Classic Hits.

L1011 · 26-08-2025 08:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123755182#Comment_123755182

Licence variations are extremely easy to get if you state that the alternative is closing down. No guarantee that happened here, but if you look at their published accounts, the original format was not doing the business.

TodayFM existing (Radio Ireland was more like the original 4FM actually), Sunshine barely playing country, there only being one iRadio not two, any other changes from the news/current affairs and Irish music content rules are all other negotiated variations and the big ones possibly had "This is required for us to be viable, we will close down otherwise" thrown in to the negotiation. Century failing was an embarrassment for the IRTC and successor bodies have not wanted to repeat it.

An additional factor is that once one station gets a major variation, everyone else can try get the same…

Declan A Walsh · 26-08-2025 08:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123755182#Comment_123755182

There were a couple of female presenters in the original line up of 4FM, but the schedule was largely dominated by males. Marian Farrell had a night time weekday music show, for example.

As regards the talk aspect, that gradually changed. Damien Kiberd did not last too long on 4FM and was replaced by David Harvey, who had been presenting a magazine type show on weekends and who continued the talk-based format when replacing Damien. Derek Davis passed away and I am pretty sure that his slot was replaced straight away with regular music shows. I cannot remember when Tom McGuirk left but his slot was also replaced with music shows. Gareth O'Callaghan moved from the breakfast slot to the afternoon and drivetime slot. David Harvey's slot was ultimately replaced by Niall Boylan. For quite some time, he was on at both lunchtime and at night time, but the former slot was eventually dropped, leaving Niall Boylan's night time slot as the only talk-based show.

Incidentally, Gareth is the only remaining presenter left from the original schedule, albeit he left for a bit on health grounds before returning to weekends only.

Sheep Shagger · 04-09-2025 05:59PM

So Aiden Cooney has turned up on CH after getting the boot from Q102?

They have some roster of announcers now, cant imagine they pay great for a few hours here and there. The station seems to be the graveyard for hasbeens/those heading to retirement. Guess they just want a few hours on air a week to keep their finger in the pie?

Interesting to hear Nobby covering on breakfast the other day, I know theyre in the same building as Nova and have shared ownership so makes sense.

thejuggler · 04-09-2025 07:32PM

A few ex Red FM presenters have done some shifts there in the last year or so too - Dave McArdle and Philip Burke - both casualties of the Bauer takeover ( and a lengthy court battle with Red FM management in McArdle’s case - he argued that he should be allowed to do the drivetime shift remotely from Dublin because at the time Ray Foley was doing breakfast remotely)