Is it the end of the road for 2FM as we know it?

marno21

Reported in this morning's Mail on Sunday that in the realm of "never waste a good crisis", the Govt are proposing splitting RTE's PSB and commercial functions into separate entities. As part of this, reference is made to selling off 2FM.

IMO all things considered, 2FM as it is is no longer sustainable in the current and future environment. It lacks a clear identity, and also there's debate as to whether a market of Ireland's size needs a 2FM targeting youth listenership alongside the 6 youth stations.

Interesting to see what'll happen.

TheBMG

Selling off 2FM raises a huge amount of questions tbh .. it’s not nearly as simple as soundbite politicians would have us believe

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794498#Comment_120794498

This thread is an excellent platform on which to discuss such questions.

Loafing Oaf

Yep (And I Feel Fine)

ZaK23-54

Raisin d’etre gone - Spin etc has taken over..

LowOdour

2FM wages are to be capped at 175k apparently. I haven't turned on 2FM in 20 years I'd say and 2 Johnies are the only show I'm aware of, but what presenters are anywhere near this sort of money?

its_steve116

Do you really trust the Fail?

Count Dracula

I think the domestic radio waves have suffered immensely since the decline of pirate radio. The entire airwaves are monopolised by Denis O'Brien and the Donnybrook goon club.

nomoedoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794595#Comment_120794595

I think its wages across RTE to be capped at 175k and 2FM sold off.

Tork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794595#Comment_120794595

Doireann Garrihy and Carl Mullan use Noel Kelly as an agent so you could ask questions about what they're earning. Jennifer Zamperelli is probably their highest profile presenter now, so she's probably doing well too. After that, I guess the Two Johnnies?

Even if they don't sell off 2FM for now (even though I think they should), I can't see it lasting the distance. At some point in the future, RTE is going to have to be shrunk down to a fraction of its current size. I see its future as a much smaller, public service broadcaster.

squonk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794725#Comment_120794725

Agreed. Growing up listening to primarily 2FM but later tge independents, each presenter had their own personality and style and a flair. I think the independents were the start of the rot in that by 89 the people on air on those wouldn’t have done a lot of pirate radio. Still they were good and making a mark for themselves with a personality. Now I can’t tell the difference between most stations as they sound so similar with trendy young guy or girl bawling on about twitter or what the Kardashian’s are up to and contact them if you ever dropped the car keys down the jacks.

I know a good few have probably cut their teeth ion media courses or worse still been hired because they haddock loads of social media followers but it doesn’t make for good radio.

Back in the day there was genuine appointment radio. Fanning for all out indie. G Ryan fur a good variety of musuc shd craic and Cagney always sounded like he did a great show but I was still in my early teens so wouldn’t have gotten away with listening post midnight.

Let’s face it, even the music being played is homogenised now. Growing up 2FM played a wide variety of stuff. It was good fir me as a music fan. It got me into stuff I’d never have found on my own. Now you have to switch stations to find one dedicated to your style of music. Yesterday I had a listen to Pick of tge Pops on BBC R2. The chart to get covered was from 1978 but it was interesting. Punk sitting side by side with disco, east listening, oddball 70s novelty tracks and some hard rock. Much more varied than charts these days.

I think I was just lucky to catch the end of the golden age of radio.

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794725#Comment_120794725

FM104, Q102, Radio Nova, Classic Hits, Sunshine, the community stations aren't.

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794890#Comment_120794890

Nor are Today FM, Spin, 98FM and Newstalk since 2021

Count Dracula

There are glimpses of brilliance, even within current options.

Culturally it has to compete with new mediums such as the internet etc. So does the contemporary music industry. But having only 2 major producers has saturated the waves with a less than transparent propaganda, advertising and other marketing or commercial drivel.

In fairness, as 2fm is focused on a younger demographic, it should be acceptable for fogies to move with their times. people try to put us down etc. i would imagine many 80's kids would be tuning into the likes of the Mystery train or pet sounds etc. I still like listening to the radio, but the radio as a medium will need to evolve or devolve.

What alarms me most is that the Donnybrook goons don't seem to have a plan for attracting younger audiences, or if they have ,it is not working very well? When you see how BBC radio has expanded and reinforced itself domestically, it is a shame to see how little foresight has been exercised by both the state and the goons. I might add that whilst Denis O'Brien is not a good influence, he was let walk right in there and swipe it all up. the response from the Broadcasting Authority, was the perennial shoulder shrug that any government agency is guaranteed to drop the ball with? There is no plan for domestic radio and that is the way the State want it, when the stakeholders want to offer an opinion they will be told what opinion to offer.....

Losing Gerry Ryan was pinnacle, he would have seen it coming. Thank god for Marty Whelan, small mercies in an avalanche of bland.

radiotrickster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794550#Comment_120794550

The national youth license should be put up for sale and sold to Spin. Dan Healy already said last year that 2fm don’t try to compete in Dublin because of Spin’s dominance with the youth audience. Spin should be allowed to take a national youth license to provide radio that young people actually listen to.

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120795406#Comment_120795406

And if they do, I hope they play more Irish artists' music and less of that American/English crap. Artists like Robert Grace could do with more airplay.

Denny61

The two Johnny's are the only decent show on rte radio 2. Rest are only city slickers and young people in cities or towns no way listen to them .verbal diarrhoea about stupid random topics..the 2 johnnys reach out to rural and urban and don't try to be patronising..or forced

radiotrickster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120795411#Comment_120795411

What percentage of Irish music would you want to see?

end of the road

as i have said before, selling off 2fm would be pointless and bring nothing new or worth while, it would simply be selling something for the sake of selling something to generate cash that won't last.

then there is the case of what exactly would be sold off?

the brand? who would want it.

the studios? will remain with RTE to be used for whatever.

the transmission network? would be stupidity to sell a national network.

change it's remit absolutely, that is clearly needed now, it can be a space for minority styles of music that won't be catered to legally.

will never generate a profit or have huge listenership certainly but will actually provide a public service.

Count Dracula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120795444#Comment_120795444

I hate them, they are excruciating, but I am not supposed to like them, kids are.... and in that regard they are doing their job.... if Irish teenagers like them that is?

Craig Doyle is charmless, he is worse than Colin Farrell and George Michael flirting at the bar.

RTE is a Wendy house waiting for the wolf to blow it down.

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120795471#Comment_120795471

50% at the very least.

For some reason the big American/English artists don't have the same appeal to me.

bureau2009

2fm is so awful I can't bring myself to write about it.

But I will say, in the interests of openness and transparence, it is vital that details of Dan Healy's salary are published.

Bard

I may not be a fan of RTÉ 2fm - or, in fairness, part of their target market - but I think that for the national broadcaster to sell it off would both be a mistake (cutting out an important part of their service) and just not the solution to their financial problems.

spuddy

It is loss making, it doesn't provide a public service & licence payers are keeping it afloat. Speaks volumes about RTE.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794595#Comment_120794595

Lottie Ryans freaking out as her meal ticket could be finally up

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120796670#Comment_120796670

They'd put her on Primetime or Oireachtas TV just to have her do something and try and justify giving her the guts of 200k a year

Shank Williams

No loss if it goes seriously it has no public service role as it is currently run - low hanging fruit if. RTE want to Lowe costs- as is RTE2 tbh

homingbird

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120796670#Comment_120796670

She just not up to it she cant help it rte signed her up for her name the same way they do with all there stars thank god there is no way back for tubs even 2fm wouldnt touch him.

screamer

2fm is absolutely irrelevant, trying to appeal to a market segment that does not listen to radio. The future of all broadcasting really is the blue rinse brigade and people over 40, so it’s just going to get harder for various stations to survive. No one wants to listen to drivel anymore and 2fm is full of it. Sell it off, won’t be missed.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120796695#Comment_120796695

id love to see how much she earns (seen between 50-80g) as she does the job of a newsreader/intern...if its sold off, her role is gone, as the sympathy card for her old man has long worn off (and she's only seen as a pity hire/point of ridicule online)

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120796719#Comment_120796719

I remember seeing 150k touted before. Now that may have been on one of the many threads here over they years on RTE/2FM, I can't remember. But in light of recent events, would it be that surprising?