CLASSIC HITS OR 4FM

Declan A Walsh

4FM/Classic Hits has been a home for many RTE-related presenters over the years since it started in February 2009. As well as Liam Quigley, it includes:

Gareth O'Callaghan (who returned recently on weekends - the only original left),

Jimmy Grealey,

Derek Davis (RIP),

Noel McCaul (RIP),

Tom McGuirk,

Marian Farrell,

Michael Comyn,

Nails Mahoney/Brian McColl,

Mark Byrne (if you count his brief stint with Millennium Radio!),

Dave Heffernan,

Bill Hughes,

Al Dunne (RTE Gold subsequently),

Dave Redmond,

Gerry Stephens,

Barry Lang (Gerry's brother but there at different times!),

Declan Pierce (he was a 2FM presenter for a bit, if you are wondering!),

Nikki Hayes,

Dusty Rhodes,

Colm Hayes,

Lucy Kennedy,

Damien Farrell and

Ruth Scott.

Sheep Shagger

Anyone know what they station is now Classic Hits Radio with the emphasis on 'Radio' ?

Maz2016

I noticed they say Ireland’s classic hits radio now. I like this station but what bugs the absolute life out of me is how much the Colm & Lucy breakfast show is plugged. If your a regular listener, you can pinpoint the minute when they will promote it - Ruth Scott (who I loved on other stations) is particularly bad for it. I used just zone out , not I tune out. Nothing could entice me to listen to Colm Hayes - not even the promos.

now that the JNLR figures were released, is the breakfast show down listeners v’s PJ & Jim I wonder

bad2thebone

I sometimes used flick between classic hits and today fm in the morning on my drive to work.

But I find Ian Dempsey sets my morning up. His laughter and positivity is a good listen. 4fm seems to be very monotone. Just nothing to give a lift.

As for news talk in the morning all doom and gloom, absolutely shocking to listen to.

Master Anorak

I presume the reason they added Ireland's and radio to the name was for smartspeakers but it's a very clunky name for a radio station

Maz2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119606569#Comment_119606569

Oh your probably right

JoeA3

I noticed that they’ve recently re-recorded all their jingles with the voice of Brian Walsh (who incidentally has his own show on the station on Sunday afternoons). The jingles all sound exactly the same as before, same scripts, etc just the mid-Atlantic voice replaced with Brian Walsh’s. Anyone have any idea why they’d do this? Costs? License on previous voice expired? A desire to sound more Irish?

Also heard Liam Quigley filling in for Phil Cawley yesterday. Another very familiar voice in terms of ads, jingles etc on other stations.

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119610216#Comment_119610216

The new voiceover is Roy Jennings, afternoon presenter on Midlands 103.

It's possible it's an overall change of station sound - the tagline "Ireland's Classic Hits Radio" is now being used, there have been changes to the station's audio processing, and Dee Woods (Radio Nova) is female station voice for a while now.

Back when the 4FM name was still prominent it was a Northern Irish voiceover that was used. The American voice (JJ Wright) came around the gradual phasing out of the 4FM brand.

JoeA3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119649376#Comment_119649376

are you sure? It sounds extremely like Brian Walsh to me but maybe the 2 guys have similar sounding voices...

misterdiesel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119649376#Comment_119649376

Slight correction here - the first two voices were both Scottish.

JJ Wright was only used for a short period of that as a ‘breaker’ voice for Club Classics.

misterdiesel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652244#Comment_119652244

And the guy after the Scottish voices was the original nova station voice ‘Kent LaTurno’

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652244#Comment_119652244

Correct, apologies! Mixing up my names! (And it would appear my nationalities as well - apologies to any Scottish or Northern Irish people).

its_steve116

Looked at their schedule, noticed Traic Ó Braonain is on on Sunday evenings now. He's also on Radio Nova with "Muc ar Maidin" on Sunday mornings, which I think means "Pig in the Morning"? 😂

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120407748#Comment_120407748

I did not realize he was still with Radio Nova and I did not know he also was presenting on Classic Hits.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

What did Lucy say to Colm has to be the worst radio comp I've ever heard. At this stage I'd pay THEM the few hundred euros to not mention it again.

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408430#Comment_120408430

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408430#Comment_120408430

He's been listed on the website as presenting "Muc ar Maidin" (misspelled "Maiden" on the website) between 6-8am on Sunday mornings, for a while now.

seanx55

Might sound a bit nit-picky as it's not related to the on-air product, but their website graphics are horrendous, you would get 10x better from a pirate Radio Station.

Perhaps it's just me, but with a station semi-national - the photoshop work looks like something a kid would do!

Brid Hegarty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409361#Comment_120409361

Is he under instructions to be more repetitive with his music choices I wonder? as in 4 fm is more repetitive than radio nova. I wonder if it's because they don't have a very large repertoire, or because they've no imagination? For example, if they were to play Robbie Williams you can be 90% that it's going to be 'Angles'.

They keep playing the likes of 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Built this City'. Don't people get bored of that?

alzer100

All of the Dublin local and national radio stations such as Classic Hits 4 FM are targeting a specific audience for revenue purposes. This leads to very limited and particularly non comprehensive playlists that do not change. For the next 10 years you will most likely be listening to the same music on rotation until the targeted 25 - 45 year old age group shifts by that 10 years. In other words any change in the playlist or the addition of extra music will be subtle. That's how these "Music Mix" formats work, whether it's Classic Hits 4 FM, 98FM, FM104, Q102, Nova the list goes on. It's radio bland!

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120431204#Comment_120431204

I think I know what Robbie Williams song you mean but if he covered Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip's "Angles" then that would be interesting!

Brid Hegarty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120431472#Comment_120431472

I know, but lets say they played 'Strong' by Robbie Williams? Would that hurt? I mean don't they say 'songs you haven't heard in ages'?

Now just a few examples of songs that I can think of, that mightn't be huge hits, but that would still suit 4fm would be 'Dance Hall Days', 'She's a Star' by James, and 'Let's Go' by Wang Chung. But even if they do have to be hits, there's a whole load of hits that they aren't playing. You can't say listeners would be turned off by these songs, so I think it's more than what you're saying. They're goal isn't to be bland and their listeners aren't brained washed idiots you're implying they are.

alzer100

Their goal is not to be bland but their blandness is a result of their playlist policy. Unfortunately because branding is so important to their marketing, the end result is that the listener suffers. The points that you have made about certain songs that could be played but are not are quite valid but that is of no real concern to them as they are not as committed to offering a great radio station as to commitment to their shareholders and bottom line. I apologize if I may have stated something that may of been misread but I am in no way implying that their listeners are brainwashed idiots.

Brid Hegarty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120433577#Comment_120433577

I can’t fathom that. If their commitment was to have a great radio station, at what point would this cause the shareholders to complain? How would they even know? What is the ‘bottom line’?

Who’s the Director of music there now?

Glaceon

I noticed that they changed their news imaging recently. But the sonic logo on it still sounds like “Classic Hits 4FM”.

Antenna

A new home for Ryan Tubridy on Classic Hits ?

https://www.thesun.ie/tvandshowbiz/11245040/ryan-tubridy-rte-update-new-radio-show-classic-hits/

https://evoke.ie/2023/08/28/entertainment/irish-radio-station-ryan-tubridy

This Tubridy offer story is of course free publicity for Classic Hits

NIMAN

We don't Classic Hits up here in the NW.

But the title of the radio station would make me assume its the traditional format, mostly songs with a little bit of the dj waffling in between them?

Ryan ain't used to that format. Is he willing to become that type of DJ? To actually become a dj, rather an a host? He usually had an hours radio show which often only had 2 songs, sometimes 1.

How will be change to the new role? I don't think he is capable of being such a dj.

JoeA3

Nonsense story IMO.

Somehow I cannot see Ryan jumping at the chance to ask the listeners "What did Lucy say to Colm" in every other link and playing classics like Hungry Eyes...

Muller1991

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038190#Comment_121038190

Probably is a nonsense story, However I could see them change the format for two hours a day.

Would more than likely bring them to the next level too.

cute geoge

Garaeth was saying the money he was on there back a while ago and he said it was pretty poor like a few hundred euro per programe or am i dreaming that