Listenership figures (JNLRS) just out : Disaster for RTE

JJKC

& a very good book for Today FM, It goes to show that people are fed up with the diet of wall to wall covid on radio 1 https://m.independent.ie/entertainment/radio/ray-darcy-among-big-rte-radio-names-suffering-significant-drop-in-audience-jnlrs-41130322.html

California Dreamer

Everybody Up, nobody down, everybody at number 1 etc etc.

Nothing will change!

Muahahaha

Darcys numbers are particularly galling, Joe Duffy hands him over 346,000 listeners and immediately 136,000 of them turn off.

I love the RTE explanation by Head of Radio Peter Woods for this

He also insisted he was not concerned about the low figure for D’Arcy’s afternoon show.

“At the minute, I'm not worried about Ray. I think he’s doing very well in the slot. If you look at afternoons right across radio, it looks like there’s a drop-off in the afternoon which I can’t fully account for at the minute,” he said.

Basically he hasnt a clue that Darcy is useless, much head scratching follows.....

JJKC

Darcy on €450k for a radio show with only 210k listeners is an absolute joke and almost no paid advertising on his Slot apart from government advertising

Expunge

Dan Healy's quotes about the 2FM breakfast show are gas......

"Head of 2fm Dan Healy said it was “another tough book” for the station and “it would be untrue” to say he was happy with its performance.

“We have had two challenging books. We have a new Breakfast Show that started on May 21 and I think that we’re very happy with the show but the JNLR doesn’t show great numbers,” he said.

“No, it would be untrue to say that I'm happy. I’m very happy with the Breakfast Show but I think there will be a challenge to get the audience to start engaging with it. That will be our focus over the next few months, getting more profile around the three of them.”

More profile for the three on that breakfast show over the next few months... that'll do it!

He truly is Comical Ali at this stage.

Chopper Dave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118290557#Comment_118290557

I think if you look back over JNLR releases over the last few years, Dan Healy and 2FM are always saying the same thing. Just about a different schedule or breakfast show each time.

NIMAN

So Darcy, Joe and Tubs are all down a huge amount of listeners.

Come on RTE, let's stop bluffing your public. Admit these guys earn far too much money for the job and advertising they attract, and renegotiate their contracts.

You have a chance to make a stand here, take it.

Dempo1

You've only got to listen back (please don't if you don't want to be bored to death) to da live line to see why so many are switching off, whilst not the worst episode of late, there's been some extraordinarily bad shows over the past few months.

I'm actually amazed Scare Byrne down only 29k, absolutely astonishingly bad program, utter tripe and to describe it as a current affairs show is just farcical.

Furze99

I simply don't believe that Tubridy has 359,000 listeners on Radio 1. I'd reckon like myself there's many a listener who has the morning news on and takes a few minutes to turn off the rubbish that comes on after 9.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118290965#Comment_118290965

we changed from today fm to 2fm in the office, its painful until 12.00 as the hosts are awful, but the music is much better than today fm and the hosts are less unbearable after then

ford fiesta

I think RTE should relay RTE Gold as it is now, without any changes, during the day on 2FM frequencies and they'd get a bigger listenership.

RINO87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118292037#Comment_118292037

Agreed, the Jen Zamp show is awful muck altogether, like really, really, really bad..... Then Tracy Clifford comes on and its like night and day. Her tunes are excellent, and she comes across as way more polished and professional. I really dont listen to the show enough, but I'm really impressed when I do.

vince

Any numbers for the cork breakfast shows this book.

The average length of a single Radio Advertisement on rte 1 is getting longer and longer. When there is a couple of these types of adverts before a News Bulletin, I know there is no signifant development on the news, and I switch off.

JJKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118303858#Comment_118303858

They both claim to be Number 1

ratracer

Maybe ( probably) I’m just getting old, but I think radio in this country has really gone to crap over the last couple of years. I’ve almost given up on it and tend to stick to Spotify for the majority of the day.

Early breakfast shows are poor- Dempsey is stale and repetitive at this stage

The 2fm mob are awful, and over on Classic, Kennedy and Colin whatever his name is are just unbearable. Dermot and Dave are ok sometimes.

I find Tubridy nauseatingly put-on , and for me that’s a real out-off. I have to awake in a particularly good mood to be able to listen to him at all, and mostly I manage to mentally switch-off as I focus on other things. Occasionally I’m in a particularly spunky mood and will comment in the thread. Liveline thread is what hooked me into Boards in the first place and if I am nearly a radio I will listen in and endure for the sake of the commentary and in the hole if occasional Gold, but not for the reasons RTÉ would care for me to listen.

To me Liveline should be terrific radio, a democratic opportunity for the ordinary person to have their say, but more often totally mishandled by the host in search of the misery & death angle. You won’t get onto the show unless you can relate to suffering or else have a soundbite-worthy angle (eg unusual personality etc). At least Darcy is kind of just his incompetent full enough self, and the fact that he is not so much put-on makes me “tolerate” him the most of the three top-paid, though I don’t actively listen to him.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118305188#Comment_118305188

His name is not Colin - it's Colm Hayes, formerly with FM104, 2FM and Radio Nova, sister station of Classic Hits.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118305221#Comment_118305221

Your opinions are very widely held amongst the few dozen regulars here. But they do not reflect the listening habits of the general audience as measured. Unless hundreds of thousands of people enjoy inflicting on themselves broadcasts and presenters they hate, day in day out.

ratracer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118307347#Comment_118307347

Thanks!

shows what an impression he’s made on me! 😂

radiotrickster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118290557#Comment_118290557

Doireann has 264k followers on Instagram, Carl Mullan has 89k and Donnacha has 62k.

Meanwhile, you've got decent breakfast shows where the presenters have basically no social media presence and they're delivering great content and great JNLR books.

What a disaster for 2FM. I don't know how the show could need more of a profile. I'd say most of the 2FM target audience know it exists. They just don't want to hear it.

emo72

Darcy is a woke fecker. I don't want him preaching to me. Tubridy is fake as feck. Very wokey too. Storm rte, it's going to collapse eventually. It's a propaganda service now.

Just Some Young Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118312747#Comment_118312747

I’m gonna go out on a limb here - it’s probably that the show appeals a lot more to the younger generation. The only issue with that is that the younger generation don’t listen to the radio as much.

”Better” is also subjective. More successful based on listener count might be a better way to describe it.

pinkypinky

Slightly newbie question but why are they called 'books'?

Expunge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118314208#Comment_118314208

Because, in former days the research results, appendix, methodology etc. was delivered to the stations who paid for it as a fairly thick book.

These days I'm sure it's delivered as electronic files.

Expunge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118312747#Comment_118312747

Very good point. This guy Healy seems to get a notion in his head - in this case we need 'talent' with huge social media followings coz' that's where the kids are. That's where his big idea seems to end. There seems to be no talent coaching, production seems to be very poor to me. And the amount of taking going on? Desperate.

2FM is getting it's absolute arse kicked by it's like for like rivals in Dublin and the regions. It seems to be unloved by all. The very continued existence of 2FM must be in question now. (I know this has been said many times one here)

2 Euro 71 cents of every license fee goes to 2FM, according to the 2020 RTE annual report.

(14.04 to Radio 1, 3.62 to Lyric FM and a chunky 8.14 to Radio na Gaeltachta, who's listener numbers are never quoted publicly)

If 2FM ain't making money and there is little by way of Public Service Broadcasting attached to it, is it worth continuing with it on FM?

Just Some Young Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118314706#Comment_118314706

I'll digress from talking about my disdain of the TV license. I think that culturally R Na G should be kept. As much of a sinkhole as it is. 2FM should be done away with and so too should Lyric. Resources should then be shared amongst Radio 1 and R Na G and they shouldn't be seen as separate entities. We only need one national radio station in each language (need is used loosely here).

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118314810#Comment_118314810

Okay, you say that you think that Lyric and 2FM "should be done away with." Why so? Interested to hear what your rational here is.

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118303858#Comment_118303858

A very basic breakdown can be seen here. https://www.bai.ie/en/latest-jnlr-figures-released-17/

In short, Red wins the younger and Cork 96 the older audiences.

The three highest paid aren’t getting the advertisers’ interest. I don’t know why Dee Forbes makes no attempt to improve these figures, but she is she biting her time to get a very nice pension and into various boards.

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315833#Comment_118315833

The opposite is actually the case here, RTS. The listenership is there for both RTE Radios 1(especially so) and 2 to take in a lot more commercial revenue but they don't seem to want to hard sell adverts and sponsorship on either of the stations for whatever reasons.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315833#Comment_118315833

It would be more likely that she would be biding her time rather than biting it!!

JJKC

It's always pointed out how Gerry Ryans death caused 2fms weekday listenership to collapse but it's never pointed out that axing Ireland's biggest jukebox was what caused weekend ratings to collapse. Daytime weekend shows only fell below 100k when the jukebox was removed from the schedule and they've hardly recovered 7 years on.

nomoedoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118312747#Comment_118312747

Id listen to Tracey Clifford and Jenny Greene most days and there is constant ads on for the breakfast show ,just from listening to the ads i feel like throwing the radio out the window!, Doireann should of been given a chance on her own it can’t be any worse than the drivel that’s on it now.

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316595#Comment_118316595

The first time I heard multiple presenters on a specific breakfast show format, it was The Zoo Crew on pirate Radio Nova in the mid 80's. It launched with Bob Galico, Colm Hayes and Dave Harvey doing the honours of providing zany and off the cuff entertainment. It was OK for a few days, but soon grew tiresome. It is an american concept that doesn't work here.

There is an old radio principle that 'quality is king' and quality output takes time and money to produce ... it doesn't happen at the drop of a hat, day after day, after day. It ends up as lazy and unfunny bottom of the barrel scraping before long and usually where the presenters genuinely think that the content they are providing, is far better than it actually is.

It is hard enough for radio professionals to keep the Zoo concept content quality high, but when you add in personality names from other platforms or media genres, then you are relying on attracting an audience already associated with the personality, rather than developing a radio audience on a radio platform with good radio content.

You end up pleasing nobody, the existing radio audience doesn't get the quality content that they expect and the associated personality audience have to experience their existing personality interest, operating on a platform that they are floundering in.

It eventually becomes a cringe fest for everyone.

RINO87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316595#Comment_118316595

It's funny you mention Tracy and Jenny here when the poster above mentioned most DJ's (or presenters...) not having their own unique style anymore. I have found Clifford and Greene DEFINATLEY have their own style, and must have some input into their playlists, which is very very rare on daytime radio. Maybe its why I like Tracy's show and find it to be a breath of fresh air, as I said in an earlier post.

radiotrickster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118324754#Comment_118324754

This is a fantastic point. The only breakfast show I can think of that's going at the moment with a zoo format is on Capital but the programme is anchored by Roman Kemp and really, it's his show with two additional presenters. They all have very clear roles, the links are structured and each presenter knows when to hop in and out.

With 2FM's breakfast, I was expecting that it was similar where Doireann was the anchor and the other two were co-presenting but she would lead. But whenever I've listened, it's always seemed to be Carl that steers the ship but it seems messy rather than structured. I do believe that they all think the show is better than it is and so it's not going to change either.

Just Some Young Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315751#Comment_118315751

I am going to dig a grave for myself here but my rationale is:

• Two stations is enough state controlled media through any one medium. I do not believe in overloading of "state-approved" messages. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-vax or anything like that. I just don't like when we see the state use it's monopoly in a negative way, such as when, on TV they didn't invite SF to the debate. (I'm not in the SF camp either but I digress.)
• Competition breeds innovation and helps to advance technology and talent. I'm no free-marketer but this is definitely a proven theory. I think that if Lyric and 2FM were done away with then it would free up a listener base that could then transfer to the private stations and help to increase the competitiveness of the market. It could result in more of market for newer private stations.
• I'm a believer that the cost of the TV license, that funds these stations, is too high for the quality of entertainment that we can avail of. I would prefer to see these stations "de-funded" and all of the top talent that they have spread across the stations brought together in one place.

It's not from a dislike of Lyric and 2FM. I just think that the Irish public could probably receive more for their money.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118295042#Comment_118295042

Yeah but does Clifford talk about sex, ridin', the shift???

Muahahaha

Personally I hate those zany and wacky breakfast shows with the hosts and their fake 'bants' and even faker laughter.

The only person who does zazy radio well is Sean Moncrieff but with him it is his guests who are zany with Moncrieff providing the disbelief. His show isnt for everyone but he bounces very well off whatever zany guest they have lined up.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118314810#Comment_118314810

Broadly agree re 2FM - let it go from RTE radio, plenty of options out there. Agree that RnaG is niche but a useful service for a national broadcaster. As for Lyric, who else would you see stepping into that space from a commercial POV? It would be a poor return if that type of radio simply disappeared. What RTE need to do in terms of radio is to cut the pay of their so called 'stars' and other high earners and/ or let them go.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118330860#Comment_118330860

Do you think people were going to label you anti vaxer, Sinn Feiner or Free Marketeer if you did not make those defensive caveats?

Only a small part of the licence fee (which is the same price since 2008) goes to 2 FM, RnaG and Lyric. They are catering for minority interests, not some vehicle for state approved messages. All the broadcasters are catering for minority interests, if you look into the JNLR. RTE stations get less than 50% of the listening audience in every geography, every age group, and every time division. Even Morning Ireland is only about 11% of the available audience, over 15 years of age. The other 89% are listening to other stations, or have found a better use for their time than listening to any radio. Not much need to worry about state control.

RTÉ Radio 1

RTÉ RADIO 1 WEEKDAY MARKET SHARE 21.3% 

RTÉ RADIO 1 REACHES 888,000 LISTENERS ON WEEKDAYS  

• Morning Ireland is the most-listened-to radio programme in the country with 450,000 people tuning in each morning.

https://www.thejournal.ie/jnlr-rte-suffer-drop-in-listeners-5623623-Dec2021/

end of the road

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118330860#Comment_118330860

there would be no listener base freed up for any private station from the closure of lyric, just not going to happen.

even with 2fm it's debatable since that if it's listeners wanted to listen to the similar private stations they would already be doing so and they aren't most probably.

cutting rte services won't bring new services or innovation realistically, putting an end to the forcing of stations to adopt the highest cost base model of doing radio along with the removal of the most expensive form of regulation possible might bring those.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118305188#Comment_118305188

I switched car earlier this year and can now pick up the BBC channels crystal clear. Most days I get home and wish I had a decent antenna in the house so I could keep listening, then by the time I'm sat in front of the TV I want TV alas. :P Point was going to be that wow, listening to properly formatted, professionally produced radio is so completely different to listening to Irish radio. I barely bothered with radio the last few years, stuck with streaming/YouTube but it's just because I was never exposed to decent radio.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118334633#Comment_118334633

BBC Sounds App, the only way to go. Incredible content and, of course, all the BBC radio programmers. You’ll never look back 😀

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118331663#Comment_118331663

100% on RnaG and Lyric, which, in my mind are the dictionary definition of what a PSB should be - focusing on niche artistic and cultural content not catered for elsewhere and making that the core of your output, not paying mega money for social media influencers and trying to make them into stars whilst pushing out the same narrow playlists as all the commercials are doing.

2FM in its current form serves zero purpose:

• it offers nothing that isn't already well catered for by Beat, iRadio or the two Spin stations (all of whom trounce 2FM in each of their respective markets)
• it doesn't play anymore Irish music than the regionals
• it's news bulletins are the shortest on any radio station (BBC R1 haver regular fifteen-minute "Newsbeat" blocks throughout the day - big PSB fulfillment)
• they run commercials and sponsorship
• they go into automation from 10PM most evenings until 6AM the following day

and yet it requires over €10m a year to operate, over half of which comes directly from the license fee. For what?

However, rather than letting it go, I'd love to see a pop raidio format for 2FM would much better serve the PSB element than 2FM, Top 40 playlist with all presentation as gaeilge. Cut back on all the unneeded bloat like full-time entertainment correspondents who read whatever is on their Twitter and Instagram timelines for 60 seconds an hour. Don't need three presenters on a breakfast show. Put on specialist programming in the evening. Use overnights to train new talent in. Couldn't cost them anymore to put together than 2FM does today and I can't imagine the output would be any worse.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118354779#Comment_118354779

Yeah but will that not involve dicking about with a VPN etc.?

10000maniacs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118355248#Comment_118355248

If you have Virgin Media, all of the BBC radio channels are "piped" down the cable in analogue.

Antenna

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118355312#Comment_118355312

In Dublin yes, but there are other parts of the country where this used to be the case (FM on cable) - it got discontinued ages ago

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118355248#Comment_118355248

I use Google Nest, “Ok Google, play BBC Radio 4 from the BBC”, and off it goes. No VPN involved. I also have the BBC Sounds App on my phone. Works a treat on that, too. Hope this helps

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118355406#Comment_118355406

Freesat official box or combo box has them too via satellite.