Missed opportunities in radio?

MikeyTaylor

What do you feel were some of the biggest opportunities missed out on in radio, Irish or otherwise? For example, a presenter who wasn't offered a show on a station before it was too late?

jimbobaloobob

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

What do you feel were some of the biggest opportunities missed out on in radio, Irish or otherwise? For example, a presenter who wasn't offered a show on a station before it was too late?

Anton savage being axed from today fm.

MikeyTaylor

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Anton savage being axed from today fm.

Didn't he resign himself?

jimbobaloobob

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

Didn't he resign himself?

Yea I think that wAs the. Case but think he was left with little choice.

MikeyTaylor

Dermot and Dave on RTÉ 2FM. A huge opportunity was missed there.

jimbobaloobob

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

Dermot and Dave on RTÉ 2FM. A huge opportunity was missed there.

Do you think they are as valuable as in the past?

MikeyTaylor

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Do you think they are as valuable as in the past?

Hard to say. Good at what they do though.

Declan A Walsh

1. If Tom Dunne had been given programmes to present on Phantom / TXFM, maybe it would have at least lasted a bit longer. Who knows?

2. Century Radio, the original holder of the national radio license, missed an opportunity when it failed to persuade Gay Byrne to join the station.

3. Century Radio missed another opportunity when it failed to persuade Gerry Ryan to join the station.

4. On the other hand, Marty Whelan lost out on an opportunity to further his career with RTE, including 2FM, for a few years when he went to Century in 1989. RTE cut people off in the early days of commercial licenses and Marty, for one, was left a bit high and dry after the demise of Century in November 1991.

That's all I can think of for the moment. I will be back if I think of more.

super_furry

Might be in a minority but I don't think that Newstalk ever properly replaced Eamonn Keane in the lunchtime slot and always felt he could do a great job even now in that time slot for them.

Ursus Horribilis

Did Century Radio miss its opportunity when it had such appalling coverage on launch day?

Losty Dublin

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

Did Century Radio miss its opportunity when it had such appalling coverage on launch day?

It's appalling coverage was down to RTÉ and how they dealt with political interference. Century were willing to pay one amount, RTÉ wanted a larger amount. When it went to Minster Burke, he decided that the fee was to be £30,000, far far less than what Century were happy to pay and not even close to enough to cover basic running cost costs. Incensed by this and a forthcoming cap in advertising revenue, RTÉ simply refused to set up most of the stations TX's outside of the main urban areas until the monies went up, thus maiming the independent station.

Of course, we learnt over time that Minster Burke had received payments from the station, money that led to his selecting the station as preferred operator of the national licence. In the trade it was an open secret that this happened, which let RTÉ hamstring Century with impunity. And as it happened, RTÉ never received most of the monies due to it by Century for what sites that it set up for them

prunudo

On going missed opportunities with the bai not making stations stick to their remit. They're pretty much all the same these days.
New station appears and its made out to be aimed at a particularly genre but over the years its dumbed down to be the same as every other station on the dial.

robo

Newstalk going nationwide - I enjoyed Newstalk more when it was Dublin only (and I am a Culchie)
The morning show with Orla Barry & another guy who has left the station along with other shows were so much better and they didn't just do news items in Dublin.

smallfridge

Second Captain boys and leaving off the ball. don' get me wrong I can see why they left and they've done some great stuff since, but the current set up with TV studio and social media and the radio show itself is excellent.

Infoanon

Losty Dublin wrote: »

It's appalling coverage was down to RTÉ and how they dealt with political interference. Century were willing to pay one amount, RTÉ wanted a larger amount. When it went to Minster Burke, he decided that the fee was to be £30,000, far far less than what Century were happy to pay and not even close to enough to cover basic running cost costs. Incensed by this and a forthcoming cap in advertising revenue, RTÉ simply refused to set up most of the stations TX's outside of the main urban areas until the monies went up, thus maiming the independent station.

The maintenance of the TXs that where set up was also questionable allegedly - the Cork FM TX running off the exciter for weeks, the Dublin AM hardly audible by day wiped out at night - 5KW?? more like 5 Watts.
RTEs behaviour was well known within radio circles and beyond but so was Centurys and Mr.Burke

DEFTLEFTHAND

smallfridge wrote: »

Second Captain boys and leaving off the ball. don' get me wrong I can see why they left and they've done some great stuff since, but the current set up with TV studio and social media and the radio show itself is excellent.

Have they?

Infoanon

Missed Opportunities :

Radio Nova not winning the National licence

Sunshine & Q102 not opening their much rumoured second stations

RTE turning down Chris Carys offer to run a 567AM service

Sunshine not winning the Dublin licence

Kiss 103.2 closing just as the government of the time collapsed

The BAI not re-advertising the '105.2'licence

The 90s Network not going public with their cash shortfall in 2010 until they had withdrawn their temp licence application

NIMAN

I just listened to The Last Word with 2 more folk arguing about the Repeal topic.

The last few weeks, be it on radio or TV, has been the same. People shouting over each other. Nothing I hate more.

I wish radio stations would lower the mic/cut the sound of one person if they are meant to be quiet and listening to the other argument, to stop them turning these debates into a free-for-all.

Easily done, and then the person can shout all they want without us hearing them.

jimbobaloobob

NIMAN wrote: »

I just listened to The Last Word with 2 more folk arguing about the Repeal topic.

The last few weeks, be it on radio or TV, has been the same. People shouting over each other. Nothing I hate more.

I wish radio stations would lower the mic/cut the sound of one person if they are meant to be quiet and listening to the other argument, to stop them turning these debates into a free-for-all.

Easily done, and then the person can shout all they want without us hearing them.

I was only saying this to someone yesterday on the same subject. I'm sure it could be allowed couldn't it? There's a new radio show in that method maybe.

Declan A Walsh

When the license was given to Dublin's Country 106.8 did the BAI miss the opportunity to seek a pure country music driven license, instead of a hybrid station that evolved into an easy-listening station? There is clearly a number of people interested in country music in Ireland, especially the C&W variety - not me, but I know there are! Even in Dublin, there would be certain areas and people with rural backgrounds or origins where this music would have resonance.

ford fiesta

atlantic 252 becoming an oldies station in the early 00's

MikeyTaylor

Infoanon wrote: »

Missed Opportunities :

Radio Nova not winning the National licence

Sunshine & Q102 not opening their much rumoured second stations

RTE turning down Chris Carys offer to run a 567AM service

Sunshine not winning the Dublin licence

Kiss 103.2 closing just as the government of the time collapsed

The BAI not re-advertising the '105.2'licence

The 90s Network not going public with their cash shortfall in 2010 until they had withdrawn their temp licence application

Some of those were unlikely anyway.

Losty Dublin

Infoanon wrote: »

The maintenance of the TXs that where set up was also questionable allegedly - the Cork FM TX running off the exciter for weeks, the Dublin AM hardly audible by day wiped out at night - 5KW?? more like 5 Watts.
RTEs behaviour was well known within radio circles and beyond but so was Centurys and Mr.Burke

RTE didn't supply 1170 in Dublin although they may well have engineered it for them. It was the old Sunshine rig but with a badly rigged and maintained ariels. Joe Doyle and Eamonn Cooke got a bit more clarity out of it when they had it for Radio Dublin, or perhaps it was clearer than whatever kettle that they had used beforehand

Infoanon

Losty Dublin wrote: »

RTE didn't supply 1170 in Dublin although they may well have engineered it for them. It was the old Sunshine rig but with a badly rigged and maintained ariels. Joe Doyle and Eamonn Cooke got a bit more clarity out of it when they had it for Radio Dublin, or perhaps it was clearer than whatever kettle that they had used beforehand

Indeed it was the Sunshine rig and based at the Sands iirc,afaik it was engineered by RTE - 1143AM was the frequency.

Was not aware that Radio Dublin had use of one of the Sunshine rigs - I know that the old LLCR 1035AM was donated to them (1035AM originally belonging to Capital iirc)

neris

RTE not cutting the fees paid to presenters (especially the inept self indulgent types like Joe Duffy) significantly years ago especially when the economy went pop

Macy0161

I've no doubt it's a Licencing/ BAI issue, but the quasi seperation of TodayFM and Newstalk is a bit ridiculous.

So much of the content is up against each other - Premiership Live v Off The Ball on a Saturday; Last Word v The Hard Shoulder; Sunday Morning Business Shows and then lighter Chat shows on both; Paul McLoone v Tom Dunne. A lot of those also have an equivalent RTE show too - it may be choice, but it's so often a choice of similar shows at the same time across those with a national licence!

It would be contrary to the licences issued/ won, but it would make more sense for listeners to have Today FM music, and Newstalk talk and sport.

bureau2009

Nearly 40 years of RTE Radio 2/2FM and nothing to remember it for except the self promotion of very mediocre presenters.

ford fiesta

bureau2009 wrote: »

Nearly 40 years of RTE Radio 2/2FM and nothing to remember it for except the self promotion of very mediocre presenters.

Here's a reminder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdPl0IMd774

tomwaits48

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Have they?

Second captains is infinitely better than off the ball

Losty Dublin

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

When the license was given to Dublin's Country 106.8 did the BAI miss the opportunity to seek a pure country music driven license, instead of a hybrid station that evolved into an easy-listening station? There is clearly a number of people interested in country music in Ireland, especially the C&W variety - not me, but I know there are! Even in Dublin, there would be certain areas and people with rural backgrounds or origins where this music would have resonance.

There isn't a country music licence. There's a specialist music licence which a country music station had but it's now issued to a station that claims to play soul.

Fr Tod Umptious

tomwaits48 wrote: »

Second captains is infinitely better than off the ball

But it does not have the reach of OTB.

I personally I listened to about two of them since they started podcasting.

I dip in and out of OTB a number of times a week.

The TV show has not been on in a few years also.

I'd say the boys are kicking themselves for what they did, they could have much higher media profiles now, not necessarily on NT, if they had not had their hissy fit and stuck it out.

tomwaits48

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But it does not have the reach of OTB.

I personally I listened to about two of them since they started podcasting.

I dip in and out of OTB a number of times a week.

The TV show has not been on in a few years also.

I'd say the boys are kicking themselves for what they did, they could have much higher media profiles now, not necessarily on NT, if they had not had their hissy fit and stuck it out.

Doubt it, they are pulling in twice the money they were on @ Newstalk.

jimbobaloobob

There were two presenting a drivetime programme on newstalk Sarah mcinnerny and can't remember the guys name. She's moved to late debate one day a week on RTE he's gone to work as a press advisor I think for political party.
Missed opportunities or progress for them do you think?

Fr Tod Umptious

tomwaits48 wrote: »

Doubt it, they are pulling in twice the money they were on @ Newstalk.

The independent stations do not pay anything like RTE that why I said "not necissarly on NT" in my post.

I'd be of the opionion that having a regular radio gig on a nationwide station is a better place to advance ones carreer rather than in podcast obscurity.

leonffrench

That there is no Classic Rock station. Zenith gets the temp licence every now and then but there should be a national CR station on full time. It's a tried and tested format.

MikeyTaylor

leonffrench wrote: »

That there is no Classic Rock station. Zenith gets the temp licence every now and then but there should be a national CR station on full time. It's a tried and tested format.

The closest thing is Radio Nova.

duffman13

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But it does not have the reach of OTB.

I personally I listened to about two of them since they started podcasting.

I dip in and out of OTB a number of times a week.

The TV show has not been on in a few years also.

I'd say the boys are kicking themselves for what they did, they could have much higher media profiles now, not necessarily on NT, if they had not had their hissy fit and stuck it out.

It's has a block of over 10,000 patrons paying 5 euro a month along with close double that in listeners to their two free pods a week. Not bad for the lads, they had some ideas to try and take the show to the next level. I'm glad in one way they left as they aren't hamstrung but it's still a missed opportunity as they don't have as much access as they would have had previously.

Ken and Eoghan are two of the better people on to listen to. McDevitt in particular could cut his cloth outside of sports no problem

leonffrench

MikeyTaylor wrote:

The closest thing is Radio Nova.

Close but not quite ha. I wouldn't consider Pearl Jam and REM to be classic rock even though I do like them but that's the type of thing they constantly play

MikeyTaylor

How different do you think 2FM would have been if Ray D'Arcy had been given a show in the late 90s?

jimbobaloobob

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

How different do you think 2FM would have been if Ray D'Arcy had been given a show in the late 90s?

We might be asking right now Ray who?

MikeyTaylor

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

We might be asking right now Ray who?

So in other words Today FM saved his career?

quintana76

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

There were two presenting a drivetime programme on newstalk Sarah mcinnerny and can't remember the guys name. She's moved to late debate one day a week on RTE he's gone to work as a press advisor I think for political party.
Missed opportunities or progress for them do you think?

Chris Donahue. They were effectively sacked in the light of the Hook debacle and low ratings.

Donahue was first out of the traps to be Shocked! Shocked! About what Hook had said.
He got slaughtered online for allegedly being a schemer and wanting Hook's job. Didn't happen.
Sarah was very outraged as well and signed the internal petition to get him fired led by Dill Whatshername.
Turns out their Drivetime show was a disaster due to being extremely insipid and dull and for many far too pc with Sarah often going on uncalled for and irrelevant feminist rants. (Where was the producer?)
Any meaningful controversy was avoided in the name of non offense with the result being a cure for insomnia. They had to be taken off the air.

Sarah was given a Saturday morning show and Donahue was given a non broadcasting role.
Both were essentially demotions and meant that the writing was on the wall. They looked elsewhere with old reliable RTE picking up Sarah. Donahue is a media adviser to Leo Varadkar.

Sarah is better on RTE with her aggressive approach to interviewing and feminist victimhood rants being reined in. Obviously a better producer.
Donahue is coining it with a nice little number working for the politicians. Is this possibly a reward for failure or reward for following the party line or for being in the inner circle? Not for his broadcasting skills anyway.

jimbobaloobob

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

So in other words Today FM saved his career?

Ah no I was only being glib. He's a clever operator

jimbobaloobob

quintana76 wrote: »

Chris Donahue. They were effectively sacked in the light of the Hook debacle and low ratings.

Donahue was first out of the traps to be Shocked! Shocked! About what Hook had said.
He got slaughtered online for allegedly being a schemer and wanting Hook's job. Didn't happen.
Sarah was very outraged as well and signed the internal petition to get him fired led by Dill Whatshername.
Turns out their Drivetime show was a disaster due to being extremely insipid and dull and for many far too pc with Sarah often going on uncalled for and irrelevant feminist rants. (Where was the producer?)
Any meaningful controversy was avoided in the name of non offense with the result being a cure for insomnia. They had to be taken off the air.

Sarah was given a Saturday morning show and Donahue was given a non broadcasting role.
Both were essentially demotions and meant that the writing was on the wall. They looked elsewhere with old reliable RTE picking up Sarah. Donahue is a media adviser to Leo Varadkar.

Sarah is better on RTE with her aggressive approach to interviewing and feminist victimhood rants being reined in. Obviously a better producer.
Donahue is coining it with a nice little number working for the politicians. Is this possibly a reward for failure or reward for following the party line or for being in the inner circle? Not for his broadcasting skills anyway.

Good insight.

MikeyTaylor

Will Leahy not getting the 2FM brekkie show is another. Him on breakfast, Dermot and Dave on drivetime, that would have been great.

L1011

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

Will Leahy not getting the 2FM brekkie show is another. Him on breakfast, Dermot and Dave on drivetime, that would have been great.

For years he couldn't / wouldn't do mornings due to his other job. That likely stopped any chance of that