Is 2FM dead in Dublin?

lertsnim

Go inland and away from Rosslare and you won't get any UK based stations. The south east is much more than there.

Gusser09

Who is the target audience?

The breakfast show is chronic. Zamporelli is grating.

At least McDermott is gone. Small mercies.

The two Johnnies haven't evolved at all. It's all about the culchie stick and they really can't do anything else. Fine for regional radio but not for the national airwaves.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120251943#Comment_120251943

The Irish Times Disagrees

Zamperelli - Punchy - "pacy items, punchy pop playlist and self-consciously irreverent style" - "highbrow" -

2FM Breakfast - feelgood mood - "so maniacally goofy" - "hyperkinetic on-air chemistry" - "relentlessly uproarious atmosphere" - "the trio’s personalities front and centre"

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio/2023/02/17/jennifer-zamparellis-irreverent-style-is-an-antidote-to-all-the-sadness-and-misery-and-death/

Declan A Walsh

The OP refer specifically to Dublin. Should 2FM throw in the towel in relation to winning over the Dublin audience and concentrate on other areas around Ireland?

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252051#Comment_120252051

They might do.

The Irish Indo do too I'd say. She's also described as a comedian when you look at Wikipedia.

All of the journalists who cover the celebs won't criticise them.

She is terrible though.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252087#Comment_120252087

Yes, I think it should move to either

1. Make a home for itself in Limerick
2. Have opt outs for dublin that would include live shows from the Digital Music stations GOLD, 2XM and PULSE.

Lewis_Benson

Bland station, playing safe bland music, bland presenters.

The reality is we don't actually have any really good radio stations in this country.

Nova used to be decent, but it has fallen into the same state in the last 8 years or so.

Expunge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252188#Comment_120252188

Jaysus, Limerick - the graveyard for unloved and unwanted presenters and services from RTE.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252188#Comment_120252188

That suggestion nicely marries different ideas that I was pondering. Trying to get the non-Dublin audience, and merging with the digital stations for Dublin.

TheBMG

Dublin market share 15-24

43.3% Spin1038

2.6% 2FM

fair to say it’s not working inside the Pale

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252125#Comment_120252125

This, Zamperelli is a Dealz version of Davina McCall, whose a nasty spiteful vapid sex obsessed twit and the breakfast show - Doireanns sister is a major publicist/pr person in dublin so she's in overdrive saying she's great/getting her irritating mug/show everywhere....theyre not going to **** on them as they

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120254149#Comment_120254149

Obsessed with STIs. Every second day shes harping on about them.

Nobody wants to listen to that in the morning.

gluppers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120251943#Comment_120251943

Bring back Gareth O'Callaghan, with John Kenny doing the Sports

its_steve116

I think putting Jenny Greene back on the drivetime show will win back audiences in Dublin. Why they moved her I'll never know. It was a stupid mistake.

Glaceon

Jenny Greene doesn't fit in with the Instagram generation that they seem to all be aiming for these days. I'm surprised she's still there.

its_steve116

Has anybody heard Fergal's weekend shows and, if so, are they any good?

Strumms

Used to be and was set up as a music radio station…. People on there, DJs who knew music, played music, talked about music …interviewed respected singers and musicians….broadcasted live gigs etc…

now it’s morphed into more of this ‘lifestyle’ bollôcks…. mouthpieces rule the airwaves….Who are the DJs ? Music journalists, journalists ? people who played in bands ? Nope….barley famous comedians, ex rugby players, social media drips and more dreadfulness besides, …. ‘Lifestyle’…. Apparently..is the new entertainment.

Ohhhh Jennifer Zamperelli…. “Nailing the day with her distinctive dose of humour and edge” errr what ? A distinctive dose….. eh?

I just clicked on the 2FM website and before i did…. Im thinking ’a lot of OTT insincere, disingenuous smiley people, photographed together, in OTT colourful shirts and jumpers… they didn’t disappoint…. You could almost smell the ‘OMG yay’….from here.

TheBMG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659177#Comment_120659177

What were you expecting from publicity stills? You sound like grandpa Simpson ranting about smiling young people wearing bright colours. I’m way too old for 2FM but good luck to them .. the world has changed and improved since 2FM started in 1979.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659530#Comment_120659530

There has to be a balance. Regardless of the era. 2FM doesn't really have that balance, its not a music station. I still do not understand how Game On fits with the service, seems like a Grandpa Simspon type programme!

Infoanon

Apart from a short time in the early 90s I cant think of a time when 2FM was popular in Dublin.

Today it struggles against competition and a lack of USP , not forgetting the migration of listeners to streaming services.

Declan A Walsh

In summary, 2FM has become largely irrelevant around Dublin with all it is competing against.

Expunge

Average Weekday Listenership in Dublin (all adults) - JNLR Q1 2023

Spin - 12.7%

FM 104 - 11%

98FM - 7.6%

Today FM - 7.3%

2FM - 4.8%

Hell, even Lyric FM is ahead of it on 4.9%

2FM requires 2 Euro 49 cents of every license fee to help pay it's way, according to the 2021 RTE annual report.

bureau2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120661343#Comment_120661343

With those listenership figures for 2FM in Dublin it's a phenomenal disgrace, reflects appallingly on RTE management and should be shut down or TOTALLY revamped without delay.

Any other independent station would be closed down as a matter of urgency.

Expunge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120661389#Comment_120661389

Yep. Crazy. If it was not drawing from the licence fee and still as crap as it is, that'd be one thing. But being so unfocused and crap and losing money - that is something else. How Dan Healy has survived as Head of 2FM and Director of Radio Strategy (!) at RTE is the greatest mystery of all.

JDxtra

Completly agree regarding Game On. I'm sure a percentage of listeners are really into sports love it, but an hour of it every weekday in a prime slot does not make sense. That should be a podcast or a very late evening show at most.

The Nal

No Gerry no party

Lord Nelson

The more appropriate question here should be, is 2FM dead…..period?

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120664346#Comment_120664346

Good question Horatio!

ZaK23-54

My local TD has promised to ask a parliamentary question in the Dail on the future of 2 FM.

It has no public service remit now and should no longer be supported by the tax payer.

Burt Renaults

It's well over a decade since I listened to 2FM. It's not even on the presets in my car. I wonder if its best chance of survival might be to forget about chasing a demographic of people who don't care about FM radio and embrace all the people who grew up during it's heyday. Become a sort of 70s, 80s and 90s, middle of the road channel during the day, and then play new and alternative stuff at night.

Tork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120673281#Comment_120673281

Would people who like 70s-90s music really be middle-of-the-road fans? There's a big difference between Dr Hook and the Stone Roses. Having said that countless times here, that demographic is ill-served on radio, especially outside Dublin. If RTE don't want to get rid of 2FM there is scope there for a re-imagining of it. In the UK BBC Radio has 6 national stations which have their own identity. Here RTE is trying to be all things to all men, especially Radio 1.

Glaceon

While I’d like to see RTE Gold take over the 2FM FM network, I accept that it probably couldn’t continue as it is now. An alternative might be to close 2FM as it is now and combine the music content from Radio 1 and RTE Gold into a new station for an older demographic, leaving Radio 1 to focus on speech content.

patmac123

Haven't listened to 2fm on a long time, Last time I did, Jennifer Zamperelli was on, Jez she is hard on the ears. As above poster said, I haven't it saved on my presets.

I listen to radio all day at work in my machine, Todayfm, Iradio, 104 and Classic if I can pick it up.

The main problem is that 2fm is trying to reach an audience that I think may not exist anymore.

It's not the 1990s anymore and radio has to offer something that's genuinely different. I don't agree that playing a whole load of oldies and classic hits will help matters either, but switching to producing a lot more DJ-led and genuinely interesting programming might.

I think where 2fm could find an audience is by being credible and producing shows that people actually want to listen to, whether they're listened to on FM or downloaded as podcasts shouldn't matter. The same material can go out on both services. What matters is that the programmes are of sufficient quality to get people tuning in and listening.

Radio's not gone. It's just it needs to be more than a ABCD playlist and a hyper DJ.

I'd add, I think it's a bit patronising to assume that the 'youth' audience is just obsessed with TikTok and Insta. Give them some quality programmes and they will find them.

What 2fm comes across to me as is like someone in their 50s doing all the stuff that was cool 30 years ago and wondering why it's not having any traction.

ZaK23-54

Very good way of describing 2FM..

No longer worth listening - tired - dated - boring

highdef

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120661343#Comment_120661343

I would have thought Radio 1 would have had the highest share. Amazed to not even see it on the list. Any idea what its market share is? I listen to two radio channels; Radio 1 and Dublin City FM.

TheBMG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120682800#Comment_120682800

Dublin figure (all adults 15 plus)

RTE Radio 1 have a listened yesterday figure of 25.1% and a market share of 31.5%

Dublin City FM aren’t included in the survey.

more details here

https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2023-05/JNLR-2023-1-%28MAY%2723%29-Press%20Release-Final_0.pdf

Expunge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120682800#Comment_120682800

For the purposes of comparison, I chose to quote the numbers for similar format stations to 2FM in Dublin (and LyricFm). I didn't include the likes of Sunshine, Q102 or Radio1. Dublin City Fm does not pony up the munnie to be part of the survey.

Galwayguy35

Lottie Ryans showbiz news in her D4 accent is the highlight of my day.

ZaK23-54

No radio controller worth his sort would not have Game On in the schedule of a so called music station..

Time to get your TD to ask a parliamentary question about the cost of running 2 FM..

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120687737#Comment_120687737

The minister and her department will reply with the following ....

1. A brief overview of RTÉ and its responsibilities
2. The minister and her departments responsibilities
3. And how neither meet and that she is powerless to do anything.

The only real way to put this question to RTÉ is via the Communications and Media committee in the Oireachtas. Write to them and state the following: -

In 2011 RTÉ began funding 2FM from the license fee. From 1979 until 2010 2FM got no public funding, this was something the Minister of the day was proud to announce and indeed up to at least 2010 RTÉ were only too happy to go into Oireachtas committees to say that RTÉ 2FM was self-sufficient. 

All that changed in 2011. They even had to restate the figures in their 2012 Annual report which showed that 2FM had license fee funding of €3.13 out of €160 in 2011 (2%) and this increased to €4 in 2012 (2.5%). 

By 2021 it was down to €2.31 still far too much for what RTÉ once considered commercially viable, when lyric was getting just €3.36 (2%), lyric in 2011 had €4.80 and its public funding was cut in 2021 to €3.62 from €3.36 in 2020.

RTÉ must have had a plan in 2011 to bring 2fm back to self-sufficiency, after 12 years that plan has not worked and it is now time to cut public funding to the service, or to re-define the service.

Remember RTÉ will use Lyric FM and RnaG as bait to suggest RTÉ commitment to public service broadcasting, yet they make cuts to Lyric FM on a near annual basis, while at the same time funneling money into an ever dying commercial 2fm.

Muller1991

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120687737#Comment_120687737

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Game on does not fit the station at all. I'd like to see the numbers that listen to it. Much more suited to Radio 1. In fairness at this stage I'd be inclined to say Off the Ball would be the premier Sports show in the country on Radio that is.

GSF

Some obsession with Game On when really whether it goes or stays will make next to no difference to 2fm’s profitability. The money is to be made at breakfast and daytimes. Post 6pm the audience is going to drop off regardless. Focus on what’s the building foundations rather than obsessing about the colour of the window blinds

The J Stands for Jay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662804#Comment_120662804

Listening to voices droning about minority sports on a Friday evening when it should be music to kick off the weekend. Ridiculous.

Muller1991

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120690789#Comment_120690789

Fair and valid point, However so much has been said about how 2fm was Irelands number 1 music station and how they want to carry that torch again. Game on shouldn't be anywhere near the 7AM-7PM Schedule.

its_steve116

I think someone like Dermot & Dave would have been perfect for 2FM, to get the Dublin/provincial balance right. I was always surprised they never got a show on 2FM, what with Dermot Whelan doing frequent TV work for RTÉ with The Panel, Republic of Telly, Hey Ho Let's Go et al.

Lord Nelson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120694548#Comment_120694548

Given they’re huge, continuing success on Today FM, why would they move to a sinking ship assuming RTE were even interested?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684009#Comment_120684009

i find it funny she and the permanently randy Zamperelli are trying to rebrand themselves now with the podcast about being mothers...

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120696554#Comment_120696554

I remember back in late 2013 it was rumoured that Dermot was going to be part of Breakfast Republic.

Tork

Dermot and Dave were on 98FM for 12 years so there was plenty of time for 2FM to snap them up.