The Ryan Tubridy Show **Mod: Read OP**

Ash.J.Williams

Omg he's been found out 😆😆

Tork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121763998#Comment_121763998

I don't think the move to London was about the money. He's in an industry where you get forgotten about very quickly, so he needed something to stay in the public eye. He was starting to slide into obscurity until this gig came up. Even if he's financially set up for life, he is still relatively young. Few 50-year-olds are even thinking about retiring yet. What else would Tubridy do? He has spent most of his working adult life behind a microphone and it's hard to know what else he could turn his hand to.

This gig in London is both good and bad for him. On the one hand it's keeping his profile in Ireland reasonably high. On the other, it's exposing his limitations for all to hear. Should he try to get a bigger job back in Ireland in a year or two, the threat of him switching to a UK broadcaster is gone.

Chocolatier

Has anyone been listening to Oliver Callan - how's he doing in the 9am slot?

My sis is enjoying him; says he's less manic than Tubridy, a relaxing, humorous accompaniment to her morning coffee.

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764633#Comment_121764633

The slot is up 12K listeners in a year, I think.

Regards...jmcc

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764486#Comment_121764486

So is his earning capacity. No Irish broadcaster was willing to pay him the same ridiculous amount of money that he was getting on the mismanaged RTE. He's on a fraction of what he used to earn and working more hours. He's off Irish TV and off Irish national radio. There is a lot of younger talent in the Irish broadcast industry and even the aging ex-RTE presenter market is getting quite competitive.

Even Joe Duffy is said to be considering returing. Tubridy trying to do Liveline would be so funny that it would cause a rip in the Space-Time continuum. And his future in Virgin Radio is still far from certain. The longer he's out of the national Irish broadcasting market, the more difficult it will be to get back into it because it will not be the one that he left last year. RTE is also facing reorganisation and many of those who championed his retention are gone.

Regards...jmcc

Gen.Zhukov

The whole Virgin gig is just extraordinary. I guarantee you, all is not as is seems and there is some sort of a 'strategy/shenanigans' at play here with all players (RT, NKM, VR) complicit in it - Can't figure it out until the next phase plays out and then all will become apparent

The base question that needs to be asked, and makes me wonder what the strategy is, - is why has nobody in VR pulled up Ryan and said - 'Listen Ryan, we gave you a week of talking about Ireland on-air, we understood the nerves, the change of job etc, but 6 weeks later and you're still at it - We're a UK station, broadcasting to a majority UK audience so stfu about Ireland ok' ?

So it looks like that statement hasn't been put to Ryan and my question is, why not?

jmcc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764868#Comment_121764868

News UK might want to unload some of its Irish stations and hjaving a recognised Irish name might make that easier?

Cost cutting? His synidicated shows would mean fewer Irish people employed on them.

Regards...jmcc

alzer100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764868#Comment_121764868

Firstly according to Virgin PD Mike Cass "He's a great cook and gets on well with everyone in the office". Secondly he knows how to brown nose the TOP DOG in Virgin Radio which is Chris Evans - whose word is to be feared as with his long running power / connection over the brand. 

The MD of News UK & IRL Scott Taunton is tone deaf to the mood of the nation or audiences of his stations - if he had his way he would broadcast Q102 across all the other network stations in Ireland and insert the odd local news bulletin and split local ad-breaks. Taunton is not interested in pleasing the audience, CnaM or anyone except the Murdochs, so he can retain his job and increase his bonus. He is known to be an uncharismatic and a dogmatic figure and for Scott Williams - he has little or no say in the real runnings of what "happens" to the stations here, as they are all just 'yes men' to Scott Taunton and the Murdoch family. There is no real standard at Virgin Radio, so one minute you can have the presenter Bam doing the tightest crunch and roll - world class music presentation and then have Ryan Tubridy - who in a real fair and just world would not secure an overnight slot at Beaumont Hospital Radio.

Whatever little cartel they have running with Paddy Power, NKM, News UK and Tubridy - all will be revealed as to their sh*tbaked plan in time. Yes, you may be right!

The level that The Ryan Tubridy Show has taken Virgin Radio mid-mornings to is an unprecedented low - out of all of his callers on Tuesday, most had Irish accents and were female, middle aged book readers - nothing more. The conversation is getting more and more boring and I would say listeners are tuning out after 30 seconds. The awkward cringe making comments and suggestions from Tubridy within these calls and chats has only gotten worse in the 6 weeks he has been on air. There is no connection being made, just a superficiality with these deluded types sycophantically fawning over Tubs, they are more to be pitied at their selection of hero when they can choose from any amount of good / better sounding hosts in Dublin and in the UK market. They can listen to Ken Bruce etc... so the appeal is VERY hard to understand or fathom. There is NOTHING likeable about Tubridy as a presenter on air.

It can easily be said that everything the LEGEND Steve Wright was, stood for, worked hard for and achieved is everything that Ryan Tubridy is NOT.

thesandeman

What are the chances he's going to claim that Steve Wright rang him two weeks ago to tell him how much he loved his show?

EmmetSpiceland

Really getting into “conspiracy theory” territory now, lads.

TheBMG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765418#Comment_121765418

I would genuinely suspect there are some mentally fragile people on this particular thread tbh.

Tubs ain’t for me personally but anyone I know who’s worked with him have nice things to say and I wish the guy well.

moderator: TheBMG was warned for this - trolling

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765514#Comment_121765514

I would say 50/50

yagan

The only explanation for his current tenure is that it's paid for, either via favours and sponsorship, or with sweeteners from his own pocket.

There's no shortage of DJs in England that Virgin Radio can choose from that will connect with their English market, so there is definitely another reason they're letting that segment just be about him and his Irish listenership.

His referral to his stint there as being like a student life means from the get go he had zero intent of making a name for himself there, or like going back to education it is self funded. It's all about just keeping his Irish radio ego inflated, even if that airtime is paid for from his RTE cash pile.

It would be ironic if he blew all his remaining funds on trying to get back to where he believes he belongs on Irish radio. A smarter person would quit while ahead.

It's an expensive way to learn that it was the national broadcaster slot that was the institution, not the presenter.

Bellbottoms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764486#Comment_121764486

I was making a point about Tubs moving to the UK being his own choice. He could have stayed in Ireland and opened a "communications" company. He could of started a podcast. He could have started a self funded PhD on JFKs visit to Ireland. Teresa Lowe left 2 FM and RTE to become a sucessful barrister. He had a lot of options. He wasn't forced to move to London.

humberklog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765736#Comment_121765736

Dublin Bus are hiring too.

Now that I'd like to see...

Tork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765736#Comment_121765736

Could you really see him doing any of these things? I can't, even though I don't completely disagree with the point you're making. The thing is, I don't think this guy is capable of being anything but a TV/radio presenter. Without a lot of hand holding I couldn't see him doing any of these things off his own bat.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765856#Comment_121765856

He's a product of institutionalization. However it's by his own hubris failing that he's not still with rte.

If he could read the situation like a good host should he would have grabbed what was on offer.

HildaOgdenx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765856#Comment_121765856

I agree.

The only job he has ever done is as a presenter and he doesn't seem to have any particular talent for it. He had the most ridiculously overpaid job in RTE handed to him.

Time will tell whether he can actually make a go of being a radio presenter, outside the cosy confines of RTE. I definitely couldn't see him making a go of anything else.

Hyperbollix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765418#Comment_121765418

Here's a conspiracy theory from 2016 to 2022 which might've explained why a non entity like Tubridy was the highest paid on air "talent" at RTE with the best gigs at the station....

"RTE is run like a private fiefdom by Dee Forbes and other RTE top brass. Corporate governance is non existent. Quality of output, the ability of the presenter, even the performance of the presenter is not a consideration for a number of people within a golden circle, where enormous and assured contracts are the norm. Forbes would be happy to engineer methods to pay Tubridy extra money under the table to avoid the glare of public scrutiny, even up to fraudulent accounting practices. Anything to keep Irelands most trusted man, national treasure and future Aras candidate, sweet."

People would have scoffed and called the above a tinfoil hat theory 2 years ago, but here we are.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766072#Comment_121766072

I think time has already told that he is not ever going to be a great radion presenter.

His brand of waffle he spewed out on Rte Radio 1 for an hour might have been acceptable to many in Ireland, but at present it sounds like he is really out of his depth at VR, and his limitations are being cruelly exposed for all to see and hear.

HildaOgdenx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766517#Comment_121766517

I think time has already told that he is not ever going to be a great radio presenter.

Oh he will definitely never be a great radio presenter.

He has a challenge on his hands now, imo, to cut it as a radio presenter, outside the cosy confines of RTE.

leath_dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766517#Comment_121766517

It's hard to argue with much of that. His output is frantic. It's all " nerd, nerd, nerd" "books, books, books", "Ireland,, Ireland, Ireland", etc

He is clearly out of his comfort zone and by the sound of his voice he knows he's out of his depth

Any segments of the show I have listened to, the sense of desperation is palpable. I'd say he's ruminating quite a bit about life choices he has made recently

Neferteena

I've had a listen this morning to The King of Mid Morning inane waffle, & while the narcissistic delivery hasn't changed, every listener's anecdote, movie review, & every link discussion is turned to being about him, some other stuff has changed.

I won't be so bold to say that NKM & his stooges are on here taking crib notes, but there is a huge correlation between what's critiqued on here, & what's changed on the show. I've never come across such a high rate of coincidences before, if coincidence is to be assumed. In light of that, I'll be less helpful with my posts

This morning he's been bigging up programmes on BBC TV & radio- Kin & Desert island discs both with an Irish connection. I think he's setting the scene to knock on their door, as this Virgin gig is beyond him.

There's been a few subtle micro aggression digs at the production team, which are ugly on the ear. I suspect the production team have been given the green light (by the big bosses) to fade in music when he loses the run of himself with his witter-laden musings of how he put his socks in & tied his own shoe laces this morning. This tells me he's making simulcasting more challenging than it needs to be. And his ethos seems to be that the music is a lesser incidental to his speech (soliloquy) links.

I've also noticed that no Virgin resources are put into promoting his show, outside of the generic promotion of their radio schedules. No clips of his shows are played on other shows, that's not the same for other presenters, I've even heard his predecessor's show on Virgin Anthems being advertised. Why not? Like other posters, I believe that this is a cost neutral arrangement for Virgin, with Tubs/NKM & Paddy Power.

He's asked to recommend books, he goes to old reliables like Liz Nugent, he's asked where should tourists visit in Ireland, Clifden is always mentioned. His world is so small. If he was as culturally curious about London as he makes out, he would have gone to the great FREE Chinese New Year event last weekend. But no, he seemed to holed up in his 1 bed bijou flat looking at a movie with the partner, looking like he'd seen a ghost after reading a book when his daughter walked in on him, & explaining to some friend that his palate is unsophisticated. Oh & rating London book shop staff on the charm-ometer. How does he fit it all in. I'm sure either the 'alleged' partner or daughter must have felt (interchangeably) like a 3rd wheel over the weekend. That's not how to host guests in 'big exciting London' surely.

He could have got excellent chips & curry sauce if he'd stepped out of his imaginary walter mitty world & participated in what was really happening a stone's throw from his front door in central London.

Dull as ditchwater with disproportionate use of the first person in every expression & utterance, with no capacity to improve. His perception of ambition & ability are hugely skewed, with ambition outstripping ability, & ability being an 'non-starter'.

Bellbottoms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765856#Comment_121765856

Honestly, not really.

But as an infrequent listner to the show. I have heard Tubs

• Express his desire to do a PhD in history. He is, or at least should be able to self fund one.
• Talk about his time in Kings Inn. He was there two weeks before he quit. BTW full time fees in Kings Inn for a Barrister at Law are about 12k. I am sure it was something proportanily similar when Tubs signed up after UCD.
• He has mentioned in interviews, his desire to start a podcast. I imagine he did explore this. I belive his RTE show had seven researchers. That is a lot of wages to be paying out. Plus studio overheads.

My point is he didn't have to leave Ireland. He chose to.

alzer100

I know people who worked with Ryan Tubridy. One, a female researcher on the LLS. Tubridy was described by her as precious and a total primadonna. Lots of ego massaging required and woe betide those not bowing down to Tubridy's almighty superiority. Another, an ex RTE cameraman who just describes Tubridy as a word that starts with C rhyming with Shunt. A 3rd, an audio designer who did some time at 2fm - he said Tubridy was dismissive, wouldn't remember your name no matter how many times you met him. Tubridy could not go anywhere - even to record a simple 2fm promo without being accompanied by his entourage of about 6 people.

It is well documented the anecdotes from former 9am show workers and their confirmation that he was not a nice person to work with. "The minions" was how he would refer to people supposedly less important than him - people assigned to his team on meagre wages and having to deal with his preciousness.

Hyperbollix

PhD's, a law degree? Come off it!

Anyone who has invested the time, effort and resources into something like that is a person of substance. Someone who is genuinely committed to becoming an expert in a field. The only PhD Tubs would seek out is an honorary one. He's all about the cap and gown ceremony and less about 1000's of hours of hard graft.

Tubs is famously associated with JFK and an alleged huge interest in that period of US politics. When quizzed about JFK by an Indo columnist a few years ago, he got ratty and told her he wasn't into sex scandals, policy debates or making assertions on JFK's legacy. He was more about the style and music of the 60's!

As Jim Royle might say, PhD my arse.

Hyperbollix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766783#Comment_121766783

All sounds very plausible, the consummate politician really. Outwardly display a glowing piety, as that keeps you in position. But the insiders, who are expendable and unimportant, see a very different character.

A lot of that can be forgiven when the person in question is a top tier talent that does the business in a way few others could. It's laughable that a person of such limited ability in his chosen profession could carry on like a primadonna. I suppose it's just what goes with the territory when you see yourself as beyond reproach and ultimately untouchable. Which Tub's certainly believed he was. I'm convinced his first show back on RTE radio last autumn would have been a Fr Tedesque Golden Cleric speech and Bakkurst had no option but to pull the plug. Tubs truly lives in La La Land.

KevRossi

The nerest Tubs will come to a PhD is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7whxAXeWHU

Gregor Samsa

No legal basis to recoup €150,000 from Tubridy

RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst has said Ryan Tubridy had not repaid the €150,000 and there was no legal basis to recoup the money.

14:40 post from here: https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0214/1432278-rte-oireachtas-committee/

I think this finally puts this one to bed. Unpalatable as it may be, it's just a reality - rule number one of business: No-one acts in contrary to their financial interests when not legally required to.

DaithiMa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767356#Comment_121767356

Not even the most trusted man in Ireland?