CLASSIC HITS OR 4FM

Sheep Shagger

Google hub already knows about the change

Declan A Walsh

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

https://www.classichits.ie/aboutus/meet-the-team/

Colm Hayes official title is listed as "Programme Director" and will soon present Breakfast on Classic Hits with Lucy Kennedy once PJ & Jim have transferred to do Breakfast on Radio NOVA which begins in April.

I also notice that ex-RTÉ 2FM DJ Barry Lang is to present "Classic Love Songs with Barry Lang" between 08:00-11:00am on Sunday 14th March. I gather Enda Murphy has departed? Barry Lang took up a new occupation as airline pilot after his 2FM broadcasting career. He was probably best known as presenter of Barry Lang's Hotline, The Beat Box on Sunday mornings on Network 2 tv which was a simulcast with 2FM.

Barry Lang was mentioned alright in another thread:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058167334

It does look like Enda Murphy has left. There's no mention of Classic Hits or Sunshine 106.8 on Linkedin, although it looks like he is still a presenter with Sunshine going by its schedule. Enda does have a number of companies on the go and, according to Linkedin, is a voiceover artist for RTE.

AwaitYourReply

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

...and of course Colm Hayes! So, in fact, there will be quite a few presenters from 2FM. I think Barry Lang's gig might be only for a few weeks though.

Yeah, most likely while global air traffic is still so quiet due to the COVID 19 pandemic. I cannot see his returning to full time radio by choice but stranger things have happened. Since Gareth O'Callaghan had to depart due to ill health some years ago, 4FM (Classic Hits) never hired a replacement big name DJ for it's Mon-Fri weekday schedule.

Wheety

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

If it's Tara Duggan or John Harte, they also read the news on Nova. So, you may be okay there!

I was going to say I heard Tara doing the news on Nova too.

Declan A Walsh

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Yeah, most likely while global air traffic is still so quiet due to the COVID 19 pandemic. I cannot see his returning to full time radio by choice but stranger things have happened. Since Gareth O'Callaghan had to depart due to ill health some years ago, 4FM (Classic Hits) never hired a replacement big name DJ for it's Mon-Fri weekday schedule.

Colm Hayes and Lucy Kennedy will be the big names now for Mon. to Fri.!

Elmo

Always liked the original 4fm logo

AwaitYourReply

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Barry Lang was mentioned alright in another thread:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058167334

It does look like Enda Murphy has left. There's no mention of Classic Hits or Sunshine 106.8 on Linkedin, although it looks like he is still a presenter with Sunshine going by its schedule. Enda does have a number of companies on the go and, according to Linkedin, is a voiceover artist for RTE.

Apologies I am only just catching up on radio news. I think I heard Enda on Today fm some years ago - Did he ever do Friday Night 80's or Nothing but 90's or was that another Enda perhaps?

AwaitYourReply

Elmo wrote: »

Always liked the original 4fm logo

Yes it was more classic in style!!

Declan A Walsh

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Apologies I am only just catching up on radio news. I think I heard Enda on Today fm some years ago - Did he ever do Friday Night 80's or Nothing but 90's or was that another Enda perhaps?

I don't think Enda Murphy was ever on Today FM. Enda Caldwell was, though.

AwaitYourReply

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Colm Hayes and Lucy Kennedy will be the big names now for Mon. to Fri.!

This is true. I first recall hearing Colm Hayes around '89 on 2FM as I was not living in Dublin so I did not hear him doing pirate radio. I'll miss PJ & Jim on FM in Cork - huge loss. Online and Apps are not always convenient in the car or on the go.

Glaceon

Wheety wrote: »

I was going to say I heard Tara doing the news on Nova too.

She does the news on Classic Hits, Nova and Sunshine (all in the same building). John Harte normally does the news in the afternoon for Classic Hits and Nova and have heard Louise Cantillon as a stand-in. But, for some reason, Sunshine have Hugh O'Farrell-Walsh of East Coast FM in the afternoons.

AwaitYourReply

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I don't think Enda Murphy was ever on Today FM. Enda Caldwell was, though.

Mr Caldwell I suspect in that case. I liked Friday Night 80's on Today fm especially in the early years when it was fresh.

Flowergirl201

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Barry Lang was mentioned alright in another thread:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058167334

It does look like Enda Murphy has left. There's no mention of Classic Hits or Sunshine 106.8 on Linkedin, although it looks like he is still a presenter with Sunshine going by its schedule. Enda does have a number of companies on the go and, according to Linkedin, is a voiceover artist for RTE.

I wonder is enda covering the breakfast show until 1st April? He has filled in for pj and Jim on other occasions?

AwaitYourReply

Flowergirl201 wrote: »

I wonder is enda covering the breakfast show until 1st April? He has filled in for pj and Jim on other occasions?

Very possibly Enda. Another possibility could be Mike Hogan (aka Magic Mike) doing a solo run until the end of the month.

(I recall when Ian Dempsey decided to end his role as RTÉ 2FM Breakfast Show presenter back in '98 to take up a new position with Today FM he was barred from saying goodbye to all his 2FM listeners on air. There was several months of Iano off the airwaves as he was not due to commence on Today fm until around September! The 2FM Breakfast Show was probably at it's highest peak during Ian Dempsey's time in the chair up to Summertime 1998!) Ian has always had a great voice for morning radio and was a huge loss to 2FM.

Flowergirl201

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Very possibly Enda. Another possibility could be Mike Hogan (aka Magic Mike) doing a solo run until the end of the month.

(I recall when Ian Dempsey decided to end his role as RTÉ 2FM Breakfast Show presenter back in '98 to take up a new position with Today FM he was barred from saying goodbye to all his 2FM listeners on air. There was several months of Iano off the airwaves as he was not due to commence on Today fm until around September! The 2FM Breakfast Show was probably at it's highest peak during Ian Dempsey's time in the chair up to Summertime 1998!) Ian has always had a great voice for morning radio and was a huge loss to 2FM.

But I'd say Ian chose to leave 2fm, I get the feeling pj and Jim didn't get much of a choice

Declan A Walsh

Flowergirl201 wrote: »

But I'd say Ian chose to leave 2fm, I get the feeling pj and Jim didn't get much of a choice

That's right. Today FM offered Ian more money for starters.

madnessnmayhem

Has Andy Mathews left? Wasn't he programme director of the station?

AwaitYourReply

Flowergirl201 wrote: »

But I'd say Ian chose to leave 2fm, I get the feeling pj and Jim didn't get much of a choice

Ian may have preferred to stay at RTÉ if they were willing to offer him the right package Versus what Today fm was offering him at the time. I think Ian was a freelancer at 2FM (as opposed to RTÉ Staff) and he would known how it all went so badly wrong for Marty Whelan, originally a Radio 2 DJ, when his move to Century Radio had backfired when that first national independent station closed down suddenly in 1991. In 1998 you must remember that Today fm was the relaunch branding for Radio Ireland - Radio Ireland had not been the success in it's first 12-18months on air. By Dempsey leaving the RTÉ 2fm Breakfast Show he was also saying goodbye to all RTÉ tv projects which had also been the case 9 years earlier for Marty Whelan when he left RTÉ. (TV3 had yet to commence broadcasting in September 1998 but Ian was deciding before the Summer of the same year if I recall.) Now it's history and it worked out well but it was a big risk for Ian at the time.

I do not get the impression that PJ and Jim were consulted so; any decision made regarding the programme and it's future direction or in this case switch to another station (albeit within the same group) was probably not warmly welcomed. I imagine they build up a rapport and loyal listener base which is negatively impacted by such a major change. They'll be missed on FM Radio in Cork for sure given that NOVA is unfortunately not licenced to broadcast in this region of Ireland unlike Classic Hits/4FM

California Dreamer

madnessnmayhem wrote: »

Has Andy Mathews left? Wasn't he programme director of the station?

Andy Matthews and Sean Ashmore have departed.

Flowergirl201

California Dreamer wrote: »

Andy Matthews and Sean Ashmore have departed.

Is that Andy of bad news Andy fame?

ford fiesta

California Dreamer wrote: »

Andy Matthews and Sean Ashmore have departed.

Sean Ashmore remains on Bay Broadcasting presenting a weekend show on Sunshine radio I think on a Saturday

California Dreamer

ford fiesta wrote: »

Sean Ashmore remains on Bay Broadcasting presenting a weekend show on Sunshine radio I think on a Saturday

That may be true but that is a different station. As far as Classic Hits is concerned he is no longer CEO.

Declan A Walsh

According to this article, Sean Ashmore is the CEO of Classic Hits:
https://radiotoday.ie/2021/03/barry-lang-flies-back-to-radio-with-classic-hits/

Cube98

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

According to this article, Sean Ashmore is the CEO of Classic Hits:
https://radiotoday.ie/2021/03/barry-lang-flies-back-to-radio-with-classic-hits/

Kevin Branigan is now the CEO https://www.classichits.ie/aboutus/meet-the-team/

Lithium93_

That's 3 departures from Classic Hits now in the last few months, PJ & Jim, and Helena who produced the Niall Boylan show left too, or was it a case of her contract was up?

alzer100

Haven't read all of the posts or much of the news on this so could be just going over old ground but all of the presenter and "content director" musical chairs scenarios have probably been introduced by Dave Kelly and Liam Thompson as they were recently appointed by Bay as "group program consultants" apparently to expand the "branding" of the radio stations at executive level.

If this is the case, is this just something for the two guys to do? I suppose they have to make their mark, as they are probably getting paid serious money in those positions.

Irish independent radio, everyone is a consultant now and those who are not think that they are. In a couple of weeks, honestly will anyone really care?

vince

Gotta be the strangest move in radio.its like robbing peter to pay paul. I ll miss the craic in the mornings on the road in cork. I got into them in march avoiding too much news on newstalk etc. Never liked Colm so wont be listening.

Hurrache

What was the business reason given? PJ and Jim have a broader appeal, unless some bizarre survey says differently, so why switch them to a station with a smaller potential audience?

vince

Best sollution would be to put them on both outputs. Ch will deffo drop listeners in cork one of thier strongholds. Red and 96 will pick up the deserters.

Maz2016

Will miss PJ and Jim in the car on the way to work. Apps etc are not practical for my commute. I don’t like colm so won’t be tuning in.