Irish Radio in the UK - Success ?

Charles Slane

Now that the four RTE stations are about to become available on the UK EPG, which do you think will be most popular ?

Trying to listen to them objectively over the last couple of days, I reckon Lyric FM could be very successful. It's not quite as po-faced as Radio 3, but it's more varied than Classic FM.

I guess 2FM could do well (I'm sure the Brits will be queuing up to listen to "The Full Irish )

And what about Today FM going onto Sky ?

On paper,2FM should do best-but it's hard to say as theres too much choice in it's bracket already.
Older Irish ex pats may prefer Radio one
And Lyric is an all rounder
mm

DMC

Hard to say...

How popular is the existing RTÉ Radio 1 on Dsat? How many ex-pats listen in?

Now that Tara is gone, those more of a news bent would surely be getting their fix from Radio 1.

jez

RTE CHANNEL'S NOW TESTING ON SKYDIGITAL

Information from UK Website which may assist some people.

The RTE group of channels are continuing to test on Sky Digital ahead of a full launch later this month.

The IDs can be found at 10.744 H SR 22.000, FEC 5/6, and can be added by viewers in both the UK and Ireland (Services - 4 - 4).

The IDs:

9601 = RTE 1

9602 = Network 2

9605 = TV3

9603 = TG4


9611 = RTE Radio 1

9612 = RTE RADIO 2FM

9613 = RADIO NA GAELTACHTA

9614 = Lyric FM


9604 = No programmes available
9606 = No programmes available
9607 = No programmes available

EPG information is showing for most channels, and all four radio stations are broadcasting FTA. Forum members resident in Ireland report receiving picture and sound on TG4, but not on the three other TV channels at present (although text services are available).

All four TV channels are currently encrypted for viewers resident on the mainland UK.

(11/4/02)(00:30AM)(Achieved: SKYDIGI + DIGITALSPY NEWSTEAM)

Charles Slane

Does RnaG still have the rule about not allowing songs with English language lyrics ?

icdg

I was under the impression it was still the case...but if it is, the show "An Taobh Tuathail" seems to be exempt, take a look at their playlist ( http://www.rte.ie/rnag ) seems to be completely English songs.

The ban has damaged its popularity among younger listeners somewhat. (At one stage there was a proposal that the overnight hours on RnaG be used to broadcast pop music with Irish links. This at the stage when Lyric FM, or FM3 as it was then known, was still sharing frequencies with RnaG. Then again, 2FM is RTE's station for pop music...)

Charles Slane

From the RnaG site -

"An Taobh Tuathail commenced transmission on May 1st 1999. One of its major triumphs is that it has refused to be straitjacketed by Raidió na Gaeltachta's policy of not playing English lyrics: instead it has focused the presenters on tracking down and breaking the most audacious and beguiling records from all over the globe."

I think what they mean by this, is that they play instrumental music from around the globe (hence getting around the "no English language rule).

It's a bit GAA, isn't it ?

medja

RTE Radio one should do well, It's the one anyone with a connection to ireland will listen to. it also contains enough non -irish material to keep the general UK listener happy (some of the time anyway)

2FM, Not a chance of any real listernship in the UK, music policy all over the place, DJ's which are past their sell by date and a awful breakfast show

RnaG, does not do well here, will not do well in the UK.

Lyric FM. On Paper not much hope but It might just have a chance of getting a few more listeners than most think.

Lennoxschips

I wouldn't mind listening to Dave Fanning on 2FM. But as for Tony Fenton, Dusty Rhodes, Gerry Ryan and other assorted drivel - forget it.

Radio 1 is handy for sport and news.

byte

I think Today FM would do well on satellite but they probably cannot afford it plus there's the problem with soccer rights on Saturdays.

I reckon 2FM would do well. And, I must admit, I do like some of their "old" DJ's like Dave Fanning and Larry Gogan's Golden Hour. I can't stomach Fenton or Gerry Ryan. D'arcy on Today FM is much better than Ryan.

ShaneOC

Fix it Friday with Ray D'arcy is the best thing on radio.

"how many rice crispies are in each packet?"

Originally posted by ShaneOC
Fix it Friday with Ray D'arcy is the best thing on radio.

"how many rice crispies are in each packet?"

Yeah and Ray started ringing the "customer care" help lines on washing powders too a few months back.
He rang the one on the Comfort Refresh bottle(the stuff that you spray on your clothes after coming out of a smoky pub to clear away the smoke smell as they don't need a wash yet)

Anyhow he said to the nice lady on the other line that the product wasn't working anymore.... after using it for the last couple of months it wasn't getting rid of the ever worsening mouldy smell:D
And he maintained a serious concerned tone all the while.....
She told him that really...he should wash his clothes:D
mm

ShaneOC

Maybe he could ring Sky for us?

Charles Slane

Originally posted by irishbyte
I think Today FM would do well on satellite but they probably cannot afford it plus there's the problem with soccer rights on Saturdays.

I think Real Radio (the Welsh music station on Sky Digital) has football coverage on it's terrestrial transmitters, but broadcasts music in it's place on Sky due to rights issues.

Dublin's Country (or whatever it's called) could do well on Sky Digital. There seems to be a big market out there for country music, although for the life of me, I cant' think why .

icdg

Originally posted by ShaneOC
Fix it Friday with Ray D'arcy is the best thing on radio.

"how many rice crispies are in each packet?"

I don't know, Ray D'Arcy on Today FM seems to talk far too much for my liking. Which is weird, because I'm a big fan of the Last Word and now Newstalk 106 (except for the afternoon show). It seems to be extremly painful to listen to Ray interrogate his guest on the "Odd One Out Quiz" - it seems to be a concerted attempt to make the guests feel unconfortable. In fact, at that moment I feel like hearing the Radio Roy clip with "Johnson", replacing Roy with Ray of course!.

icdg

Originally posted by icdg


I don't know, Ray D'Arcy on Today FM seems to talk far too much for my liking. Which is weird, because I'm a big fan of the Last Word and now Newstalk 106 (except for the afternoon show). It seems to be extremly painful to listen to Ray interrogate his guest on the "Odd One Out Quiz" - it seems to be a concerted attempt to make the guests feel unconfortable. In fact, at that moment I feel like hearing the Radio Roy clip with "Johnson", replacing Roy with Ray of course!.

Best thing about Today FM - apart from the Last Word and Sunday Supplement - is of course the It's Over Song...!!!!!!!

_Kaiser_

(Just to get my 2 cents in ) Have to say I much prefer 98FMs "Morning Crew" and programming in general - Roy Korean is brilliant! ... gets me thru my working day - in between visits to this site and (some) actual work of course!

rlogue

Originally posted by Kaiser2000
(Just to get my 2 cents in ) Have to say I much prefer 98FMs "Morning Crew" and programming in general - Roy Korean is brilliant! ... gets me thru my working day - in between visits to this site and (some) actual work of course!

Mmmmhh...urgggghh..mmmhhh...Nurse!....NURSE!...NURRRRSSSEEE!!!!

Damo, play us a card here will ya?

DMC

Done!
I share your pain....


(Back after 4 days in the PC wilderness..... You can survive!!)

Genghis

There are many stations I would love to see on Sky Digital. Today FM would be one, Newstalk another, after that PhantomFM, and perhaps some of the better regional stations.

98FM would be as much a waste of transponder as it is of FM bandwidth!

On the question of which station will do best; I think it will be Radio One. 2FM and Lyric might do well with natives, but I think the bread and butter base of these stations will be the ex-pat population.

Originally posted by icdg
Best thing about Today FM - apart from the Last Word and Sunday Supplement - is of course the It's Over Song...!!!!!!!

Unfortunately the choice down here between 10 and noon radiowise is pretty darn poor.
Eastcoast Radio-boring local talk.
South East Radio-Boring local talk, with a curious tendency to talk a lot about the Wexford wildfowl reserve:rolleyes:
98 fm reception is poor-mindyou, theres so many hills between me and them,I'm surprised anything gets through.
There is a pirate I've noticed playing a lot of Dance music,based up near Bray somewhere called Storm 105.2 I think which remarkably drifts all the way down here too.

I agree theres too much talk on Ray's programme-but at least theres a fair bit of music aswell unlike the two local ones down here which bore me to tears:(
mm

unknown_a38

Sky Digital should add 98FM and FM104. I'd love to see those on.

Fred Flange

I think Lyric will do well once people get to hear it.

Classic FM without the 'orrible noisy ads.

Much more civilized.

Regards

Fred F.

Mossy Monk

Irish local radio on Sky would be great especially the good ones. anything except WLR FM. no one outside of it's reception area should be subjected to it.

Charles Slane

Originally posted by Genghis
There are many stations I would love to see on Sky Digital. Today FM would be one, Newstalk another, after that PhantomFM, and perhaps some of the better regional stations.

I absolutely agree about Phantom !! If you live outside Dublin, and you've never heard it, it's a very good indie pirate station without much waffle, but loads of great music. I think they stream on the net (if you want to take the time to have a listen). They applied for one of the new Dublin licences, but lost out to the "dance" station, Spin (which it turns, won't be a dance station at all !).

I have to say I'm kinda surprised that not many people think that Lyric will do well in the UK. It may not particularly appeal to ex-pats, but I think that's the reason it will do better with the larger UK population.

Apart from the (cultured) Irish accents of the presenters, it could be broadcasting from anywhere (rather than Limerick), but their mix of shorter classical pieces and evening concerts is far more varied and interesting than Classic FM, while not being as heavy as BBC Radio 3.

I don't know a huge amount about classical music myself, but I reckon UK listeners will really like it.

And of course the Brits have always loved the Irish accent (Terry, Graham, Henry etc).

Of course the next Irish station I'd like to see on Sky Digital would have to be Beaumont Hospital Radio. They do so much with so little .....