RTE Gold discussion thread

Joe Duffy. · 13-10-2017 10:03am #1

With the news yesterday that Will Leahy and Rick O Shea are joining rte gold on weekdays, is there actually a plan for the station or is it just the new dumping ground for jocks too old for 2fm ? What type of service is RTE Gold offering that isn't already available from Classic Hits 4fm, Q102, East coast Radio ? It seems to play an awful lot of generic 80s stuff.

reg114 · 13-10-2017 10:37am

Joe Duffy. wrote: »

With the news yesterday that Will Leahy and Rick O Shea are joining rte gold on weekdays, is there actually a plan for the station or is it just the new dumping ground for jocks too old for 2fm ? What type of service is RTE Gold offering that isn't already available from Classic Hits 4fm, Q102, East coast Radio ? It seems to play an awful lot of generic 80s stuff.

It probably has a bigger selection of songs on its playlist, most commercial stations seem to have a very small playlist by comparison.

s3rtvdbwfj81ch · 13-10-2017 10:44am

I stick on Gold at dinnertime most days, I find it has a better selection than both 4FM and Q102 - the fact it's on DAB is the clincher for me though, as FM reception where the radio is located is patchy.

I like Gold, 2XM and Pulse.

StreetLight · 13-10-2017 11:42am

It's commercial-free. For anything coming from RTE, that's a plus.

Ursus Horribilis · 13-10-2017 12:01pm

Joe Duffy. wrote: »

With the news yesterday that Will Leahy and Rick O Shea are joining rte gold on weekdays, is there actually a plan for the station or is it just the new dumping ground for jocks too old for 2fm ? What type of service is RTE Gold offering that isn't already available from Classic Hits 4fm, Q102, East coast Radio ? It seems to play an awful lot of generic 80s stuff.

Try living outside the greater Dublin area and then you'll know all about choice.

MikeyTaylor · 13-10-2017 4:19pm

Maybe Mike Moloney will resurface on RTE Gold, after he dropped from the Nova schedule recently?

Mutant z · 13-10-2017 4:36pm

Like listening to its wide range of classic hits and also not having it constantly interrupted by commercials like you get on most other radio stations, Gold just runs uninterrupted which is a huge plus.

thesandeman · 13-10-2017 5:28pm

What are they at during the night though? Sometimes it's just prerecorded music, sometimes with a DJ. Other times a live DJ randomly appears. There seems to be no fixed days or times when they make an appearance.
The other night he arrived at 4:40am and was gone again for rising time.

ford fiesta · 13-10-2017 6:28pm

thesandeman wrote: »

What are they at during the night though? Sometimes it's just prerecorded music, sometimes with a DJ. Other times a live DJ randomly appears. There seems to be no fixed days or times when they make an appearance.
The other night he arrived at 4:40am and was gone again for rising time.

That is Michael Cahill, voicetracked from 4.00 to 5.30am each weekday. Been like that for a good few months now.

SPDUB · 13-10-2017 7:39pm

ford fiesta wrote: »

That is Michael Cahill, voicetracked from 4.00 to 5.30am each weekday. Been like that for a good few months now.

He took a approx 6 week break during the summer

Joe Duffy. · 13-10-2017 8:58pm

I would prefer if older rte djs were on gold, Brendan Balfe, Mike Murphy, Alf McCarthy, Maxi.

marno21 · 13-10-2017 10:16pm

I think it's time to seriously consider launching RTE Gold on FM. It may be a promotional service for DAB but that's useless to anyone outside Dublin, Cork City and Limerick City/County.

I think it should take RnaG's FM network bar the Gaeltacht areas where space can be found on FM to accomodate both services as these areas are highly rural and have plenty of FM space. A sweetner could be to improve RnaG coverage in these areas where it can be patchy.

RnaG is available on DAB, Saorview and online in the rest of the country for the very small minority of listeners it has outside the Gaeltachts.

end of the road · 13-10-2017 11:43pm

marno21 wrote: »

I think it's time to seriously consider launching RTE Gold on FM. It may be a promotional service for DAB but that's useless to anyone outside Dublin, Cork City and Limerick City/County.

I think it should take RnaG's FM network bar the Gaeltacht areas where space can be found on FM to accomodate both services as these areas are highly rural and have plenty of FM space. A sweetner could be to improve RnaG coverage in these areas where it can be patchy.

RnaG is available on DAB, Saorview and online in the rest of the country for the very small minority of listeners it has outside the Gaeltachts.

nice idea but rte have to provide a full coverage irish speaking service across the country as part of their PSB remit i believe. it would be good to have 2xm pulse and gold on fm though as they would provide some actual choice, sadly it's not going to happen. the best that can be hoped for i think is an eventual rollout of dab in some form with the commercial sector lobbiests told to like it or lump it.

spurious · 13-10-2017 11:45pm

Or call it RTE Ór.

marno21 · 13-10-2017 11:51pm

end of the road wrote: »

nice idea but rte have to provide a full coverage irish speaking service across the country as part of their PSB remit i believe. it would be good to have 2xm pulse and gold on fm though as they would provide some actual choice, sadly it's not going to happen. the best that can be hoped for i think is an eventual rollout of dab in some form with the commercial sector lobbiests told to like it or lump it.

I think changing that should come into focus. BBC Radio 3 is being taken off air in parts of Wales to increase coverage of BBC Radio Wales, which is another similar step.

2XM and Pulse are more niche stations than Gold, although I agree that there is a market for a station like both of those in at least Dublin, only smeared by the failure of TXFM. The amount of dance pirates makes me wonder why there hasn't been a licenced Dance service in Dublin, although it would probably be destroyed by current affairs requirements.

I think RTE Gold on FM would be a roaring success and would free up RTE Radio 1 to have a more defined talk focus (no more Ronan Collins etc.)

end of the road · 14-10-2017 1:25am

marno21 wrote: »

2XM and Pulse are more niche stations than Gold, although I agree that there is a market for a station like both of those in at least Dublin, only smeared by the failure of TXFM. The amount of dance pirates makes me wonder why there hasn't been a licenced Dance service in Dublin, although it would probably be destroyed by current affairs requirements.

that and under the current full service model, in fact, probably any full service model, it wouldn't cover anything other then chart dance. so a community of interest licence would be the only option for a licenced dance station.

marno21 wrote: »

I think RTE Gold on FM would be a roaring success and would free up RTE Radio 1 to have a more defined talk focus (no more Ronan Collins etc.)

oh absolutely. it would enhance and enrich the terrestrial radio offering. no doubt about it.

dxhound2005 · 14-10-2017 10:14am

marno21 wrote: »

I think RTE Gold on FM would be a roaring success and would free up RTE Radio 1 to have a more defined talk focus (no more Ronan Collins etc.)

From memory I think there has always been a music hour between 12pm and 1pm. It is hardly much of an imposition on the talk focus to lose one hour out of twelve starting at 7am. What is the etc apart from Collins that you want to get rid of?

twinklerunner · 14-10-2017 10:56am

spurious wrote: »

Or call it RTE Ór.

Gold is an internationally recognised name for Oldies stations. Ór means nothing to the vast majority of us that don’t speak Irish.

dxhound2005 · 14-10-2017 11:07am

French speakers would recognise Or. Is RTE Gold aimed at an international audience?

Joe Duffy. · 17-10-2017 3:12pm

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

Try living outside the greater Dublin area and then you'll know all about choice.

You live in the north west right ? Doesn't your local station ocean fm? play plenty of classic hits from the 70s/80s/90s/00s ?

MikeyTaylor · 17-10-2017 4:02pm

Joe Duffy. wrote: »

You live in the north west right ? Doesn't your local station ocean fm? play plenty of classic hits from the 70s/80s/90s/00s ?

I think most regional stations do.

Joe Duffy. · 17-10-2017 4:12pm

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

I think most regional stations do.

That's what I mean, I'm all in favor of more choice on the airwaves but the way people rave about rte gold, you'd swear that there was a famine of Whitney Huston, Wham, the spice girls and Destiny's Child

Ursus Horribilis · 17-10-2017 4:23pm

Joe Duffy. wrote: »

You live in the north west right ? Doesn't your local station ocean fm? play plenty of classic hits from the 70s/80s/90s/00s ?

No I don't. The local station plays country and western ****e

Patty O Furniture · 18-10-2017 9:46pm

Joe Duffy. wrote: »

With the news yesterday that Will Leahy and Rick O Shea are joining rte gold on weekdays, is there actually a plan for the station or is it just the new dumping ground for jocks too old for 2fm ? What type of service is RTE Gold offering that isn't already available from Classic Hits 4fm, Q102, East coast Radio ? It seems to play an awful lot of generic 80s stuff.

Will Leahy was on the 6 o clock show y'day, saying he was at 2fm for 21 yrs & a photo came up & he'd said it was Ian Dempsey's leaving party, Tony Fenton+Mike Moloney was there too.

I haven't listened to 2fm for a good while, but Will & Rick were weekday dj's moved over to weekends on 2fm, who else got shafted by 2fm, have now gone to Gold?

Elian Salmon Juggler wrote: »

I stick on Gold at dinnertime most days, I find it has a better selection than both 4FM and Q102 - the fact it's on DAB is the clincher for me though, as FM reception where the radio is located is patchy.

I like Gold, 2XM and Pulse.

Is DAB available only in largely populated areas like Dublin, are most of them on satellite, never really looked as i assume those stations mentioned are only Dublin local? as it seems there's quite a few?

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

Maybe Mike Moloney will resurface on RTE Gold, after he dropped from the Nova schedule recently?

That name always stirs up memories of Moloney after Midnight, afaik was on 2fm?

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

No I don't. The local station plays country and western ****e

Tommy Rosney & Pio McCann to name a few :P

Afaik Ocean fm range is Sligo -Donegal town?

Highland is under a big schedule change since Shaun Doherty left, but jaysus Greg Hughes is still there in that slot

marno21 · 18-10-2017 11:08pm

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

Will Leahy was on the 6 o clock show y'day, saying he was at 2fm for 21 yrs & a photo came up & he'd said it was Ian Dempsey's leaving party, Tony Fenton+Mike Moloney was there too.

I haven't listened to 2fm for a good while, but Will & Rick were weekday dj's moved over to weekends on 2fm, who else got shafted by 2fm, have now gone to Gold?

Is DAB available only in largely populated areas like Dublin, are most of them on satellite, never really looked as i assume those stations mentioned are only Dublin local? as it seems there's quite a few?

That name always stirs up memories of Moloney after Midnight, afaik was on 2fm?

Tommy Rosney & Pio McCann to name a few :P

Afaik Ocean fm range is Sligo -Donegal town?

Highland is under a big schedule change since Shaun Doherty left, but jaysus Greg Hughes is still there in that slot

If you are familiar, DAB transmits from Three Rock, Kippure, Clermont Carn, Spur Hill and Woodcock Hill. Dublin, West Wicklow (Dublin commuter belt), the north east, Cork city and Limerick ciity and part county.

Ocean FM is Sligo, south Donegal and north Leitrim.

The problem is that we licenced youth services for 24 counties (all bar Cork and Wicklow). We only licenced an over 45 service for Cork, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Dublin, SE Meath, NE Kildare and North Wicklow. 4FM is also a poor attempt at this kind of service. Is there a market for an RTE Gold on FM nationwide? Most definately. I think the days of having to provide RTE Lyric FM and RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta on FM nationwide are gone and there is more benefit to having Gold on FM than RnaG. RnaG can easily be carried on FM using spare frequencies in Gaeltacht areas. The minority of listeners outside these areas can use the Internet, Saorview, Sky etc or DAB in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and the NE (half the population)

Patty O Furniture · 18-10-2017 11:51pm

marno21 wrote: »

If you are familiar, DAB transmits from Three Rock, Kippure, Clermont Carn, Spur Hill and Woodcock Hill. Dublin, West Wicklow (Dublin commuter belt), the north east, Cork city and Limerick ciity and part county.

Ocean FM is Sligo, south Donegal and north Leitrim.

The problem is that we licenced youth services for 24 counties (all bar Cork and Wicklow). We only licenced an over 45 service for Cork, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Dublin, SE Meath, NE Kildare and North Wicklow. 4FM is also a poor attempt at this kind of service. Is there a market for an RTE Gold on FM nationwide? Most definately. I think the days of having to provide RTE Lyric FM and RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta on FM nationwide are gone and there is more benefit to having Gold on FM than RnaG. RnaG can easily be carried on FM using spare frequencies in Gaeltacht areas. The minority of listeners outside these areas can use the Internet, Saorview, Sky etc or DAB in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and the NE (half the population)

I had limited knowledge of DAB, like seeing the radio's in Aldi's, but my thinking it'd be pointless here to use if you can't pick them up?

I see that most/all RTE radio stations are on satellite, inc Newstalk, but not TodayFM?

Is that Gold on sky ch 0121?
Would it be like an extended play of Larry Gogan's Golden Hour

dxhound2005 · 19-10-2017 7:36am

marno21 wrote: »

. I think the days of having to provide RTE Lyric FM and RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta on FM nationwide are gone and there is more benefit to having Gold on FM than RnaG.

I predict an almighty outcry if RnaG was replaced with a station playing foreign pop music. Especially from the people who are trying to enhance the position of the language in Northern Ireland, including by increasing the use of Irish on the BBC.

Expunge · 19-10-2017 8:22am

Is there a market for an RTE Gold on FM nationwide? Most definately. I think the days of having to provide RTE Lyric FM and RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta on FM nationwide are gone and there is more benefit to having Gold on FM than RnaG. RnaG can easily be carried on FM using spare frequencies in Gaeltacht areas. The minority of listeners outside these areas can use the Internet, Saorview, Sky etc or DAB in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and the NE (half the population)

Hold your horses there for a moment......

What is RTE for if not to provide the most straightforward access to minority/loss making cultural services? It's one of the reasons why they harvest license fee money AND are allowed to sell advertising and sponsorship.
There is no justification for RTE putting Gold on nationwide FM, although I agree with you that it would do very well.

The days of providing Lyric and RnaG on nationwide FM are still very much here, till DAB+ becomes as accessible as FM is now. It is RTE's job more than providing a Gold station. Otherwise they can say bye bye to a chunk of license fee.

Andy From Sligo · 20-10-2017 4:53pm

just been trying to get RTE gold on Internet Radio it said "No Content" so then went to laptop and put in https://gold.rte.ie/ - and it didnt work - then tried it on 'is it down?' website checker and it says its down for everyone...

Mr Snow · 20-10-2017 5:13pm

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

just been trying to get RTE gold on Internet Radio it said "No Content" so then went to laptop and put in https://gold.rte.ie/ - and it didnt work - then tried it on 'is it down?' website checker and it says its down for everyone...

working good for me is your wi-fi down

Andy From Sligo · 20-10-2017 5:51pm

Mr Snow wrote: »

working good for me is your wi-fi down

Thanks, working on the internet radio now but the https://gold.rte.ie/ url not working for me still

Mr Snow · 21-10-2017 12:02pm

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

Thanks, working on the internet radio now but the https://gold.rte.ie/ url not working for me still

do you use google chorme or internet explorer i use google chorme

Andy From Sligo · 21-10-2017 1:04pm

Thank you all for your answers - Both internet radio and their websites working fine today so it must have been a temporary glitch.

Never listened to Gold before but I am going to give it a run. Like the sound of the music they are supposed to play, plus Rick o'shea and Will Leahy have moved to there now from RTE 2FM and I like them

21-10-2017 6:54pm

Yes, RTE Gold and Radio Nova would be my go to stations for music, really enjoy their output. Andy, have you tried Nova yet, they’re also on t’internet?

Andy From Sligo · 21-10-2017 7:51pm

zorro2566 wrote: »

Yes, RTE Gold and Radio Nova would be my go to stations for music, really enjoy their output. Andy, have you tried Nova yet, they’re also on t’internet?

No not yet I will give it a try soon. What genre of music do they normally play is it rock?

griffin100 · 21-10-2017 9:15pm

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

No not yet I will give it a try soon. What genre of music do they normally play is it rock?

It's very varied. Yesterday morning they played Whitesnake Is This Love followed by Sammie Davis Junior doing Candyman. Can't say I've ever heard that combination before.

Andy From Sligo · 22-10-2017 12:06am

griffin100 wrote: »

It's very varied. Yesterday morning they played Whitesnake Is This Love followed by Sammie Davis Junior doing Candyman. Can't say I've ever heard that combination before.

haha , that seems strange - does seem a strange mix, Is it one of these 'request' type stations. If so that would explain. to keep their listeners happy most of the time they have to play their request

ford fiesta · 22-10-2017 12:50am

RTE Gold has been playing a very random and varied mix of songs since it started in around 2007.

The way radio should be.

Andy From Sligo · 22-10-2017 1:00am

ford fiesta wrote: »

RTE Gold has been playing a very random and varied mix of songs since it started in around 2007.

The way radio should be.

Blimey, imagine that its been going for 10 years and I have only just known about it the other day. And thats only because 2 2FM presenters are moving over to it

Declan A Walsh · 22-10-2017 9:48am

zorro2566 wrote: »

Yes, RTE Gold and Radio Nova would be my go to stations for music, really enjoy their output. Andy, have you tried Nova yet, they’re also on t’internet?

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

No not yet I will give it a try soon. What genre of music do they normally play is it rock?

griffin100 wrote: »

It's very varied. Yesterday morning they played Whitesnake Is This Love followed by Sammie Davis Junior doing Candyman. Can't say I've ever heard that combination before.

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

haha , that seems strange - does seem a strange mix, Is it one of these 'request' type stations. If so that would explain. to keep their listeners happy most of the time they have to play their request

ford fiesta wrote: »

RTE Gold has been playing a very random and varied mix of songs since it started in around 2007.
The way radio should be.

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

Blimey, imagine that its been going for 10 years and I have only just known about it the other day. And thats only because 2 2FM presenters are moving over to it

Andy, there are a couple of points I want to make in relation to all the posts above.

(a) Radio Nova
1. Radio Nova won the competition for the classic rock licence, which covers Dublin and its commuter belt, i.e. Kildare, Meath, north Wicklow and south Louth. It has been broadcasting since 2010.

2. It is true that it has been stretching its playlist and definition of classic rock over time, but I am surprised to hear about Sammy Davis Junior.

3. It is not a general music request radio station, but it does take requests for rock music. There are also a few specialist shows over the weekend.

4. By the way, you should have a look at the thread about Radio Nova on this page. Also, you could also check out their website if interested.

(b) RTE Gold
1. As the poster said, it's been around since 2007. It is one of a number of RTE Digital stations. They are all available on the Virgin Media's digital radio selection on their digital tv box.

2. Initially, this was largely automated but over the last couple of years there has been an increase in presenters, many of whom had 2FM connections.

3. In the last year, Radio 1 has been broadcasting RTE Gold in the early hours.

4. If you do a search through this radio forum, you will find plenty of threads and posts about RTE Gold.

22-10-2017 12:15pm

Is the Gold studio in Limerick, think Will Leahy said he was broadcasting from there?

ford fiesta · 22-10-2017 12:53pm

zorro2566 wrote: »

Is the Gold studio in Limerick, think Will Leahy said he was broadcasting from there?

There is the RTE studio in Limerick used for micky mac, lorcan murray and will's shows on Gold

The others shows are done in donnybrook

Andy From Sligo · 22-10-2017 5:31pm

I heard larry gogan interviewing Rick O'Shea last week and rick said to larry "you see that wall over there - past that wall I will be broadcasting from there in the RTE Gold studio" - so i presum its in Donnybrook

griffin100 · 23-10-2017 10:30am

griffin100 wrote: »

It's very varied. Yesterday morning they played Whitesnake Is This Love followed by Sammie Davis Junior doing Candyman. Can't say I've ever heard that combination before.

Oops my mistake, the Whitesnake - SDJ reference was to Gold, not Nova. Can't see Nova playing SDJ.

I've started listening to Gold in the mornings as there's no other decent option until PK comes on. It's very varied and with no DJs at that time a welcome break from the usual inane breakfast show 'banter.'

Joe Duffy. · 23-10-2017 10:37am

griffin100 wrote: »

Oops my mistake, the Whitesnake - SDJ reference was to Gold, not Nova. Can't see Nova playing SDJ.

I've started listening to Gold in the mornings as there's no other decent option until PK comes on. It's very varied and with no DJs at that time a welcome break from the usual inane breakfast show 'banter.'

Well in two weeks time that's going to change when the will Leahy breakfast show starts

MikeyTaylor · 23-10-2017 10:45am

griffin100 wrote: »

Oops my mistake, the Whitesnake - SDJ reference was to Gold, not Nova. Can't see Nova playing SDJ.

I've started listening to Gold in the mornings as there's no other decent option until PK comes on. It's very varied and with no DJs at that time a welcome break from the usual inane breakfast show 'banter.'

John Clarke played Frank Sinatra yesterday.

Andy From Sligo · 23-10-2017 8:48pm

Joe Duffy. wrote: »

Well in two weeks time that's going to change when the will Leahy breakfast show starts

that shall be entertaining to see how that works out - will is normally hyper when he is on 2FM

RINO87 · 24-10-2017 3:40pm

ford fiesta wrote: »

There is the RTE studio in Limerick used for micky mac, lorcan murray and will's shows on Gold

The others shows are done in donnybrook

Mickey Mac is on Gold? Please tell me its still has Saturday Night dance show!!

MikeyTaylor · 24-10-2017 4:13pm

RINO87 wrote: »

Mickey Mac is on Gold? Please tell me its still has Saturday Night dance show!!

Yep, and Tipp FM and Clare FM as well. Him, Will and Lorcan must all be from Limerick. In my thread about a hypothetical Nova South West, I have Will and Mickey named as potential DJs on the imagined station.

"Now... Mickey Mac. With the most music, guaranteed.
Nova Sooouth Weeeeeeeeest!!"

MikeyTaylor · 28-10-2017 11:13am

Small question will JJ Hartigan be involved in Will Leahy's new breakfast show or is he staying with 2FM?

MikeyTaylor · 30-10-2017 4:43pm

JJ on 2FM bank holiday drive today as is the case most of the time. I wonder will he be involved in Will Leahy's new show, I understand he works across RTÉ not just on 2FM.

RTE Gold discussion thread

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