It'd call it more of a general music station / entertainment station like Today FM.

I would prefer to see 2FM doing a lot more of an alternative playlist and being a platform for getting new and interesting music out there. It does a bit of that with its late-night schedule, but its day-time schedule is pure chewing-gum stuff.

Given that it's an RTE station, I'd rather see it doing something a bit more public-service broadcast oriented for music.

There are plenty of commercial operators out there who can do play-listed background music 24/7.

ButtersSuki

Solair wrote: »

ButtersSuki wrote: »

I was in a taxi from the airport to home last Friday afternoon. Taxi driver was listening to 2FM - the National YOUTH Station. They were playing Bryan Adams......

I don't think 2FM really is a 'national youth station'. Well, it might have been in 1979, but it's a mixed-format music station with a hell of a lot of talk in the mornings. It'd call it more of a general music station / entertainment station like Today FM.

I would prefer to see 2FM doing a lot more of an alternative playlist and being a platform for getting new and interesting music out there. It does a bit of that with its late-night schedule, but its day-time schedule is pure chewing-gum stuff.

Given that it's an RTE station, I'd rather see it doing something a bit more public-service broadcast oriented for music.

There are plenty of commercial operators out there who can do play-listed background music 24/7.

I've been to RTE connerciak gigs where they have spouted that line, I was quoting directly!

Another fave was a pitch from an RTE Radio Sales guy (occupational hazard) who said "2FM in Ireland are the same as BBC Radio 1 in the UK". No, it's not. It's about as far removed from that as is possible.

I'm just astonished so many people still listen to it. But then again, people in Ireland watch Killinaskully and The Rose of Tralee....

Solair

It's more like a weird combination of BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2.

ThisRegard

qwert2 wrote: »

I can't help notice that a lot of the music they play is from the 90s! Nauseating easy listening stuff like M People, Sting, Alanis Morissette, Seal, and a lot of one hit wonders.

What the **** is going on?

Sounds much better to me than the rubbish you hear on stations playing 'modern' music.

mike65

God I hate Dubs!

cursai

Rubbish. The 'planet other than dublin' stations are just as good. Just more defined for regional tastes.
By the way most 'planet dublin' stations are aimed at the national population and not just dubs. they just happen to be in Dublin. Which brings them down in quality a lot of time.
Imagine Joe Duffy taking callers from connemara. "ah sure it'll be grand Joe" instead of "whinge whine curse swear showing my lack of class".

Cienciano

OP, seriously, you're missing nothing. If you want to hear music the only answer is to have an mp3 player with your own stuff on it.
The radio for music just doesn't work imho

Solair

The JNLRs split the stations into pretty much their real audiences too.

Co. Dublin (Mainly urban)
Co. Cork (Mainly urban)
Southeast (Mainly rural)
Southwest (Mainly rural)
Northwest (Mainly rural)
North and mid east (Mainly rural)
Multi-City (Exclusively Urban)
Dublin Commuter (Mainly urban)

shabba man

Interest thread. In general I would agree, although there are a few notable exceptions. My biggest gripe with the 'rural' stations is that they are proliferated with the standard radio cliches. Often seems to me that the presenters talk at the listener, rather than to him/her. I have often ask myself why PD's don't cut out the cliches and crutches. The only answer that I have come up with is that due to lack of experience, they simply don't see these things as being very annoying to the listener. I know of one station that has been running in it's current format for almost 10 years, and never during that time has a presenter been air-checked. One particular drive time show in the Leinster area is like listening to retro radio with features like 'The backwards quiz' and 'Forgotten 45'. So I would think that some are stuck in the 80's. To have a feature called 'Forgotten 45' is laughable, as nobody under 30 years old has a clue what a '45' is/was. It could have been called 'lost classics' or something like that, but no, that would take the 1980's ethos away.

steelcityblues

I think the OP is being generous in saying the 90s.

skeleton_boy

Whatever could you mean op

gavindowd

Just spent a week in Radio Kerry and I have to say, its one of the best local stations in Ireland.
++Weeshie Fogarty is a legend down there!