Weeknight Late Date

P. Breathnach

foxtrot101 wrote: »

She was dropped. Why, I don't know.

I think that she didn't know either.

It was extraordinary, as Alf was nearing his retirement age, that both he and Lilian said on air that they did not know what the future plans for the programme were. The lack of a clear plan to deal with an expected retirement was a poor performance by RTÉ.

Trebor176 wrote: »

I do remember reading that when she did her last show, she left without any fuss being made....

Yes. She went off quietly into the night. I imagine that she figured out that if she didn't create ripples, the chances of her getting called in to cover were greater. And it seems to have worked out that way.

I know that I mentioned that the Cork location might have worked against her. I don't want to stand strongly on that point. I was echoing a comment I heard or read somewhere, and I don't know if it was well-founded.

ford fiesta

I've noticed with Cathal there is less requests and more music. It sounds a lot like The Weekend on One (and not just because he presented it !).

Is he the youngest presenter of the show so far, he is only 38?

Harry Angstrom

Lilian is perfect for Late Date. I can't understand why she wasn't given the full time gig, (if that's what she'd wanted). Fiachna is dull as dishwater and Cathal Murray isn't much better. Lilian's taste in music is excellent and she's got the ideal voice, manner and sense of humour for a late night radio programme.

thesandeman

Carol Moran seems to have got the Weekend On One slot now. I presume they wouldn't have made a promo for her if it was just a one off.
She did a great job at the weekend. I've always thought she was a bit of a hidden gem.

Joe_ Public

If you did a listeners poll of the recent Late Date presenters and stand-ins - Alf, Fiachna, Jim Lockhart, Aonghus McNally, Lillian, Cathal, Brian Murray - I'd bet money Lillian would come out comfortably on top. She clearly loved doing it, it was a passion for her, a vocation, not a bit extra on the side as it was for some of the others. I'm happy enough to have Cathal there but why they couldn't keep Lillian for weekends at least simply beggars belief.

Joe_ Public

I know it's probably my fault for listening to too many shows, but I find it annoying when presenters not only repeat tunes but also soundbites.

Yesterday, I presume John Creedon played a Beautiful South song, because I heard him reading a text from a listener explaining how they'd split up due to "musical similarities".

Then last night Cathal plays a Beautiful South tune and mentions the same story straight afterwards. I know it's probably just a co-incidence but...

honeybear

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I know it's probably my fault for listening to too many shows, but I find it annoying when presenters not only repeat tunes but also soundbites.

Yesterday, I presume John Creedon played a Beautiful South song, because I heard him reading a text from a listener explaining how they'd split up due to "musical similarities".

Then last night Cathal plays a Beautiful South tune and mentions the same story straight afterwards. I know it's probably just a co-incidence but...

JC fan here. Ray Darcy mentioned a song he heard on the JC show and then played it (I think).

Joe_ Public

honeybear wrote: »

JC fan here. Ray Darcy mentioned a song he heard on the JC show and then played it (I think).

I don't know anything about Ray Darcy to be honest. But John Creedon is great, any man who plays the Clash at least every second week is a legend in my book!

ford fiesta

Lillian back on Late Date - in for Fiachna all this weekend.

thesandeman

Cathals reporting of the golf scores tonight resembles Joe Duffy announcing a text poll lol.
I don't think Cathal is an avid golfer for some reason.

Joe_ Public

ford fiesta wrote: »

Lillian back on Late Date - in for Fiachna all this weekend.

She said it was for two nights only but I suspect we might hear Lillian's dulcet tones again next weekend while Fiachna is off gallivanting with his band at some minor pop festival or other

Red Fred

Joe_ Public wrote: »

She said it was for two nights only but I suspect we might hear Lillian's dulcet tones again next weekend while Fiachna is off gallivanting with his band at some minor pop festival or other

Fiachna was off because he was covering for John Creedon last week. The previous weekend Will Leahy covered on one of the night as Fiachna was gigging with the band.

It seems laughable that RTE announce permanent presenters for Late Date and within a few weeks one of them is off.

On another note what do you think of the "new" Late Date. Cathal Murray seems like a nice guy and no doubt puts a lot of prep into his shows, he doesn't seem to engage the audience the same way as previous presenters did. As somebody else said there seems to be a lot less requests these days. I wonder what listenership figures will be like.

Joe_ Public

Red Fred wrote: »

Fiachna was off because he was covering for John Creedon last week. The previous weekend Will Leahy covered on one of the night as Fiachna was gigging with the band.

It seems laughable that RTE announce permanent presenters for Late Date and within a few weeks one of them is off.

On another note what do you think of the "new" Late Date. Cathal Murray seems like a nice guy and no doubt puts a lot of prep into his shows, he doesn't seem to engage the audience the same way as previous presenters did. As somebody else said there seems to be a lot less requests these days. I wonder what listenership figures will be like.

They are playing Glastonbury on Friday so I was safely presuming he'll be off this weekend as well. Might not be Lillian replacing though.

I was a fan of Cathal on weekend on one, thought he was perfect for the slot in that he could just play music, talk about the songs without having to engage with any audience (I presume at that hour you can just assume there's no one listening!). Not really warming to him on LD yet. I thought not having requests would be a good thing, but you simply have to establish a relationship with your audience the way others do and that just doesn't seem to be his gig. He plays good music, but it's about more than that.

foxtrot101

Red Fred wrote: »

I wonder what listenership figures will be like.

There's no ads during the show, so it's not an issue really. JNLR's are only concerned with ad revenue.

Red Fred

foxtrot101 wrote: »

There's no ads during the show, so it's not an issue really. JNLR's are only concerned with ad revenue.

True enough. Listening to LD pre Cathal it struck my that the show was company for a lot of people who were perhaps on their own or indeed lonely. I guess that Cathal is perhaps putting his own stamp on the show, but whether it is a good thing remains to be seen. Either way it probably won't be of much concern to the powers that be in RTE.

Red Fred

Aonghus presenting tonight and tomorrow night. A joke that RTE appointed a permanent weekend presenter and no sooner than they do he is off doing other things.

ford fiesta

lots of music on cathal's show...not many requests, interaction or off the cuff banter like with some past presenters. there's probably lots of disappointed listeners out there expecting more from the show

P. Breathnach

ford fiesta wrote: »

lots of music on cathal's show...not many requests, interaction or off the cuff banter like with some past presenters. there's probably lots of disappointed listeners out there expecting more from the show

Some might be disappointed, but I m not. It was a daft idea to read out all the drivel texted in.

Joe_ Public

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Some might be disappointed, but I m not. It was a daft idea to read out all the drivel texted in.

I'm not a requests man either, can just seem lazy and cliched a lot of the time, but Cathal does lack a bit of something in my view, the ability to engage i think and he's quite self-conscious about it too. Will give him more time though, still too soon to judge.

serfboard

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Some might be disappointed, but I m not. It was a daft idea to read out all the drivel texted in.

I think it all depends on how its done.

John Creedon for example, folds in texts and tweets into his between-songs chat in a very natural-sounding kind of way.

Alf McCarthy OTOH, was painful, pretending like he was every texters friend ...

Red Fred

Musical chairs again this weekend on Late Date. Jim Lockhart filling in for F O'B who is filling in for Ronan Collins.

Joe_ Public

I thought the guest presenter came out with a good line last night. "This is Jim Lockhart filling in for....well just about everybody at this stage really."
Fairly obvious they all think it's a bit of a joke themselves at this point.

Joe_ Public

Robbie Irwin (!) on Late Date tonight. Fiachna was on the Ronan Collins show earlier. Lillian is marooned on Risin Time. Seriously, RTE are all over the feckin place!

Cliff Walker

It would be gas if they brought Val back for a night.

Joe_ Public

Cliff Walker wrote: »

It would be gas if they brought Val back for a night.

In the words of Kevin Keegan, I would fcking love it!

danjo-xx

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Robbie Irwin (!) on Late Date tonight. Fiachna was on the Ronan Collins show earlier. Lillian is marooned on Risin Time. Seriously, RTE are all over the feckin place!

Never heard of this guy, but tuned in for a few minutes last night and thought I was listening to Aengus McNally. Sounded dead like him.

Joe_ Public

danjo-xx wrote: »

Never heard of this guy, but tuned in for a few minutes last night and thought I was listening to Aengus McNally. Sounded dead like him.

Yeah, if you didnt know him I could see how you'd get that impression alright. Robbie's been around yonks, had a sports show on 2FM for a few years, I thought him being on Late Date might have summat to do with d'Olympiks but it had barely got a mention by the time i switched him off!

thesandeman

Robbie is doing the Olympics/music show at the moment.

Joe_ Public

Lillian

Trebor176

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Lillian

She was on last weekend too, and will be on weekends for the month, or most of it. Fiachna has been filling in for John Creedon, and may be doing so for a couple of weeks at least.