Off The Ball Official Thread <Mod Note - Post #1, #533, #6651>

cunnifferous

GSF wrote: »

not really. still says much the same whether it came from O'Brien himself or some one else

From my reading that article says they were fired, somewhat unexpectedly on their part, whereas the official version is that they walked out when they didn't get what they wanted. That's quite a difference isin't it?

Ultimate Ultan

quad_red wrote: »

From broadsheet from phoenix...



http://www.broadsheet.ie/2013/03/06/losing-it/#comments

So who'll be sound enough to buy The Phoenix and copy the article up on this forum?

ballsymchugh

Ultimate Ultan wrote: »

So who'll be sound enough to buy The Phoenix and copy the article up on this forum?

any load up the bog cuttings too for those of us missing the country pages!

DEFTLEFTHAND

I can see why Denis O'Brien would have been pissed off if the problem was indeed the start time. You don't start calling the shots with a man like DOB, the Right Hook is their flagship show and has 100,000+ daily listeners.

starviewadams

OTB in it's present form is just boring to listen to.I understand that Gilroy is trying his best in a difficult situation,but they really need to get some people with personality on board,and fast.

Would also help if Ger tried to cut down on the rambling when he's asking questions.

GSF

cunnifferous wrote: »

From my reading that article says they were fired, somewhat unexpectedly on their part, whereas the official version is that they walked out when they didn't get what they wanted. That's quite a difference isin't it?

Not if they had threatened to resign if they didn't get the time change. You get a P45 after resigning as we'll as when you are sacked.

Utopia Parkway

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I can see why Denis O'Brien would have been pissed off if the problem was indeed the start time. You don't start calling the shots with a man like DOB, the Right Hook is their flagship show and has 100,000+ daily listeners.

It's also getting soundly beaten by all the competition in its timeslot. The only reason Hook has so many listeners is that it's drivetime when the potential audience is already massive. The show itself is doing badly despite the 100,000+ listeners. That said even though the OTB crew would definitely increase their listenership considerably if they started at 6, Newstalk would also lose a lot of female listeners at the same time which they were not keen to do obviously.

heybaby

Ok can someone with better knowledge tell me how Dennis O Briens Radio stations have been doing commercially since he decided to get involved in the sector ? I know phantom is on its knees, 98 fm is a shadow of its former self and has the diminished advertising to show for its collapse in market share, newstalk as far as I recall has never mede a profit to date , does anyone have anymore detail ? How has 'media mogul billionaire' Dennis Obriens acquisition of the stations under his umbrella benefitted those individual stations ?

Loafing Oaf

heybaby wrote: »

Ok can someone with better knowledge tell me how Dennis O Briens Radio stations have been doing commercially since he decided to get involved in the sector ? I know phantom is on its knees, 98 fm is a shadow of its former self and has the diminished advertising to show for its collapse in market share, newstalk as far as I recall has never mede a profit to date , does anyone have anymore detail ? How has 'media mogul billionaire' Dennis Obriens acquisition of the stations under his umbrella benefitted those individual stations ?

I'm no expert either, but I'm pretty sure Phantom wouldn't be their at all if Uncle Denis hadn't ridden to the rescue. Don't know if he has an undisclosed penchant for alternative rock, but IMO it would be unfair to question his passion for media generally.

ghostdancer

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

It's also getting soundly beaten by all the competition in its timeslot. The only reason Hook has so many listeners is that it's drivetime when the potential audience is already massive. The show itself is doing badly despite the 100,000+ listeners. That said even though the OTB crew would definitely increase their listenership considerably if they started at 6, Newstalk would also lose a lot of female listeners at the same time which they were not keen to do obviously.

what is the break-down of female listeners for Hook's show.
i would have thought his generally obnoxious and brash style wouldn't be too enticing for female listeners....

tawfeeredux

ballsymchugh wrote: »

... i was thinking earlier, that Colm Parkinson would be on more in the next while anyway, when the GAA gets going. he'd be as dividing on it as Ken is on soccer.

I wonder is he being groomed for the Murph role? He can be good for a laugh on the weekend show, and afaik he's studying journalism so he possibly sees this as a big opportunity.

starviewadams wrote: »

... Would also help if Ger tried to cut down on the rambling when he's asking questions.

He does have a tendency to follow the Dave Fanning style of questioning - ask something, rephrase it & ask it again, then offer a few possible answers, then let the interviewee answer.

redtelephone

monkeybutter wrote: »

they are smart lads, no doubt they wouldn't have made this move unless they had nothing to lose RTE will welcome them with open arms Newstalk has been un-tuned from my radio

Hmmm, I think we'll have to wait and see.

mosstin

tawfeeredux wrote: »

I wonder is he being groomed for the Murph role? He can be good for a laugh on the weekend show, and afaik he's studying journalism so he possibly sees this as a big opportunity.



He does have a tendency to follow the Dave Fanning style of questioning - ask something, rephrase it & ask it again, then offer a few possible answers, then let the interviewee answer.

The Murph role? Which was?

opinionatedfan

mosstin wrote: »

The Murph role? Which was?

GAA "expert"

ballsymchugh

mosstin wrote: »

The Murph role? Which was?

producer with an interest in GAA. he was doing sideline reports at some games that newstalk were commentating on like what murph was doing at other games.
people either love him or hate him. similar to ken.

SimonMaher

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

I'm no expert either, but I'm pretty sure Phantom wouldn't be their at all if Uncle Denis hadn't ridden to the rescue.....

I'm not so sure about that Loafing Oaf, there were a number of options open to Phantom at the time Denis "rode to the rescue".

Anyway, that's off topic. The OTB story is fascinating and the different sides of the debate represented by posters legitimately held feelings for the show along with SOC and the always informative graphs add to the quality of the debate.

Simon

Cienciano

Didnt listen tonight, but listened the last 2 nights. Ger is decent, he gets the job done. But the wrong man if you want people to listen to 3 hours a night imho. I doubt I'll bother with it again, it lacks the spark. I can get sports news anywhere, I want to be entertained as well. It's audiobooks for me instead of off the ball.

InchicoreDude

These guys have resigned from OTB but are they still committed to other shows on Newstalk?

Like is Murphy still going to be doing sideline reporting at GAA matches? Or will Ken be doing soccer commentary? Sorry, I have no idea how radio stations are run!

starviewadams

No,Ken,Murph,Eoin and their two producers are done with Newstalk at the moment.They are still under contract but have been taken off the air,and are seeing out the notice periods on their contracts.

As an aside,I think the intention was definitely for the show to air from 6-9pm.Ken was asked on Twitter if the show would not be a bit anti-climatic if it went off the air half-way during a mid week match,and he replied that it would depend on the match.

heybaby

My reading of the situation is that the 5 OTB lads are gone immediately. Its rare that on air talent would have the opportunity to say goodbye to listeners however Foley was a recent exception probabaly because his departure was to another communicorp station and thus amicable from today fm. Having shown collective loyalty the OTB guys, both the 3 on air presenters and 2 producers departed the station it seems in every capacity. Perhaps they made a gamble taking on management but after a decade its probably their collective feeling that the programme had developed as much as it had in its current form. They made reference to their product being paramount and their desire for it to evolve, maybe they felt they'd reached the end of the line. The suddenness of their departure is unsettling but very normal in radio. I hate to say it but in the current radio market in Ireland I cant see these lads working together again.

InchicoreDude

If the argument was 6-9, then I would take NTs side.

If OTB wanted 6-10, then I would take OTB's side. I would love to listen to OTB between 6-7. Instead, I usually listen to Hook waiting for OTB to start.

Xavi6

Ken never had a problem pronouncing "Quagliarella"

Ol' Donie

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Instead, I usually listen to Hook waiting for OTB to start.

I actually made a very similar comment to someone today. I wonder how many of the listeners to George in the last half hour are just waiting for OTB? I used to do it most days.

Also, i really dont like the idea of the show ending at nine. It would just be all wrong.

opinionatedfan

agree dont like the ending at 9 bit.

InchicoreDude

I do agree though that the show was in need of a bit of a revamp. While it hadnt quite gotten to the stage of being stale, it wasnt far way, They havent changed the format too much in a long while now.

soc160

starviewadams wrote: »

OTB in it's present form is just boring to listen to.I understand that Gilroy is trying his best in a difficult situation,but they really need to get some people with personality on board,and fast.

Would also help if Ger tried to cut down on the rambling when he's asking questions.

They won't be hiring anyone for 8 weeks until the lads have seen out their notice. Newstalk have said the door isn't closed on them they would welcome one or two back in the future.

Also you'd wonder if they should head down the route of a "big-name" to take over, either as host or a corrospondent. The great thing was the lads where all liked to a certain extent because they where not experts or ex-pro's from a sport. Imagine parachuting someone from RTE in as a host, would be a disaster, it's a shame but they need to really re-think the structure of the show in the long run now. How on earth they plan to replace Ken as an on air talent is beyond me. Not that he's an amazing presenter or reporter, but his role was so unique and he was very detached from the game that meant he could be opinionated, that and he had worked up a reputation for 10 years on the show.

Lovely Bloke

If they really did want to end at 9, then I'm glad they were told to gtfo. Silly idea.

IRE60

Small aside: Is it absolutely necessary to keep referring to anyone who opens his/her beak on radio as “talent”! It only inflates already inflated egos.

GSF

TheNinthGate wrote: »

If they really did want to end at 9, then I'm glad they were told to gtfo. Silly idea.

Tune in tomorrow night to find out who won! :eek:

Cartman78

Tuned in for a bit of last night's show...found it to be a bit bland and lifeless (a lot like Gilroy's weekend shows). Gilroy sounds jaded and bored to me.

It reminded me of the kind of sterile efficiency that you always get with RTE sports programmes. The in-jokes were becoming borderline overwhelming on the old OTB but the odd lighthearted moment would be welcomed now and again