Bring back Hook!!!

khaldrogo

Hook had his issues but at least he was fun to listen too IMO.

I've given Ciara Kelly the benefit of the doubt for long enough. She, as a broadcaster is woeful. The topics she is opting to feature are dull and over obvious. Its like she has a list of topics ranging from handy to hard and she pick the handy ones every time. By handy I mean topics that ask questions that nearly answer themselves. She's also constantly virtue signalling. It's nauseating at this point.

One topic after the other today.

1. Living wage to be paid to everyone and their mother!!! Look at how much of state the country is in at the moment paying out near 200e per week to the perpetually unemployed. What incentive will these people have to get a job or if they are to be paid even more than what they are already getting? Our dole is already more than most other countries give. I was out of work during the recession for 9 months. I may not have been so quick to find employment had I been getting a living wage. And who is to fund this ridiculous idea? The squeezed middle, that's who.


2. Gender pay gap. This old chestnut!!! The non existent gender pay gap. The first figure they trotted out was from Ryan Air. 72% pay gap they said!! This is an average taken from all employees. From pilots to check in staff. Of course there is a difference in pay but it's not because of gender. Any fool must be able to see that. Now, they did clarify this but they still went on to spout more figures about a gender pay gap ignoring all the reasons why SOME men get paid more than SOME women. Men tend to CHOOSE certain careers and women tend to CHOOSE others. The careers women choose tend to be lower paying. It really is that simple. Where a man and a woman are doing the same job and the man is getting paid more, by all means sort this out!!! But don't create and issue where there is none. My wife works less hours than me but gets paid more.


Sorry for the rant. I was getting very worked up listening to NT today as you can tell.

WinnyThePoo

There's a radio forum.

greenspurs

Theres other radio stations too ......

badtoro

Hook was at least interesting, he got hounded out of his slot for saying common sense in a ham fisted way.

Ciara Kelly is boring, it's Joe Duffy lite. All samey samey radio on that time frame now. I do a LOT of miles in the van and I dont turn on the radio at all around then.

AllForIt

badtoro wrote: »

Hook was at least interesting, he got hounded out of his slot for saying common sense in a ham fisted way.

Ciara Kelly is boring, it's Joe Duffy lite. All samey samey radio on that time frame now. I do a LOT of miles in the van and I dont turn on the radio at all around then.

You have a way with insults ! : )

badtoro

AllForIt wrote: »

You have a way with insults ! : )

See thing is I find stuff like Hook, Moncrief, OTB interesting or entertaining.

Duffy, Finucane, Kelly, Boylan just annoy me.

Why live life annoyed

seamus

Hook is a gobsh1te.

He's a terrible interviewer - if he had someone on that he disagreed with, he'd frequently talk over them, and when Hook was bested, he'd just have the last word and then end the interview. People he liked or agreed with were allowed to speak freely for as long as they wanted. He interviewed like a spoiled child.

And he's incapable of changing his opinion, he's dogmatic. The worst kind of person to have discussing current affairs. For example, he's famous for his nonsensical angry ranting about cyclists. So one day he threw out a challenge that he'd donate €100 to charity if anyone could prove cyclists stop at red lights. Of course, he was inundated with photos and videos of it. So he puts his hands up, gave €1,000 to some charity and then went quiet on the topic. For a few weeks. He was back shortly thereafter wittering and whinging again about how cyclists never stop at red lights.

He's just a troll. Providing nothing of substance to current affairs discussion.

I switched him off about 8 years ago and my commute became much more enjoyable.

badtoro

I like Hook, and I hate cyclists too. See enough of them foreign and domestic acting the fool.

seamus

seamus wrote: »

Hook is a gobsh1te.

He's a terrible interviewer - if he had someone on that he disagreed with, he'd frequently talk over them, and when Hook was bested, he'd just have the last word and then end the interview. People he liked or agreed with were allowed to speak freely for as long as they wanted. He interviewed like a spoiled child.

And he's incapable of changing his opinion, he's dogmatic. The worst kind of person to have discussing current affairs. For example, he's famous for his nonsensical angry ranting about cyclists. So one day he threw out a challenge that he'd donate €100 to charity if anyone could prove cyclists stop at red lights. Of course, he was inundated with photos and videos of it. So he puts his hands up, gave €1,000 to some charity and then went quiet on the topic. For a few weeks. He was back shortly thereafter wittering and whinging again about how cyclists never stop at red lights.

He's just a troll. Providing nothing of substance to current affairs discussion.

I switched him off about 8 years ago and my commute became much more enjoyable.

I just read all of that with Hook’s voice in my head.

professore

seamus wrote: »

Hook is a gobsh1te.

He's a terrible interviewer - if he had someone on that he disagreed with, he'd frequently talk over them, and when Hook was bested, he'd just have the last word and then end the interview. People he liked or agreed with were allowed to speak freely for as long as they wanted. He interviewed like a spoiled child.

And he's incapable of changing his opinion, he's dogmatic. The worst kind of person to have discussing current affairs. For example, he's famous for his nonsensical angry ranting about cyclists. So one day he threw out a challenge that he'd donate €100 to charity if anyone could prove cyclists stop at red lights. Of course, he was inundated with photos and videos of it. So he puts his hands up, gave €1,000 to some charity and then went quiet on the topic. For a few weeks. He was back shortly thereafter wittering and whinging again about how cyclists never stop at red lights.

He's just a troll. Providing nothing of substance to current affairs discussion.

I switched him off about 8 years ago and my commute became much more enjoyable.

At a conservative guess I'd say at least 50% of cyclists under 25 don't stop at red lights. So he has a point.

rustynutz

I only started listening to hook about 6 months before he got shafted off air, I thought he was very entertaining. A bit of a dinasour but that is half the appeal, I loved his opinion on cyclists, I don't care about cyclists one way or the other but his take was funny. It's a shame NT gave in to the objectors and removed him from the slot.

Like, Ivan Yeats and Sean Moncriffe, Ciara Kelly is alright bit crisp in her delivery, Stoped listening to the breakfast news show one of the presenters cant think of his name used to be a crime reporter anyway he comes across as having a massive ego he is just really irritating.

FunLover18

Rufio! Rufio! Rufio!

badtoro

mariaalice wrote: »

Like, Ivan Yeats and Sean Moncriffe, Ciara Kelly is alright bit crisp in her delivery, Stoped listening to the breakfast news show one of the presenters cant think of his name used to be a crime reporter any way he comes across as having a massive ego he is just really irritating.

Paul Williams? Agree, change the dial :pac:

AllForIt

professore wrote: »

At a conservative guess I'd say at least 50% of cyclists under 25 don't stop at red lights. So he has a point.

Don't stop at red lights at all ever ever?

jimgoose

Most doctors, when not actually a-doctorin', would bore the bollocks off a battalion because they tend to think they're a lot more interesting than they actually are.

meeeeh

Hook is back. You'll have to get up earlier on Saturdays.

quintana76

seamus wrote: »

Hook is a gobsh1te.

He's a terrible interviewer - if he had someone on that he disagreed with, he'd frequently talk over them, and when Hook was bested, he'd just have the last word and then end the interview. People he liked or agreed with were allowed to speak freely for as long as they wanted. He interviewed like a spoiled child.

And he's incapable of changing his opinion, he's dogmatic. The worst kind of person to have discussing current affairs. For example, he's famous for his nonsensical angry ranting about cyclists. So one day he threw out a challenge that he'd donate €100 to charity if anyone could prove cyclists stop at red lights. Of course, he was inundated with photos and videos of it. So he puts his hands up, gave €1,000 to some charity and then went quiet on the topic. For a few weeks. He was back shortly thereafter wittering and whinging again about how cyclists never stop at red lights.

He's just a troll. Providing nothing of substance to current affairs discussion.

I switched him off about 8 years ago and my commute became much more enjoyable.

"Incapable of changing his opinion" Wouldn't be considered a crime if he held views of the more "approved" persuasion. Would it?

Rory28

FunLover18 wrote: »

Rufio! Rufio! Rufio!

Fake Pan. Bring back Peter!

whisky_galore

Hooky is hard on the ears; it's like listening to a concrete mixer with a few shovels of gravel fcuked into it.

Don't get him started on WW2 or cowboy movies, he never shuts up.

bodice ripper

The man was so rude to guests (including those whose opinions I found abhorrent) that I had to turn it off lest I cringe myself clear to death. Delighted he is gone.

_Dara_

badtoro wrote: »

Hook was at least interesting, he got hounded out of his slot for saying common sense in a ham fisted way.

Then how good a broadcaster is he?

badtoro

_Dara_ wrote: »

Then how good a broadcaster is he?

Must be great being perfect

I find him a very good broadcaster.

_Dara_

badtoro wrote: »

Must be great being perfect

I find him a very good broadcaster.

Articulacy is important in broadcasting, no?

Many broadcasters fail that test but Hook is elevated by many AH heads to the status of Very Good Broadcaster. Very Good Broadcasters are highly articulate at a minimum, in my view.

dr.fuzzenstein

jimgoose wrote: »

Most doctors, when not actually a-doctorin', would bore the bollocks off a battalion because they tend to think they're a lot more interesting than they actually are.

Hey!

As for radio in Ireland, it's corporate entertainment.
It's fully sponsored, nothing more than a mouthpiece for the companies behind it that pony up the doe, the keyword is safe, safe, safe.
Nothing must be broadcast that would scare the mostly elderly listeners out of their light slumber in their rocking chair or anything that would wind up Mary as she is preparing the caserole in the kitchen.
Programming is aimed solely at the lowest, common denominator, it has to be safe, boring, conformist and approved by the sponsor.
If Irish radio was a food, it would be pureed fruit suitable for toddlers or the very elderly.
It has to be suitable to be played in a nursing home or funeral parlour.
It is about as alive as someone who has been resting in a pyramid for 5000 years or so.
The frantic effort of small, local stations only serve to make it look more ghoulish.
The hands on the purse strings and idiotic libel laws make sure that nothing interesting, controversial or even mildly surprising gets broadcast.
It's just being kept alive by sponsor money and it's time someone pulled the plug.

neirbloom

badtoro wrote: »

Hook was at least interesting, he got hounded out of his slot for saying common sense in a ham fisted way.

Ciara Kelly is boring, it's Joe Duffy lite. All samey samey radio on that time frame now. I do a LOT of miles in the van and I dont turn on the radio at all around then.

Hook is the one of the biggest snowflake you can find on the radio so I found it quite funny that the same people chastising him were the same ones he'd be waving a flag for every other morning on his slot.

Although he annoyed and angered me and when I did disagree with him it was always so far right I could fell my blood pressure going up I did find him far more entertaining than than Dr Ciara or Darcy and co.

suicide_circus

seamus wrote: »

Hook is a gobsh1te.

He's a terrible interviewer - if he had someone on that he disagreed with, he'd frequently talk over them, and when Hook was bested, he'd just have the last word and then end the interview. People he liked or agreed with were allowed to speak freely for as long as they wanted. He interviewed like a spoiled child.

And he's incapable of changing his opinion, he's dogmatic. The worst kind of person to have discussing current affairs. For example, he's famous for his nonsensical angry ranting about cyclists. So one day he threw out a challenge that he'd donate €100 to charity if anyone could prove cyclists stop at red lights. Of course, he was inundated with photos and videos of it. So he puts his hands up, gave €1,000 to some charity and then went quiet on the topic. For a few weeks. He was back shortly thereafter wittering and whinging again about how cyclists never stop at red lights.

He's just a troll. Providing nothing of substance to current affairs discussion.

I switched him off about 8 years ago and my commute became much more enjoyable.

That may all be true but at least he was in some way entertaining. It was nice to have a bit of wrong-think on the airwaves. Every presenter on radio now has the same safe space approved opinions and they toe the line. It's like listening to beige.

khaldrogo

meeeeh wrote:

Hook is back. You'll have to get up earlier on Saturdays.

I heard him once on the Saturday since he's been back. Not the same IMO.

Foxhound38

Ciara Kelly puts me to sleep. Hook might have been an old fart who I disagreed with most of the time, but he was a bit of craic to listen to and the whole set of circumstances behind him being hounded out was a total disgrace - he deserved better than the way he was treated by his so-called colleagues at NT.

The only silver lining of the whole debacle was Dil Wickramasinge sticking her oar in and consigning herself to the dustbin of failed broadcasters in the process.

At least Moncreiff is still knocking about.

mcmoustache

I don't know. I can't stand him myself but there's no harm in having such a man on the air. His "Common Man" shtick plays well with people who work in cars - taxi drivers, builders, bin men etc as well as others who work where there's a radio.

The blow-hard character that he plays on the radio and on TV is very popular with people who conflate bombast with common sense. You have to remember, to a lot of people, loud and smart are basically the same thing. He's quite good at what he does and really should have a slot during the working day. It's a lot of advertising revenue going to waste, otherwise.

_Dara_

mcmoustache wrote: »

His "Common Man" shtick plays well with people who work in cars - taxi drivers, builders, bin men etc as well as others who work where there's a radio.

I gotta say I never think of him in that way. He has always come across well-to-do to me.

mcmoustache

_Dara_ wrote: »

I gotta say I never think of him in that way. He has always come across well-to-do to me.

That's just his posh Cork accent. It adds a certain gravitas to what would otherwise sound like the opinionated ramblings of an angry white van man.

If he spoke with a different accent, such as the one you hear from the Adrian Kennedy show callers, he'd just sound like the kind of person who calls Adrian Kennedy.

Huexotzingo

whisky_galore wrote: »

Hooky is hard on the ears; it's like listening to a concrete mixer with a few shovels of gravel fcuked into it.

Don't get him started on WW2 or cowboy movies, he never shuts up.

A Bulldog chewing a wasp.

storker

mariaalice wrote: »

Like, Ivan Yeats and Sean Moncriffe, Ciara Kelly is alright bit crisp in her delivery, Stoped listening to the breakfast news show one of the presenters cant think of his name used to be a crime reporter anyway he comes across as having a massive ego he is just really irritating.

Not to mention neither of them being able to pronouce "th"...

badtoro

_Dara_ wrote: »

Articulacy is important in broadcasting, no?

Many broadcasters fail that test but Hook is elevated by many AH heads to the status of Very Good Broadcaster. Very Good Broadcasters are highly articulate at a minimum, in my view.

I never had an issue understanding him. If some would turn down their moral outrage to a dull roar, some common sense may seep into their thinking.

badtoro

neirbloom wrote: »

Darcy

I don't know what age you are but, once upon a time the RTE TV channels used to "close down" some time after midnight. There used to be a continuous beeeeeeeeeeeeeee sound and a funny (technical term) picture.

Id rate the beeeeeeeeeeeeeee better listening than D'arc'hole.

terryduff12

Heard her on about pay gap, she said all these points coming in from men that there's no problem with men getting paid more at the end of the piece. No Women texting in to ya Ciara must be because there not interested with the nonsense you go on about all the time maybe. Getting Ryanair to go into collages and telling women you can be pilots. I thought Men and Women are equal now from what the Feminists keep saying, or are Women all still delicate flowers that us Men have to tell them there allowed to choose a job I don't think so. Women can choose what they want to do they can also choose to be a Man if they want.

TheValeyard

I liked listening to Hook. It was a very enjoyable show.

Vorenus400

badtoro wrote: »

I never had an issue understanding him. If some would turn down their moral outrage to a dull roar, some common sense may seep into their thinking.

Did you ever listen to High Noon? The first 15/25 minutes were George being outraged about some new cause every day. George was often heard to say "How Dare They."

Odhinn

khaldrogo wrote: »

Hook had his issues but at least he was fun to listen too IMO.

I've given Ciara Kelly the benefit of the doubt for long enough. She, as a broadcaster is woeful. The topics she is opting to feature are dull and over obvious. Its like she has a list of topics ranging from handy to hard and she pick the handy ones every time. By handy I mean topics that ask questions that nearly answer themselves. She's also constantly virtue signalling. It's nauseating at this point.
.

As long as no-one mentions drink, shes grand.

quintana76

Bet her husband's liver is very healthy. (I assume she has one)

Mutant z

Not a fan of his but the way he was subjected to a witch hunt because of something he said on air was an absolute disgrace. Once you let the anti free speech totalitarian mob win then anyone could be targeted next. Why does anyone have the right to think someone should be sacked from their job because they say something you don't like so you're offended so bloody what you have no right to protection from it.

MurmanskRun

Foxhound38 wrote: »

At least Moncreiff is still knocking about.

Oh, how I adore Sean. It's like a daily dose of auditory QI.

(For shame, I texted Ciara a while back, saying if I wanted disingenuous click-bait radio, I'd listen to FM104.)

Del.Monte

Thread needs a poll.

quintana76

He should never have apologised to the fakely outraged agenda driven PC mob. It was seen as a sign of weakness. Once noticed a feeding frenzy was the inevitable result. Badly advised maybe ?

Zonda999

I agree with the OP about Hook and think you can apply much of whats been mentioned to Newstalk, and the Last Word (Today FM) as a whole.

There was a certain agenda that got rid of Hook. I think that same agenda would love to get Ivan Yates and Niall Boylan off the airwaves also. I know Yates is on Newstalk but he would not be too dissimilar to Hook on many opinions, also he seems less likely to go along with the common social justice warrior opinion of the time opinion on many topics. The same can be said of Boylan.

A self-absorbed, bloated, garrulous, bombastic, prolix gentleman who struggles deeply with asking concise, pointed sharp questions - and then letting his guests answer without interruption.

There's no sense of empathy with the guest, no sense of genuine interest in what they feel or think. No actual engagement. No listening other than to hook on to a word and bring the whole thing back to himself. Most of all, because of this "It's all about me" approach to interviewees listeners do not get any insight or perspective which they could apply to or inspire their own lives.

He has ruined so many potentially good interviews by making each one all about him. And his pathetic patter of "I'm ignorant..." and "The lovely Ingrid" is just more of the same "It's all about me" blubber. At heart he's a dense, creatively limited gobshíte.

Hooks Golf Handicap

Hook should have never been silenced by feminazzi Twitter brigade.

At least Newstalk took out Dil and O'Donoghue to annoy the libeals.

He said nothing wrong about the girl who was raped last year, PC faux outrage gone mad.

Would have loved to hear what he thought about the Ulster Rugby trial.

suicide_circus

Deleted User wrote: »

A self-absorbed, bloated, garrulous, bombastic, prolix gentleman who struggles deeply with asking concise, pointed sharp questions - and then letting his guests answer without interruption.

There's no sense of empathy with the guest, no sense of genuine interest in what they feel or think. No actual engagement. No listening other than to hook on to a word and bring the whole thing back to himself. Most of all, because of this "It's all about me" approach to interviewees listeners do not get any insight or perspective which they could apply to or inspire their own lives.

He has ruined so many potentially good interviews by making each one all about him. And his pathetic patter of "I'm ignorant..." and "The lovely Ingrid" is just more of the same "It's all about me" blubber. At heart he's a dense, creatively limited gobsh.

Still more craic than anyone else on talk radio

Del.Monte

Deleted User wrote: »

A self-absorbed, bloated, garrulous, bombastic, prolix gentleman who struggles deeply with asking concise, pointed sharp questions - and then letting his guests answer without interruption.

There's no sense of empathy with the guest, no sense of genuine interest in what they feel or think. No actual engagement. No listening other than to hook on to a word and bring the whole thing back to himself. Most of all, because of this "It's all about me" approach to interviewees listeners do not get any insight or perspective which they could apply to or inspire their own lives.

He has ruined so many potentially good interviews by making each one all about him. And his pathetic patter of "I'm ignorant..." and "The lovely Ingrid" is just more of the same "It's all about me" blubber. At heart he's a dense, creatively limited gobshíte.

Don't hold back now - say what you really think.

bloodless_coup

Ciaras go to topics:
* Some woman did something 1000 men do every day -aren't women great.
* Children and smartphones
* Gender pay gap
* Aren't women great
* Health
* Consent
* Alcohol
* Aren't women great