Traffic reports from the air, a thing of the past?

john457

Listening to Cork’s 96FM I get the impression that Wayne, who does the Wayne in the Plane traffic reports on weekday mornings, sounds like he is in studio? Maybe I’m wrong but has Google traffic maps lead to the end for in the air traffic reports on radio? They are running over 20 years in cork I reckon.

Hodors Appletart

way more traffic cams around the place too, the Dublin City FM drive programs in the morning and evening rely on cameras and people texting in reports of travel times and incidents.

NIMAN

Arnie Pie, the end of an era.

GSF

Radio budgets ain’t what they used to be

MrMusician18

The traffic reports on RTE are a complete waste of time. A junior reads out a random set of roads in red from their Google maps along with another random stop-go system in some regional town.

Absolutely useless information. Filler

TherapyBoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122633592#Comment_122633592

They don’t make them like him anymore!

ford fiesta

does jon richards galway bay fm still go around galway city on a motorbike ?

Ger Roe

"Traffic reports from the air, a thing of the past?'

Yes.

Mickey Joe Hogan on 'The Q', 'The Cheekie Culchie' telling Dubs how best to get to work in the mornings - it was great radio… and actually useful info at the time.

bmc58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122633625#Comment_122633625

Ha,ha,those were the days.

Atlantic Dawn

I remember Electric Eddie...

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2020/0212/1114863-electric-eddie/

gluppers

Live Drive on Dublin City FM is a dedicated travel show. Really helpful over the years

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122634352#Comment_122634352

Bob Conway did it too for a bit.

ford fiesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122634721#Comment_122634721

When 2FM ruled the Irish airwaves: RTE 2FM. AD 1993 (youtube.com)

TheRiverman

The Eye In The Sky during the glory days of 2fm. The traffic reports and 2fm are useless now.

cr-07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122633810#Comment_122633810

Not sure of the name or the person, but definitely still see the Galway Bay FM bike still doing the rounds in the mornings/evenings.

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122633994#Comment_122633994

Ger, did Capital/Rock 104 briefly have traffic chopper reports as well?

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122638561#Comment_122638561

Not sure Losty…. I don't think so, but I could be wrong. The memory isn't as reliable these days 😄

I am sure someone else will be along soon, to confirm.

Ger Roe

…. or maybe not. It is very quiet on the forum these days.

Infoanon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122638561#Comment_122638561

I don't recall Capital 104 having traffic chopper reports, 4 traffic report cars driving around the city was the set up iirc

When Q102 started the Eye in the Sky it was compared to Capital in Londons service,

There was initial outrage from the usual quarters - interference to aircraft etc - and letters exchanged between Q and the Irish Times in particular.

When you think about , a 'pirate' station doing traffic reports from an helicopter owned by the son of the Taoiseach and sponsored by FIAT !, crazy days.

RTE did get the 'Eye in the Sky' grounded during the motor show- threatening to pull TV coverage , the grounding preventing. FIAT transporting clients by chopper.

Nova apparently had looked at running a chopper in the air but it never went ahead , Harry making a rare mistake, within days Q were accusing Nova of pirating their Chopper reports which led to the unusual pirates pirating headline.

TheBMG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643455#Comment_122643455

think Harry was making a few mistakes by 85/86 sadly. 98 had a chopper for a brief spell during the Pat and Elaine days

ford fiesta

so looking back - when Q102 closed in Dec 88, did 2FM start using the name 'Eye in the sky' ??

Or did 2FM and Q use 'Eye in the sky' name at the same time ??

padd b1975

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122643740#Comment_122643740

Martin King was their guy in the air.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122670210#Comment_122670210

No better man for that!

TheBMG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122644196#Comment_122644196

No, they never competed directly.

Q did the Eye in the Sky from 1986 (which was later rebranded as Star in the Sky with sponsorship from the Irish Star newspaper).

It seems to have wrapped up entirely by summer 1988 when Q itself got its “SuperQ 102” rebrand. Q shut down at the end of 1988.

2FM got its own facelift early in 1989 and I believe their chopper took off shortly after that.

ShagNastii

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122633592#Comment_122633592

The very first thing I thought of.