Marty Whelan: should he be on RTÉ lyric fm?

Rebelheart

What to say, or rather where to start with this individual's position as a presenter on Lyric FM. The fact that he has the prime drivetime slot every weekday morning makes it so much worse.

I have long since abandoned commercial radio and its tiresome predictable formulae and bland music. In particular, I find personality-based radio to be as woefully offensive as personality-based television.

In this context, I've always looked for an alternative on the radio. Lyric FM offered that in bucket loads. I barely know the names of the presenters, or at least I'd have to think about them. I do know, however, that if I turn on Lyric at a certain time I will get a mood, a theme, an atmosphere. It will almost invariably be calm and understated. The presenter will be in the background; the music will be in the foreground. That, to me, is the proper order of good radio. It will often enrich my life by playing a piece I had forgotten about. Better still, it will recurrently introduce me to new music, be it Spanish Renaissance music from Montserrat Figueras singing Este Galapaguito or Dors mon enfant or sublime music from somebody named Dustin O'Halloran, to take two of many examples. It is fresh. It's a station which enriches my musical world. The only Irish radio station which comes close to providing such a culturally stimulating alternative, albeit in linguistic terms, is RnaG when conversations are on.

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Leaving aside the less frequent "star" appearances by the even more egotistical waffler Gay Byrne, the sole exception to the above culture on RTÉ lyric fm is Marty Whelan. He talks incessantly. Incessantly. His music choices have a singular lack of coherence. At one moment he could be playing, Lord save us, Phil Collins - at another he could, if we're particularly lucky, choose the sublime Una Furtiva Lacrima. Mostly, though, he chooses to talk. Always, by his thoughtless, vacuous, trite, distended waffle he destroys the beauty of any tune or song he may have just played. Silence has its own beauty, and this presenter just cannot seem to capture it. It's as if he feels he would be redundant if he didn't say something, anything. And it is, alas, anything which always triumphs over something. He could step back, use only necessary, appropriate words and let the music in front. Instead, this show is about him, not about music. As such, it might as well be on any other "star"-driven commercial station. This was not what Lyric FM was established for. It was established to cater for people interested in minority music which was not catered for in the mainstream, and in particular to cater for the classical music audience of the FM3 which it replaced in 1999.

The particularly disappointing thing about his presence is that he has made no attempt to acclimatise with the culture of Lyric FM. Culturally, he sticks out like a barely controlled blusterous child every morning, the antithesis of what this calm, reserved station is supposed to be about. He simply seems so self-absorbed, so caught up in his own ego that he has absolutely no sensitivity to Lyric's listenership and why they listen to Lyric.

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Over two years since Marty Whelan began this morning slot, do you think he should be a presenter on Lyric FM?

mike65

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

already a mega thread on Martys tenure

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056013868

I had the misfortune to hear him this morning for the first time (never listen to Lyric esp during the breakfast hours) and he sounded like he'd escaped from, well 2FM. Utterly out of character with the station.

Rebelheart

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

mike65 wrote: »

already a mega thread on Martys tenure

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056013868

I had the misfortune to hear him this morning for the first time (never listen to Lyric esp during the breakfast hours) and he sounded like he'd escaped from, well 2FM. Utterly out of character with the station.

Yeah, I was contributing to it almost from the start, when Whelan started, but the poll is a bit dated now (as I mentioned in it a couple of weeks back).

pwurple

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

New poll is needed I think. He has had two years. He seems so uncomfortable with it still. I just don't understand how he hasn't settled into his stride yet. The monologues and put-on posh accents are awkward for radio. He seems more comfortable when there is someone else to talk to.

And for gods sake, stop mumbling the information about the pieces of music and competitions. I should listen to a playback some day and write down what he is saying word for word. I just can't decipher it. This morning was some smart-aleky routine about a hotel "Do you know the one I'm talking about..... but of course.... goes without saying and such... you know the one I'm sure, nod nod wink wink"

WTF? I have no clue what you are talking about Marty. Just fecking say it straight.

sdaniel

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

Having Marty in the Morning on Lyric FM has changed all my radio listening, which is I guess good in its way. I just can't stand him. Worst for me, worse than his peculiar taste in music, is that he always sounds anxious. His voice is filled with anxiety, the way Gay Byrne's is filled with malice. The last thing I need first thing in the morning is an uncertain program run by a guy who seems to have no self-esteem. I think he may be a secret classical music lover. When he does commercials for the Met in HD, he sounds confident. Is that because it's just a commercial, or because he likes opera? Who knows? But during the program he is fully capable of playing something wonderful by Joshua Bell, for instance, and remarking afterwards, "That's a pretty good fiddle." As though he is embarrassed to be caught possibly enjoying the sound of a violin. Anyway, having Marty piloting that important slot in the morning has changed everything. We get into the car about 6:30 am for an hour-long drive to work. Just before 7 I quickly grab a CD I have handy, whatever seems good to listen to, and we finish the drive that way. I listen to lots less of Lyric FM since Marty. I hear more of the news. I have more silence. I burn more playlists to disk. At home I have another classical station on the internet radio.

hawley

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

Lyric FM's Marty In The Morning was coming live all week from Italy, and very pleasant it was too, though is it just me or is the balance between classical and popular music on the show sliding a bit too heavily towards the latter?

As well as the usual jazz standards from Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, which are always welcome, Monday's show alone featured songs from Art Garfunkel, the Mamas and Papas, Santana, Van Morrison, Christopher Cross, Kim Carnes of Bette Davis Eyes fame, even, troublingly, the theme from EastEnders.


If regular listeners wanted that much pop music first thing in the morning, we'd listen to Breakfast Republic.
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/irish-radio-swears-by-the-silly-season-31404120.html#ts1t3

People who don't like classical music are even beginning to complain about how little he plays of it now.

hawley

hawley wrote: »

Lyric FM's Marty In The Morning was coming live all week from Italy, and very pleasant it was too, though is it just me or is the balance between classical and popular music on the show sliding a bit too heavily towards the latter?

As well as the usual jazz standards from Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, which are always welcome, Monday's show alone featured songs from Art Garfunkel, the Mamas and Papas, Santana, Van Morrison, Christopher Cross, Kim Carnes of Bette Davis Eyes fame, even, troublingly, the theme from EastEnders.


If regular listeners wanted that much pop music first thing in the morning, we'd listen to Breakfast Republic.
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/irish-radio-swears-by-the-silly-season-31404120.html#ts1t3

People who don't like classical music are even beginning to complain about how little he plays of it now.

I've never listened to Marty Whelan on Lyric FM so I'm quite surprised at the playlist.

The artists you've mentioned don't really fit in anywhere on mainstream RTE radio anymore. 2FM have decided to focus on teenagers and young adults. So where should older pop and AC music go? RTE Gold doesn't have the penetration and most of the time is little more than an iPod on shuffle - even the weekend shows sound pre-recorded. But Lyric FM isn't the place for it either.

serfboard

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

Karsini wrote: »

The artists you've mentioned don't really fit in anywhere on mainstream RTE radio anymore. 2FM have decided to focus on teenagers and young adults. So where should older pop and AC music go?

As I've said many times on this forum - onto a new channel called RTE Radio 1 Music (or some other branding), which would basically be a BBC Radio 2 knockoff. You could have a great line-up featuring Marty, Ronan Collins, Larry Gogan, Dave Fanning, John Creedon and with the odd muso presenting a guest show every now and then (people like Glenn Hansard, Imelda May etc.).

serfboard

serfboard wrote: »

As I've said many times on this forum - onto a new channel called RTE Radio 1 Music (or some other branding), which would basically be a BBC Radio 2 knockoff. You could have a great line-up featuring Marty, Ronan Collins, Larry Gogan, Dave Fanning, John Creedon and with the odd muso presenting a guest show every now and then (people like Glenn Hansard, Imelda May etc.).

Sorry, I don't regularly venture into this forum so I wouldn't have seen your previous posts. I do agree, scrap RTE Gold in its current form and introduce something like you say. But it needs a place on FM in order to work.

honeybear

No, absolutely not.

I love listening to Marty in the morning on the way to work-his naturally warm presenting style and choice of tunes send me in to work in great form.

hawley

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

honeybear wrote: »

I love listening to Marty in the morning on the way to work-his naturally warm presenting style and choice of tunes send me in to work in great form.

2FM has an embargo on music composed before 1990 being played on their station during peak listening times. Why can't Lyric, which was set up to cater for classical music and art music audiences, have an identity that fits in with the remit the station was given. There are plenty of stations playing the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison and Phil Collins; if he wants to play those artists then maybe he would be better suited to Radio 1 or a new station as outlined by serfboard above.

squonk

No, absolutely not.

Any time I've heard him he sounded like a breath of fresh air on Lyric which has always sounded like a radio station set up to cater for those impatient for the arrival of death. Anytime I've heard any Lyric shows they sounded like the most depressing joyless enclaves of monotony available on radio today. Fair play to Marty for daring to put a bit of personality and life into his show amidst the panoply of shows all sounding like the presenter is sleeping between tracks.

honeybear

No, absolutely not.

Think Marty did grand in jnlrs today

bbability

No, absolutely not.

honeybear wrote: »

Think Marty did grand in jnlrs today

He sure did and that won't go down well with the MWKWA

rosebud8

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

Enjoy listening to Lyric, but Marty Whelan's voice, accents, affectations and irritating twitterings just get my goat. RTE, please, time for a reshuffle. The other stations are always being re-jigged in terms of presenters. He has had a long shot at this. Time for a more soothing, less irritating and irksome presenter at that time of day!

Expunge

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

bbability wrote: »

He sure did and that won't go down well with the MWKWA

An audience of 43,000 each day?
A presenter with Saturday night prime time TV profile?
This is 'grand'?
After six or so years in the slot, doing his best to destroy a Public Service radio station because he seems to be hostile to Classical music, he climbs to the lofty heights of 43 thousand listeners.

Doing grand in the JNLRs or no, RTE continues to betray the licence fee payers who care about having that absolute dross on Lyric. Anywhere else on RTE, probably ok. But Lyric? It's not right.

bbability

No, absolutely not.

Expunge wrote: »

An audience of 43,000 each day?
A presenter with Saturday night prime time TV profile?
This is 'grand'?
After six or so years in the slot, doing his best to destroy a Public Service radio station because he seems to be hostile to Classical music, he climbs to the lofty heights of 43 thousand listeners.

Doing grand in the JNLRs or no, RTE continues to betray the licence fee payers who care about having that absolute dross on Lyric. Anywhere else on RTE, probably ok. But Lyric? It's not right.

Well that didn't take long...

Have you ever looked at the figures pre Marty? It's pretty awful stuff.

Expunge

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

Yes I have, they were lower.
Like R Na G, Lyric is supposed to be a pure public service provider in specialist music and arts and not a numbers game.

With the absolute dross that MITM is allowed to put out, I'm surprised that there are any listeners left for the real raison d'être of the station.

Fair play to you for not locking down this Marty thread as you have with so many others in the past.

honeybear

No, absolutely not.

I think the criticism of Marty is very harsh. It is the only programme on Lyric FM that I regularly listen to. When Marty is absent for the day, I automatically know by the music choices. The sub presenter sends me switching for the other channels as his presenting style & choice of music do not appeal to me.

hawley

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

Expunge wrote: »

Yes I have, they were lower.
Like R Na G, Lyric is supposed to be a pure public service provider in specialist music and arts and not a numbers game.

With the absolute dross that MITM is allowed to put out, I'm surprised that there are any listeners left for the real raison d'être of the station.

Fair play to you for not locking down this Marty thread as you have with so many others in the past.

Most of the people who defend Marty never even listen to any other content on Lyric. I won't go back to Lyric until they remove him from the schedule, I haven't listened to Lyric in five years having previously being a devotee of the station(although I had to avoid him at midday too) but giving him the prime morning slot was the last straw for me.

Expunge

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

honeybear wrote: »

I think the criticism of Marty is very harsh. It is the only programme on Lyric FM that I regularly listen to. When Marty is absent for the day, I automatically know by the music choices. The sub presenter sends me switching for the other channels as his presenting style & choice of music do not appeal to me.

Fine, you love Marty, his music, his great craic etc. and you dislike Lyric. You are exactly the sort of person now being recruited as listeners to that station. And it's people like you - Marty lovers and Lyric haters who will destroy that public service.

The management of the station have introduced a cancer which will probably ultimately kill it as it was supposed to be. They won't be handing us back our licence fee, though.

I might actually give him a go to be honest, I'm too young to be listening to Morning Ireland.

honeybear

No, absolutely not.

Expunge wrote: »

Fine, you love Marty, his music, his great craic etc. and you dislike Lyric. You are exactly the sort of person now being recruited as listeners to that station. And it's people like you - Marty lovers and Lyric haters who will destroy that public service.

The management of the station have introduced a cancer which will probably ultimately kill it as it was supposed to be. They won't be handing us back our licence fee, though.

I am NOT a lyric hater-where did I say that?

anmhi02

I have to say , I love him in the morning. I use to listen to 2fm or Today fm but got tired of the rubbish the presenters came out with. I love his daft jokes and selection of music. But that's just my personal opinion, each to their own ☺

Expunge

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

honeybear wrote: »

I am NOT a lyric hater-where did I say that?

You are, mate. The stand in presenters always play a straight classical list when he's not there and you scurry away like a wounded animal. That's the type that are coming to lyric now and good luck to you. Soon enough you'll have an all day diet of Val Doonigan, Lonnie Donegan seventies soft rock and low rent Terry Wogan impressions. Hopefully the licence fee won't be paying for it.

bbability

No, absolutely not.

The Marty Whelan Keyboard Warrior Association (MWKWA) need to put it to bed now. He's doing a fine job and he's more than paying his way.
Always remember there are only two types of music in this world, good and bad, he plays good music and he can certainly hold his own with the mic ro fone.
So please, he's won, you've lost, let's move on, he's staying, doing a fine job, should never have lost that Tesco Gig and he's the most listened to show on Lyric.

hawley

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

As broadcaster, Whelan is proudly old-school. He picks whatever music he likes, without regard to playlists or focus groups.

Marty Whelan - “This morning, I played something from Bob Dylan’s new album and some classical music. They should be on different shows. Instead, they were side by side. I’ve been given a free hand."
http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/marty-whelan-is-bringing-out-a-cd-of-his-favourite-tunes-315591.html

Expunge

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

The Marty Whelan Keyboard Warrior Association - that's a good one. It should be up there with the Sneering Moderator.

It's a small point but I believe Classic Drive with Liz Nolan to be the most listened to daytime show on Lyric at the moment.

That'll probably change in the coming books though as Marty continues to 'win'.

Public Service Broadcasting and value for money is certainly the loser.

rosebud8

Yes, but in a less prominent slot.

I dont actually have a problem with the music he plays, I just wish he could keep his mouth shut between tracks, so that we didnt have to listen to the most annoying banter with himself and the awful fake laugh.

bobbyss

I don't mind him too much. I am not a huge classical music buff by any means. I listen to Lyric for some quiet time and when I don't want to listen to any news.

Do you have to have a knowledge base to present on Lyric? I know George Hamilton well from the football and on the occasion I hear him on Lyric he seems to know well and love his classical music. In short, he seems to know what he is talking about.

As I said, I don't know too much (or care too much either) about classical music but does Marty Whelan know his stuff? Can those of you who dislike him fault him on that score? I find it strange that someone who presented pop music programs could all of a sudden turn into a Lyric presenter. Could Larry Gogan turn up tomorrow and present classical music on Lyric? Would that necessarily be a good or a bad thing?

Expunge

No, absolutely not.

Expunge wrote: »

An audience of 43,000 each day?
A presenter with Saturday night prime time TV profile?
This is 'grand'?
After six or so years in the slot, doing his best to destroy a Public Service radio station because he seems to be hostile to Classical music, he climbs to the lofty heights of 43 thousand listeners.

Doing grand in the JNLRs or no, RTE continues to betray the licence fee payers who care about having that absolute dross on Lyric. Anywhere else on RTE, probably ok. But Lyric? It's not right.

How could you suggest that Daphne and Hugo are dross? Loved the morning he read out what was basically "Sylvias Mother". There's a gentleness and innocence about those segments.