Dublins Q102

Sheep Shagger

Couldn't find an existing station thread, havnt actually listed to Q102 in a long time.

https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/aidan-cooney-quits-q102-breakfast-31790707?fbclid=IwAR1fpHFKoHEOfN-6fr_3WLGE4Mk8LXflatZj_efPnxhqREDy0mH6P4h-aRg

He's off to a new weekend slot.

radiotrickster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121565895#Comment_121565895

I thought they were one of the least listened to stations in Dublin. The most dominant would be Nova, Spin and Sunshine.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121567712#Comment_121567712

When the station started back in 2000 as Lite FM, it was marketing itself as an easy listening station. That mantle is covered these days by Sunshine 106.8 (originally called Dublin's Country 106.8!). Lite FM became Q102 in 2004 and changed its style somewhat. In its Lite FM days, there would have been a lot more songs being played from across the decades.. The schedule included a number of specialist shows such as Lite Jazz, Lite Country and a sixties show.

GSF

Seems very bare bones these days. 3 local presenters for 17 hours and a London syndicated show that mentions a completely different station in its links

ford fiesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121571666#Comment_121571666

I have not heard Tubridy mention Virgin in his links and i've listened quite a bit.

GSF

The bit I heard was saying Jane ? Was on next at 1pm

dxhound2005

Jayne Middlemiss comes on at 1pm.

GSF

Anyway regardless of Tubridy, Q102 is pretty much a shadow of its former self.

chilloutrelax

The schedule set up has be almost the same for years, with long show slots. Interestingly l they are one of the only stations to put a presenter on at nights.

I was looking at their schedule. In the evenings they have Debbie Allen on from 6-7 (evenings with Debbie Allen) the Debbie again with the Love zone from 7 to 12. I think it would be be better to have A show from 6 to 9pm then another from 9 to 1pm.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121572155#Comment_121572155

Robert Walshe was one of the presenters from the Lite FM days. He transferred to Dublin's Country 106.8 when it started and then north-west station Ocean FM, followed by radio management in Northern Ireland.

I started a few threads about Lite FM/Q102. Here is the most recent one:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058286699/from-the-lite-fm-days-of-q102-to-current-irish-radio

chilloutrelax

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121572155#Comment_121572155

I think Scott Williams presented that show.

Trebor176

The talk show was Dublin Today, and was indeed presented by Scott Williams. I don't remember Robert Walshe presenting it. That was in the Lite FM days at least.

When it became Q102, I'm pretty sure the talk show continued at the same time. In later years Scott moved to an evening slot doing a talk show. That must have been dropped, and he moved to breakfast for a time.

There has been a good bit of chopping and changing with the schedule over the last few years.

I loved Lite FM when it was on, and Q102 in its earlier days. But, the playlist ended up becoming pretty bland and repetitive. From listening now and again in recent times, the music hasn't changed that much.

I'm just thinking, is Venetia Quick the longest serving presenter on Q now? Certainly she has been on 102.2 since the Lite FM days. Though, maybe Aidan Cooney was on Lite FM too at some point?

Sheep Shagger

Think Scott Williams is in a management position for the Wireless stations?

As said above it's a shadow of its former self, I think they launched Q102 80s as a digital station too.

Presumably the running costs on that are low as it's presenter free.

They share premises with FM104 down by the 3 Arena.

TheBMG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121576371#Comment_121576371

Liam Coburn’s been with them since the start of the Q days too. Debbie joined soon afterward.

Declan A Walsh

Scott Williams, CEO, and Venetia Quick are the only presenters left from the Lite FM days.

L1011

Scott Williams is content director for Wireless in Ireland, not CEO since about seven years ago.

Of all the radio station websites, the late LiteFM/early Q102 website has probably archived worst - was trying to see when Liam Coburn and Debbie Allen started. Liam Coburn is there since at least 2005 anyway

Sheep Shagger

Both Liam and Debbie jumped ship from 98 FM if memory serves?

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580304#Comment_121580304

That is true about Liam Coburn and Debbie Allen. Funnily enough, previously the other Liam (Quigley) left 98FM for Lite FM back at the start of the station. Liam Quigley was the original weekday breakfast presenter on Lite FM. More recently Liam Coburn has presented breakfast on Q102 and is back doing it again!

TheBMG

Liam was there for the start of Q iirc, then Debbie Allen moved shortly after. Q was a massive success for the first couple of years with its original feel good format (even if no-one really believed that Dublin was the Worlds greatest city!)

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580368#Comment_121580368

Thought every taxi driver listened to it in its day, it's really fallen now though.

chilloutrelax

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121581010#Comment_121581010

In fairness to them, the competition in the Dublin market and in their target market has increased. For example; Nova, Classic Hits and Sunshine 106.8 weren’t there in the early 2000s.

ITV2

was this pairing a short lived pairing?

Muph89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121582468#Comment_121582468

Think it lasted less than a year, Alan Shortt has talked in interviews a few times that he became very depressed and suicidal after he got dropped from the show because he had quit RTE in order to join Q

chilloutrelax

I think this was around 2006/2007.

ford fiesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121582493#Comment_121582493

what was he doing in RTE? a few comedy bits here and there when needed. He sure was not staff.

KReid

I rarely get to laiten to Q these days being based outside of Dublin and abroad, but was home for most of December in Dublin and caught Q a few times.

It's a sad excuse for a station these days.

The music is the main selling point and they can't even get thst correct, it's very inconsistent. Nothing seems to sync together really.

The station sounds entirely wrong from a production standpoint, the liners and sweepers seem way too processed for a Light station format.

Wireless have totally lost sight of what is required there and its no wonder the figures have dropped off considerably in recent years.

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121588007#Comment_121588007

You'd wonder why they bother, assuming it actually still breaks even at least.

KReid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121591432#Comment_121591432

Even if Q itself doesn't make money, I'm sure the group does.

It shares offices with FM104 and they seem to share all staff bar presenters.

It's also the sales point for Urban Media which must be selling something to make them profitable.

Will try and listen in more when Ryan Tubridy is on.

It was never the best station by any metric but was always nice in between to leave on for a while, but now I'd much prefer Sunshine or Classic Hits, maybe that's my age though.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121594874#Comment_121594874

When Q102 started as Lite FM, its focus was easy listening music and soft rock. Much of this is now covered by Sunshine in particular and also Classic Hits.

amlinopta

Tubridy syndicated show listed for Sunday 10.00-12.00, with Aidan Cooney 12.00-3.00. Debbie Allen previously on from 11.00-3.00

JDxtra

I listened for 40 minutes or so today. It's quite well done the way the Q102 adverts play our during the Virgin Radio show.

Must be odd for UK listeners the way he doesn't mention (that I heard) Virgin Radio at all. The text number is also called out as +44.