Tom Hardy

Albert X

I was surprised to find out that he has departed Today FM without even a mention anywhere. I wonder did the big fella have anything to do with his departure ?

heybaby

It was mentioned on here I'm sure and in a few media outlets at the time. Liam thompson is looking after Tom's old role now, and in fairness Tom did very well out of Today FM who were his employers for over a decade, such longevity is rather a rarity in radio these days.

Declan A Walsh

heybaby wrote: »

It was mentioned on here I'm sure and in a few media outlets at the time. Liam thompson is looking after Tom's old role now, and in fairness Tom did very well out of Today FM who were his employers for over a decade, such longevity is rather a rarity in radio these days.

Tom Hardy, a native of England, joined Today FM in August 1998 and left in January 2013 - that's 14 years and 5 months. That's a very good innings indeed. According to another thread or forum (I can't remember where), he is now doing consultancy.

Tom Hardy's radio CV is very impressive and goes back to the early or mid '70s, starting as a deejay with a pirate station in college in the U.K. and a hospital station. It should be mentioned that Tom was a briefly a science teacher in secondary school. Between the mid 70s and late 70s, Tom was involved (as a deejay) with two high-profile off-shore pirates: Israeli-run Voice of Peace and the U.K. connected Radio Caroline.

Tom followed some fellow Caroline personnel over to Ireland in the early '80s to get involved with the superpirate scene in Dublin: starting with Sunshine Radio and then Radio Nova. I first heard him on Sunshine and then I heard him on Nova. Tom Hardy then went back to the U.K. for a spell of some licensed broadcasting and radio management experience on Chiltern Radio in Hertfordshire. A year or two later I was working over there and I picked up Tom Hardy on the radio. Can you believe that? What were the chances of that?!

Tom came back to Ireland in 1987/88 to help set up Monaghan Town superpirate Kiss FM. By that stage, he was doubling as a presenter and as part of the management team. Tom Hardy was part of the original lineup of 98FM way back in 1989, and was also Assistant Controller. After a couple of years, Tom was seconded to the Czech Republic by Denis O'Brien to set up a "Classic Hits" station in Prague, similar to the style of 98FM as it was then.

Tom did another brief spell of presentation with 98FM, before leaving it for good and getting involved with various radio projects in the U.K. and Scandanavia and building up his management experience.

He came back to Ireland to be PD of Today FM. When he first joined Today FM, it would not have been owned at that stage by Denis O'Brien's Communicorp - the owners of his old station 98FM. It's funny how that came to pass.

Beat that for a radio cv!

Greyham

I wonder where he will go next

Trick of the Tail

Consulting/programming for KCLR at the moment.

caira

Was he pushed from Today FM ?

Trick of the Tail

Made redundant.

Greenman

I remember Tom on Nova in the early 80's.

The way he used to say Radio NO VAA.

Well done Tom and good luck in whatever you do.

LeakyGee

Greenman wrote: »

I remember Tom on Nova in the early 80's.

The way he used to say Radio NO VAA.

Well done Tom and good luck in whatever you do.

A top man indeed. Only met him a few times, very nice chap.

shabba man

I recently heard from a very reliable source that Tom Hardy is now working for KCLR in Kilkenny as consultant for the last 4 months. I have to confess, not a station I listened to regularly, but of late I have tuned in. Definite change in music policy and new imaging also. Sounding pretty slick to me. Lets see what the next book brings then

heybaby

shabba man wrote: »

I recently heard from a very reliable source that Tom Hardy is now working for KCLR in Kilkenny as consultant for the last 4 months. I have to confess, not a station I listened to regularly, but of late I have tuned in. Definite change in music policy and new imaging also. Sounding pretty slick to me. Lets see what the next book brings then

You wont see it in the next results , it'll take 12 months to see Hardy's influence in a credible sense.

johnplayer

Heard today he's in KCLR and has made many changes to the playlist .