The woes of Dublin's Country 106.8 FM

DMC

Just reading in the Herald this evening about how the advertising slowdown has hit Dublin's Country 106.8 FM so hard, that staff have been laid off, and that its not pulling in the listeners, 3 months after launch......

Surprised? I'm not. It's too niche an audience, and country music doesn't work well in the major urban centres. Also, as their playlist only plays American modern country, which has a very low audience figure anyway. Ask any of the local stations. Garth Brooks and Shania only have so many songs. They didn't have Irish country acts, which I feel, was a total non-runner.

Where is the "country" in Dublin?

Also, the audience aint exactly where the money is.... the money in advertising is in youth radio...

That should've been Phantom's licence. But because of David "Crimeline" Harvey, a "big name" (sic) the IRTC swung the licence into their hands...... A travesty. I don't believe he had experience in running a radio station? Most of Phantom have.

Lets see if they drift away from their programme content in their licence application... like the way Radio Ireland did... Do Phantom have a case if this were to happen?

Monkey

Where is the "country" in Dublin?

El Diablo and Dot Creek

gouty

"Too niche"? I thought they done gone shot all 'em niches last fall...

dccarm

The problem with Dublins Country FM is actually that its not niche enough if you ask me. It's all Shania Twain and Garth Brooks and Dr Hook, when if it was more Emilou Harris, Johnny Cash, and actual 'country' acts then they might get themselves a loyal audience. They should be done under the trade descriptions act as they are more easy listening than country.

And they blew the chance to introduce the Last Post to a slightly more mainstream audience too. The fools!

DMC

You're right, it was to narrow with modern, 90's american country music, and not paying attention to the classics, your Dollys, your Tammys, your Kennys or your Hanks.

On local radio, they do mix it with Wee Daniel et al, and if listenship is to be looked at, that mix serves it well. Dermot Finglas each weekday on LMFM has a loyal, strong audience.

Outside of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and maybe Vince Gill, there is no market.

Damo.

(PS I dont like this genre of music, but my parents do, the radio at home is locked onto LMFM........ so they dont like Ben Folds Five ....)

ferdi

The problem with dublin's country fm is that country music is
S H I T E.

pure and simple.


ONE LOVE :mad:

ferdi

o sleep

brilliant ferdi. make a sweeping statement about a whole genre of music. fabulous.

as for country fm, surely they're not playing that many irish bands? how many mainstream irish country bands are there? perhaps they'd be in breach of their licence this way too ... just a thought.

and my dad loved that hit ben folds had a while back: went something like 'we could be happy underground/all the time' or something. irritated me like nothing else.

clevenger

.....here comes my happiness again.... oh no wait shoot me now please. If you're into country music fine, but it should carry the same penalty as child molestation, but there's more to it....

no one plays good country music anyway, and as result it gets a bad name, the band,steve earle, a lot of neil young ect... all good tunes pity that people only think of shania/garth

keep on rockin the free world....

clevenger

DMC

It seems to be a dying breed, the Irish country artist, as we move further away from the showband era, that audience is now quite old, just look at all the old grannies who show up for his tea parties in Donegal!

Its summat I cant get my head around.... how does a bloke feel about his target audience like that? I dunno how any man could live with himself if his fan base is made up only of grannies or under 10 girls. I find that extremely weird.

As for Ben Folds, show me the moshpit.....

ferdi

Stop cryin' you red necks!!!!!!

ah i'm only messing, i dont know enough about country to make any comment about it. hope i didnt anger you too greatly. i'm sure countntry music is great.

ONE LOVE:mad:

ferdi

Monkey

there are two (alternative) country bands in Dublin that I know of - Dot Creek and El Diablo.

Kris Kristoferson and Johnny Cash are deadly

DMC

ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

I thought they were housing estates in Tallaght or Skerries...

Johnny Cash's "A boy named Sue" is a classic, but he didn't half murder U2's "One"!

o sleep

hmm. i thought his version of one was actually slightly better than the original

ferdi

oh yeah, kris kristofferson. his song - "sunday morning comming down" ruled.
since when is one by U2 country music?

ONE LOVE:mad:

ferdi

Monkey

when Johnny Cash sings it it is

pugwall

I think there is a pirate country station in Dublin and it it has a loyal listenership. They seem to play mostly Irish country music.
I've been forced to listen in on many a car journey!:mad: