RTE: Late Date

Euphoria Intensifies

Any word on who'll be taking over from Alf?

padd b1975

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Alf McCarthy did a lot more both inside and outside of RTÉ which some people may/may not recall or perhaps just did not know. I had forgotten about his involvement on some shows because I was either always at work during PM Live (a daytime TV show) back in mid-late '90s and I was often out of the house in the evenings when shows like The Lyrics Board were broadcast. He was also heavily involved with a programme called Down Here With a View To Above which gave a unique Cork perspective at a time when most media and official TV/Radio in Ireland nearly always came out of Dublin 4 apart from occasional short reports from Regional News Reporters here and there. "Down Here With A View To Above" would have given rare critical exposure for almost 30 minutes once a week on prime time RTÉ 1 tv schedules back in the mid-late '80s. If anything Alf probably made it a little easier for other Cork based colleagues to expand into other projects both within RTÉ or at other media outlets at a later stage. Other colleagues included: John Creedon, Tony O'Donoghue, Mary Wilson, Geri McLoughlain, Tim Desmond, Lillian Smith and so on etc; Alf was still doing his hugely popular lunch-time radio show "Cork About Noon" on RTÉ Cork Local Radio in those years too as far as I recall. He worked a lot with people like Donna O'Sullivan, Barry Mescall, Caimin Jones, Dan Collins, Steve Bolger and many more.

Alf McCarthy will be sorely missed once he finishes up for the very last time at 02:00am on Thursday 31st December. I hope Alf has a happy (yet busy) retirement as he sure did Cork, Munster and indeed Ireland some valuable service down through the years.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/rte-presenter-alf-mccarthy-hangs-up-his-microphone-for-the-last-time-tonight-373583.html

Alf comes across like an Irish Noel Edmunds from that article.

The man's ego is off the chart at this stage.

thesandeman

Have to say I've always been a fan of Alf. He is very knowledgeable about music and seems to love what he is doing (which is more than can be said about some of the other overpaid presenters on Radio 1). Lillian has improved since her return but I still find her a bit disinterested. I love Fiachna as a musician but as a DJ not so much. The other lads are just background sounds for me.
Carol does a brilliant job and is playing a blinder tonight. She knows her music and has the chat as well. I hope she has her name in the hat for the future.

Mr Sea Wolf

Lillian Smith was on last night and she said that she is taking over just for 3 or 4 weeks. My guess is a surplus to requirement older 2fm presenter to get the gig.

Losty Dublin

Mr Sea Wolf wrote: »

Lillian Smith was on last night and she said that she is taking over just for 3 or 4 weeks. My guess is a surplus to requirement older 2fm presenter to get the gig.

If she is as unhealthy tonight as she was yesterday then she may not last a week. The poor gal was in bits.

PacMan

I heard that a lady presenter, who currently works on local radio is getting the gig.

Mr Sea Wolf

Speaking of Late Date, why on earth was Lillian Smith replaced at weekends with that dull boring man ? I know Lillian isn't very exciting either but Jesus that guy is bland.

dixiefly

Why is Lilian not getting the gig?

heybaby

dixiefly wrote: »

Why is Lilian not getting the gig?

Not a big enough name I'd say. Still think it'll be Rick o Shea myself, unless they move creedon to late date and rick into creedons slot.

P. Breathnach

dixiefly wrote: »

Why is Lilian not getting the gig?

heybaby wrote: »

Not a big enough name I'd say....

I don't think Late Date needs a big name presenter: it's a niche programme. For those, like me, who inhabit that niche, Lillian has plenty of name recognition, more than Alf had when he was given the gig.

heybaby

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I don't think Late Date needs a big name presenter: it's a niche programme. For those, like me, who inhabit that niche, Lillian has plenty of name recognition, more than Alf had when he was given the gig.

Oh believe me I think Lilian is a great presenter, but the bosses clearly dont think she's heavyweight enough to give her the job fulltime, its the only thing I can think of thats working against her as she is perfect for that time of night.

Euphoria Intensifies

heybaby wrote:

Not a big enough name I'd say. Still think it'll be Rick o Shea myself, unless they move creedon to late date and rick into creedons slot.

Creedon apparently hated doing Late Date, so can't see him moving back to it. I think you could be right about Rick O'Shea. He has the poetry show on R1 (which is surprisingly quite good) and I thought he was decent when he did later slots on 2fm. His voice suits that time of day.

seachto7

Love the late night music shows on weekend Radio 1.

Losty Dublin

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I don't think Late Date needs a big name presenter: it's a niche programme. For those, like me, who inhabit that niche, Lillian has plenty of name recognition, more than Alf had when he was given the gig.

Agreed that Lilian had more recognition in the slot, which she has been co-hosting for a long time now. She has a young family as well to consider; who's to say that she wasn't offered the chance?

P. Breathnach

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Agreed that Lilian had more recognition in the slot, which she has been co-hosting for a long time now. She has a young family as well to consider; who's to say that she wasn't offered the chance?

I'm fairly sure that it wasn't offered to her, although I don't know for sure.

Isn't she based in Cork? I had the impression that RTÉ was happy enough to have Late Date come from Cork. Then, almost perversely, they gave it to a Corkman based in Dublin.

I think the reason was money. Lillian is a contractor, and Alf was a staffer. As they were paying Alf anyway, the probably decided to use him in that slot rather than take on the cost of paying Lillian.

We might get lumbered with another staffer for whom they don't have a clear role. Derek Mooney? John Murray?

Trebor176

I'm bumping the thread, as there doesn't seem to be any more word on whether there will be a new presenter doing Monday-Friday. Lillian finished up her current stint on Wednesday, having been presenting Monday-Friday, then Monday-Wednesday since January, with Fiachna doing weekends and then Thursday and Friday for the last few weeks.

Aonghus McAnally has been doing a few shows over the last week or two, but I don't think he's going to become the permanent presenter. I guess it will probably be himself Monday-Wednesday and Fiachna for the rest of the week for the time being.

Euphoria Intensifies

Someone posted a thread last week saying that Cathal Murray had tweeted to say he was leaving the Weekend on One early morning slot. Few of us thought he might end up at Late Date in some capacity. No word of as yet though, either confirming or denying.

thesandeman

Euphoria Intensifies wrote: »

Someone posted a thread last week saying that Cathal Murray had tweeted to say he was leaving the Weekend on One early morning slot. Few of us thought he might end up at Late Date in some capacity. No word of as yet though, either confirming or denying.

That's interesting. He just got a mention on Late Date about his sleeping pattern.
You could be on the right track.

Cube98

Alfie still feels hard done by because RTE dispensed with his services https://www.echolive.ie/corklives/arid-40218665.html

Brendan Bendar

Amazing how many of these lads think they can stay in bosom of RTE till they are carried out.

Odyssey 2005

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Amazing how many of these lads think they can stay in bosom of RTE till they are carried out.

It's working well for the useless ones. At least Alf came across as an affable man. Enjoyed his show.

Pelvis Parsley

Cathal Murray is making a fine job of it.

I don’t get to listen as often as I like but he’s a great man to engage with a tweet or a text, as is John Creedon.

Cube98

Remember tho after Alf left, Late date went about 18 months without a permanent host, every man and his dog hosted it at one stage during that time. I wonder why they didn't give Alf a freelance contract? He wouldn't be my cup of tea but it sounded very unprofessional for an national radio station to leave a show without a permanent host for that long

Nadine O'Regan really killing it tonight (in a good way). I don't get to hear a lot of Late Date these days, I'm not sure how often she's in the seat. Just has a really great voice for this slot, playing an eclectic, chilled-out selection of music.

ArtSmart

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Nadine O'Regan really killing it tonight (in a good way). I don't get to hear a lot of Late Date these days, I'm not sure how often she's in the seat. Just has a really great voice for this slot, playing an eclectic, chilled-out selection of music.

Yeah, gonna have to disagree there (to paraphrase Office Space). Nice enough personality, but waaaay too much "chat". AND, she cut short two songs in my listening time (She's rarely on, to ans ur q)


She's more rte 2 material. No cruelty meant towards her, but...nah. Not for Late Date (and esp not for Lyric!)

ETA And I mean cut short so she could chat, not for the news etc.

ford fiesta

ArtSmart wrote: »

She's more rte 2 material. No cruelty meant towards her, but...nah. Not for Late Date (and esp not for Lyric!)

rte 2..you mean 2FM?

pm1977x

I really like her voice and presenting style, she plays some great stuff, although she played Blind Melon last night which is nearly unforgivable. Has a touch of the Pat O’Mahony about her when it comes to cueing up the weather/news sometimes but she’s a pleasant change.

ArtSmart

ford fiesta wrote: »

rte 2..you mean 2FM?

Lol. Ok, I'm an Oldie...lol

ArtSmart

pm1977x wrote: »

I really like her voice and presenting style, she plays some great stuff, although she played Blind Melon last night which is nearly unforgivable. Has a touch of the Pat O’Mahony about her when it comes to cueing up the weather/news sometimes but she’s a pleasant change.

Guess I like me late night 100% mellow. She has a lovely voice, but it's just to bright for Night.

ArtSmart

Shame they cut the Lyric hours

Going podcasting the bauld Mr Kelly
nite all