Google Home vs Alexa on Newstalk

bogman

I have been listening to Newstalk via my Google Nest Mini Smart Speaker, hey Google, play Newstalk but in the last few days it doesn't work any longer, BBC, RTE and other stations work as before but not Newstalk, response is "Sorry I cant play news from Newstalk yet"
If is ask it to play Newstalk Radio Station I get the response "I looked for Newstalk but it either isn't available or cant be played right now"
Is Newstalk pushing Alexa, is this to the detriment of Google home, something has changed recently...

robbe

bogman wrote: »

I have been listening to Newstalk via my Google Nest Mini Smart Speaker, hey Google, play Newstalk but in the last few days it doesn't work any longer, BBC, RTE and other stations work as before but not Newstalk, response is "Sorry I cant play news from Newstalk yet"
If is ask it to play Newstalk Radio Station I get the response "I looked for Newstalk but it either isn't available or cant be played right now"
Is Newstalk pushing Alexa, is this to the detriment of Google home, something has changed recently...

Heard a podcast recently (the Jess Kelly on Pat Kenny tech one) and this came up so it's a known issue.....can't quite remember the fix but might have been to ask it to search for newstalk 106 or something like that. If you check out the podcast (its only a short one) then it might have the answer.

lertsnim

Ask it to play Newstalk FM and it should work.

bossdrum

bogman wrote: »

I have been listening to Newstalk via my Google Nest Mini Smart Speaker, hey Google, play Newstalk but in the last few days it doesn't work any longer, BBC, RTE and other stations work as before but not Newstalk, response is "Sorry I cant play news from Newstalk yet"
If is ask it to play Newstalk Radio Station I get the response "I looked for Newstalk but it either isn't available or cant be played right now"
Is Newstalk pushing Alexa, is this to the detriment of Google home, something has changed recently...

It works if you say "play newstalk fm"

Redlim

Saying "play News Talk Ireland on Tunein" works for me on Google nest mini. You'll need to break Newstalk into 2 separate words though, i.e. "News_Talk"

glwaymiko

My RTÉ radio 1 is gone on my google nest last few days too, was working last week , for some reason

Redlim

glwaymiko wrote: »

My RTÉ radio 1 is gone on my google nest last few days too, was working last week , for some reason

Saying "Radio 1 Ireland" is working for me.

Mickeroo

"Play Newstalk on TuneIn" always works for me. If I just use "Newstalk" I get the same as you OP.

glwaymiko

Redlim wrote: »

Saying "Radio 1 Ireland" is working for me.

Thank you , it’s now working for me too, cheers

For about a week any time I asked Alexa to play newstalk it started playing some random station in Australia.

If it get stuck I ask it to "play newstalk on tunein"

L1011

Google Home has basically lost all ability to realise you want the Irish stations with those names recently. Randomly throwing Ireland or Dublin in and asking multiple times usually works.

It'd be easier to use an actual radio. Remember those?

kippy

L1011 wrote: »

Google Home has basically lost all ability to realise you want the Irish stations with those names recently. Randomly throwing Ireland or Dublin in and asking multiple times usually works.

It'd be easier to use an actual radio. Remember those?

Happening for months at this stage on TuneIn on Alexa for me.
Figured out if you ask to play Offtheball radio it will get News talk. Will try a few of the other suggested options also.
Real first world issues!

turbocab

L1011 wrote: »

Google Home has basically lost all ability to realise you want the Irish stations with those names recently. Randomly throwing Ireland or Dublin in and asking multiple times usually works.

It'd be easier to use an actual radio. Remember those?

I listen to newstalk on 106fm and its always there. 100 percent reliability

JamesReeves

If I say Alexa play 98fm - she chimes in saying "Now playing Radio Kerry" ��

Antenna

JamesReeves wrote: »

If I say Alexa play 98fm - she chimes in saying "Now playing Radio Kerry" ��

Radio Kerry announce/promote being on "96 to 98 FM " (a rounding-up of their highest frequency 97.6 )

maxwell smart

ronoc wrote: »

For about a week any time I asked Alexa to play newstalk it started playing some random station in Australia.

If it get stuck I ask it to "play newstalk on tunein"

Yes! Ozzie voice and all.

Similar when I ask it to play 'Today FM' 75% of the time it plays 'Tay FM' in Scotland. But actually Tay FM has turned out to be a decent station. Is Alexa reading my mind....

More Music

maxwell smart wrote: »

Is Alexa reading my mind....

I wouldn't be surprised.

L1011

The weirdest for TodayFM I have had is 3FM in Douglas a few times. Doesn't even sound vaguely like it

It isn't too far away distance wise really so if there's some distance algorithm messing up I could see it maybe doing that.