150KTubs - future career in Virgin Radio and other soulful pursuits **Mod: Read OP**

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122267581#Comment_122267581

Tubridy may be learning that the hard way.

Regards…jmcc

CollyFlower

These weekly diary's he's doing comes across as desperate to me, I think he might be hoping that over time he can regain some interest and favor from the Irish audience. Did he do these diary's when he was with RTE, when he only worked a fraction of the time there?

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122268043#Comment_122268043

Don't think so. He was RTE's highest paid star for a while and it wasn't really necessary. He needs to keep some kind of media presence in the Irish market if he is to have a future here. The Q102 syndication and IMoS newspaper column are part of that effort.

This London diary effort is very much focused on an Irish audience and I don't thilnk that the Mail on Sunday (the main English edition) carries it. The Irish Mail on Sunday isn't exactly a Tier 1 Sunday newspaper in the Irish market in terms of sales. The Sunday Indpendent, the Business Post and the Sunday Times (and even the Saturday edition of the Irish Times) sell more copies.

Regards…jmcc

Morgans

NK will need to get involved again soon to retain interest in this thread. Ryan's rehab is going to take a lot longer than NK had him believe.

Sponsored UK radio show tick

Sponsored podcast tick

Weekly diary column tick

All just serving to reinforce in everybody's minds how he was insanely overpaid in his previous roles, and no where near worth what we were told. The emperor has no clothes. Now what is NK supposed to do.

yagan

I was watching a googlebox the other night from some years ago and it featured an episode of the LLS.

As stated previously I only have a TV recently after almost twenty years without so I missed the Tubridy tenure, but by god it was dreadfully bad, yet this was when he was still flying high. Was the whole country on cocaine to think him a good host?

AndyBoBandy

He's yesterdays man…. even this thread is dying a death as the realisation of what most of all knew would happen, is happening, and he's simply fading into obscurity…. even his number 1 defender seems to have given up such is the lost cause that Bryan is, with his chances of redemption held by ropes made of marshmallows

He must have needed a bump over the weekend hence the Russel Crowe love in…

if he was still in RTÉ he'd probably be on the summer wind down by now, preparing to take 5-6 weeks holidays in a few weeks time… meanwhile in London he's probably got a vacation balance that he'll have to use up for any time off….

if only he'd kept his mouth shut….

HildaOgdenx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122268782#Comment_122268782

Was the whole country on cocaine to think him a good host?

No, not me anyway. I tried to watch when he first took over, but he was so bad, I gave up very quickly. Pat Kenny gets slated a lot for his LLS era, but I watched when he presented, and watched in the Gaybo era too. I have mentioned it before but when they appeared as guests on the 50th anniversary of the show, they both wiped the floor with him, completely unintentionally.

Tubridy has no natural talent as a presenter, or interviewer, imo. No curiosity about people. No ability to go with the flow. Everything had to be scripted to the hilt. He was in the right place at the right time when it came to taking over the LLS. And the rest is history.

I think he would be there yet, fumbling his way through, talking all year round about the toy show, and being paid an astronomical salary, but for the events that came to pass.

Kingslayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122268785#Comment_122268785

Tubs' number one defender who admitted to never listening to his show strangely enough!

Bobson Dugnutt

Met the main man this morning for a relatively quick coffee and bit of nosebag in Tang.

Boards.ie is no longer considered worth contributing to. Twitter either. Full social media engagement refresh happening. Turns out the opinions of total oddballs and weirdos on sites like Facebook and Reddit doesn’t align with real life.

I did ask the main man if Tubs visited Boards.ie. Visited it once by all accounts - something to do with the best lock for a new bicycle. 2008 for you archivists.

HildaOgdenx

The Q102 10 o'clock news was still on when he crashed into his introduction this morning, gabbling his way through 'it's Monday, 17th June, and it's a beautiful day' and something about Christmas.

Click.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122268785#Comment_122268785

This thread isn’t going to die anytime soon. One obsessed user, who’s been banned at least twice already, can’t stay away and can’t stop listening.

nonetheless

He left his glasses at home today for which he keeps referring to his glasses being at home and has warned that he will post a picture of all 8 pairs later. He has also requested to be forgiven for being a little more patchy - He is having trouble reading the pre prepared scripts that he has been given, which would tell the listener all they need to know with regards to his abilities as a broadcaster to adlib.

He did a rambling incoherent 4 min link about himself and his Macca stalking, yet he was unaware until 9:45am before the show that Paul McCartney is going on tour of Europe later in the year. A real celebrity or professional would be on the mailing list of Macca's manager and website or would have researched this over the weekend.

In one of his links he has been using the word "dear" to explain expensive in relation to the worlds most expensive cities. Of those remaining 134,000 souls, no one really knows what he is talking about.

Tork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269019#Comment_122269019

If boards.ie isn't worth considered contributing to, why are you here?

Having said that, engagement on Instagram or TikTok isn't going to help Tubs one bit if his ratings are tanking. His proper job is to present a radio show that lots of people tune into. Are they?

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269061#Comment_122269061

They intent on making the thread about them.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269381#Comment_122269381

Ah, no, to be fair, he’s probably the only one who actually listens to both shows, and the podcast.

It’s just a bit odd when he claimed it was “nothing personal” and was only concerned about his work with RTÉ but to still be devoting a good chunk of his day to hate-listening to Ryan is going well over the top.

And to re-register, at least twice, after being site banned is very concerning.

nonetheless

"Apparently listenership in 10-1 slot on Virgin Radio every weekday has dropped significantly since Tubridy arrived."
*source: Internal News UK HQ.

The internal midterm RAJAR Q.2 2024 figures show that he is dipping well below the 100k in audience. From a show he took over with 448k listeners on January 2nd.

Tork

If figures like that make it out into the mainstream, it's going to be hard to spin those. I'd love to know what the ratings for the Irish stations are. Especially the weekend shows.

GSF

it’s unsustainable. He’s killing the inheritance for Jayne Middlemass and the rest of the day’s schedule. If they must broadcast him put him on at 10pm not 10am

nonetheless

News UK & Ireland are not releasing figures for those radio stations .

Internal tracking means they are aware of it bombing. The summer months period is traditionally a lower total audience of June, July and August. So taking everything into account means he will be probably "shedding" rather than "putting on" listeners across his shows on Virgin Radio UK/Q102 weekdays and on LMFM, Live 95, 96FM Cork Sundays 10am to 12pm.

nonetheless

It is also affecting the Q102 inheritance for Andy Preston.

If you schedule a programme that kills listenership at that time of day you effectively "wind" the radio station.

Virgin Radio UK's core audience are turning away. The very reason they would listen - music.

Tow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269019#Comment_122269019

Has de bould Noel's wallet stopped plying crip new €50 euro notes to his auld mates to influence social media?

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270089#Comment_122270089

Perhaps they prefer payment in lunches and dinners.

Tow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270114#Comment_122270114

It is easier to pass of corporate entertainment as an expense to the tax man.

Kingslayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270089#Comment_122270089

NK is no dope. I reckon he is starting to realise that throwing money at this problem is not going to solve it. You don't bet the farm on a pair of 2s.

Tork

If they want to keep control of the narrative and save face, the next step is Ryan's return to Dublin and to Q102. We'll hear how Ryan loved London but really there's no place like home. Where things go from there, who knows? What they really can't let get out into the open are the dismal ratings from the UK. Perhaps Virgin don't want to hang him out to dry publically, so it's in everybody's interests to send him home.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270161#Comment_122270161

But when you consider what Bryan used to make you can see why NK would want to get his commission back on track.

nonetheless

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270291#Comment_122270291

His current salary comprises of 50% Virgin Radio UK plus 50% Q102/News UK IRL (Formerly Wireless) and locals in Ireland. So he would have to take a 50% pay cut. Then Virgin Radio UK would have to go into the process of attempting to clear up the mess. Common sense is prevailing and people are tuning elsewhere with Tubridy being the main reason for that. His production team and backroom teams at Virgin Radio UK and Q102 know this, meanwhile Tubridy carries on charging and forging blindly and boldly forth on the horseback of his own mammoth ego. Listening to him today it sounds like he has never once been air checked. It should also be considered that an exit from Virgin Radio UK may mean a total exit from all, as he has damaged Q102's audience equally. He has the potential to step in the du-du again as he did during his negotiations with Kevin Bakhurst last year. He could have been on 170k a year, doing 1 hour a day on air with 5-6 weeks off. Instead he is probably earning half that and is so committed, he is crying that he can't attend the 1/4 finals at Wimbledon later this year. He is playing lovely senior hurling alright.

Paterson Jerins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269061#Comment_122269061

Agreed E, the abominable doctor was truly obsessed. An awful obnoxious poster.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270827#Comment_122270827

Oh no, P, wasn’t referring to him. Was he site banned twice like ButtSuki/Alser100 was?

HildaOgdenx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270448#Comment_122270448

And to think that they both could have stayed possibly forever, certainly for many more years, on the pig's back, had greed not overtaken them completely.

They weren't alone in the debacle that was going on at RTE but they certainly played their part.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122271020#Comment_122271020

It really felt like the hubris of the Bertie bubble continued on within RTE up until then. I don't doubt that there's still lifers in there getting far in excess of any return, but it does seem like Montrose culture merely genuflected when every one else got kneecapped.

podgeandrodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269061#Comment_122269061

Bobson?

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122271054#Comment_122271054

No, sure he’s still active and don’t think he’s ever been sitebanned, let alone twice!

jmcc

RTE is a slightly different organisation to the one from which Tubridy was dumped. It is facing increased political pressure and the licence fee issue still has not been resolved. Tubridy is very much the face of the payments scandal and was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Given his less than stellar performance on Virgin Radio and Q102 etc, it is obvious that he was being overpaid by RTE. The problem for Tubridy and NKM is that he's an RTE lifer who is finding it very difficult to survive outside of RTE.

Naturally, his fans are going to stand up for him. The numbers don't support their enthusiasm. News UK and the Murdochs are not known for tolerating failure when it comes to audience figures and earnings.

Regards…jmcc

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122271042#Comment_122271042

Even RTE lifers got paycapped while Tubridy claimed to have taken a paycut.

Regards…jmcc

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270291#Comment_122270291

I’m pretty sure Bryan’s triumphant return to his beloved home sod will look something like this;

afterall, he is a senior hurler, returning from London you know.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270840#Comment_122270840

I've referenced this before,that posters MO is to tell everybody how he's not obsessed,spew some bile, have a meltdown and rereg.

No matter how he spins it,that is the reality.....going on for a good few years at this stage.

Strange fish.

Bobson Dugnutt

The reality is, anyone who religiously sticks on a show they hate presented by a presenter they despise and does that everyday so they can criticise it online has, at best, very little going on in their life. It’s maladaptive behaviour.

It would be like me listening to Joe Brolly’s genuinely awful podcast. You might listen once to confirm it’s as bad as you imagine, but to keep “hate listening” is extremely odd behaviour. It’s only the radio folks. Change the fricking station and do something more productive with your life.

odyssey06

Beggars cant be choosers... Tubridy needs all the listeners he can get... even those hate listening!

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122271277#Comment_122271277

I only caught a snippet of one his lls on a gogglebox repeat and I was stunned by how terrible it was.

As I said before I was without a tv for twenty years so missed his tenure so I find it fascinating in him as an example of how wasteful the tv license is.

Im sure he has some fans, but they can elect to tune into his current slot without any license fee involved.

Kingslayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270448#Comment_122270448

I can't see Tubs ever being on the kind of money he was on with RTE again. NK may be calling in favours and using his connections to cheerlead for Tubs but the chances of him using his own money to bring Tubs back to Ireland are near zero. Tubridy will probably be covering any costs himself.

NIMAN

THe longer he is away from Ireland, the harder it will be for him to get a job back here.

People are forgetting about him. But they'll remember him enough to get annoyed if he was offered a job again in rte any time in the next 5 years at least.

Best he could do is to return to take up a radio position on newstalk or such. But it would be a brave company to employ him on big wages at present.

animalinside

The youtube views for his bookshelf aren't doing well that's for sure. Usually people expect to get around $2-8 per thousand views, so for the bookshelf that's what - around €5 a video? Maybe due to them being longer videos and able to fit more ads in it might be more but can't be that much.

He's used his various legacy platforms to talk about the series to an audience of millions of people, including a whole article in a major national sunday newspaper, and yet somehow manages to barely make 1k views, how is that even possible? Even if it was just full of farting noises you'd expect there to be more carry-over from millions and millions of people with that kind of advertisment.

I know it's on apple podcast and audible as well, which conveniently don't show numbers, but only youtube has the video and I don't really see the point of not using youtube, that's how I would watch it or listen to it if I had any inclination to. I don't see why numbers on the other platforms would be much greater.

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122271345#Comment_122271345

The Irish Mail on Sunday isn't a major national newspaper. The way that people read newspapers has changed too. They no longer read every article and some people will glance at the main news section and then go to the sports or other section.

With RTE radio, there is no discernable cost for people who listened to Tubridy's radio show. With his newspaper column, people have to buy the newspaper (or read it online). One involves spending real money just to read his column. Tubridy's podcast is a sponsored one and the sponsor will be concerned about whether the podcast recommendations convert to book sales. If they do, then Eason will continue sponsoring it.

Podcasts are very different to broadcast. With Tubridy's programme on RTE1, he had ample time to promote his book choices to an audience of hundreds of thousands that was listening to the show or even just to RTE1 waiting for the news and weather. Think of it as a "push" model with the content being broadcast to the audience.

With podcasts, it is a completely different model. It is a "pull" model where the audience has to make a decision to actively download and listen to or watch the podcast.

Not all of Tubridy's audience are interested in his book choices. That cuts down the potential market size for his podcast. That changes his podcast from being a general interest podcast like the "Paths To Power" podcast (the most successful NKM podcast) to a niche podcast with a much smaller audience.

Tubridy is no longer on RTE television (the LLS) or national Irish radio. That means that the obvious advertising routes are not available for the podcast. He's on Virgin Radio and the audience may not be interested in having to download or watch a podcast. The syndication deal with Q102 gives him some access to an Irish audience but the same argument applies.

Book review podcasts seem to be popular but for every market leading podcast, there are thousands of also-rans with small audiences. On the Youtube figures, Tubridy's podcast seems to be one of these. Tubridy is no Joe Rogan.

The only podcast episodes with significant audience figures are the ones with Vogue Williams and Doireann Garrihy. They are influencers in their own rights and have their own audiences. Those audiences seem to have "tuned in" to listen them rather than Tubridy. Eason might have sold a few more books as the result of their appearances.

Tubridy is in a position of being formerly famous. He and NKM have to keep his media profile current in Ireland if he is to have a future in Irish broadcasting. But with so much younger competition coming up through the ranks and his former RTE audience staying with RTE's new programmes and presenters it is like Tubridy's RTE audience was never Tubridy's audience.

Even a book show or Jazz/Lounge music show on Lyric FM seems out of reach for him at the moment.

Regards…jmcc

NIMAN

Great summary.

He is quickly becoming yesterday's man.

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122271741#Comment_122271741

Becoming? He's into last week at this stage.

I see threadbans don't appear to be applicable anymore either.

jmcc

It is coming up to the one year anniversary of the date when Tubridy was taken off RTE.

Regards…jmcc

yagan

You just reminded jmcc, was in Eason's the other day and his annoying ad isn't playing anymore. Complaints perhaps?

Tork

Tubs's London Diaries can be read for free on evoke.ie every Sunday - nobody has to buy the Irish Daily Mail if they don't want to. It's as good a newspaper as any for him to have a column in. The Sunday Times and the Business Post are paywalled and the Sindo is somewhat paywalled. Unless he wants to appear alongside reports about the Kinahans in the Sunday World there isn't anywhere else for him to go.

One of his biggest problems now is that his platforms are largely online. He has an older listener base and it's hard to know how many of them know or want to know about online radio and podcasts. While most older people I know use smartphones these days, they don't see them as a way to access entertainment. For them, radio is the stations the FM radio in the kitchen picks up. There's no way many of them will bother to seek out Q102 or the podcast. They'll probably just listen to Oliver Callan or switch to the local radio station.

Paths to Power is a completely different kettle of fish. It's worth seeking out if you've got an interest in politics and it's better than Matt Cooper's actual radio show. Ivan Yates is a better pundit than presenter and even if you don't like him, his opinions are worth hearing. Tubs's book podcast, on the other hand, offers nothing new to anybody. Aside from it being one of many book-related podcasts out there, interviews with his guests are ten-a-penny. If you've turned on the radio or TV at all over the past decade you'll have heard many interviews with these authors. Sometimes they'll come onto his podcast because they're trying to flog a book and are doing loads of interviews anyway. Tubs isn't good at getting the best out of his guests, so listeners are unlikely to hear anything new or interesting.

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122272225#Comment_122272225

Or the podcast and ad are not converting into book sales.

Regards…jmcc