Who actually listens to Spirit FM?

Wanderer2010 · 16-10-2021 3:53pm #1

Had this station on for a few hours yesterday on a long drive, and although the songs were nice enough, the heavy pro-Christianity feel, songs about Jesus and general air of bible bashing made me wonder who their target audience actually are?

In 2021 Ireland, you may as well say Catholic Ireland is dead to most younger people, so the fact that some of the DJs are young kind of surprises me. I know they do competitions like any station do but i wonder who actually cares enough about religion these days to warrant listening in?

16-10-2021 3:57pm

My car went through a phase of switching to this channel randomly a couple of years ago..

Like, every time I'd get into the car it would be on..

Was pretty weird tbh..

L1011 · 16-10-2021 4:14pm

Spirit isn't Catholic, it's evangelical. A tiny audience willing to part with cash to fund what they like, and also get donations from abroad.

16-10-2021 4:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118028922#Comment_118028922

That's actually funny, the same thing happened to me a few years ago, never heard of it before and one day it just appeared out of the blue. The songs used always be particularly eh, relevant at the time too. Very weird.

But yep, it's not really a catholic entity. The worship music industry is massive in the states and Australia and heavily influenced the British and Irish evangelical (protestant) denominations. (Bethel music, Hillsong Worship are massive massive mega churches based primarily on praise and worship in musical format and has a lot of mainstream crossovers ie Justin Beiber et al)

silliussoddius · 16-10-2021 5:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118028977#Comment_118028977

Aren’t they not too fond of the papists?

As the saying goes; christian rock doesn’t make christianity better, it makes rock worse

berocca2016 · 16-10-2021 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058213429/who-actually-listens-to-spirit-fm

John Bruton's daughter doing the breakfast show one day when I accidentally flicked on. You'd think he'd at least get her on to RTE.

BorneTobyWilde · 16-10-2021 5:22pm

There are still many of faith in Ireland and around the world.

Montage of Feck · 16-10-2021 5:29pm

Christian rock is all all bad, Black Sabbath have quite a few decent tracks.

whisky_galore · 16-10-2021 6:50pm

There's a Radio Maria that (somehow) managed to get on Saorview.

I dont know what kind of audience numbers these, by now, niche interest stations get in this country.

RobAMerc · 16-10-2021 7:37pm

I remember when there was RTE 1 and RTE 2 - jesus wept. I love that its there, I'd never listen to it myself. But I'd also love to know who does !

Mrs OBumble · 16-10-2021 8:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118029971#Comment_118029971

There are several (at least) evangelical churches in every Irish city, and at least one in many towns. Look at who goes there, and you'll have your answer.

L1011 · 16-10-2021 9:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118029794#Comment_118029794

Get a content licence, pay the fee and Saorview is open to all. The other broadcasters would be delighted cause the costs are split - new channels make it cheaper for them,

17-10-2021 4:17am

maybe priests. its the priest chat of radio stations.

then theres the mad raggae station thats on at like 1 on weeknights for the burgeoning rasta community.

Fr Tod Umptious · 17-10-2021 12:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118030062#Comment_118030062

There is an old pub/venue in Mayo called The Beaten Path.

It used to draw people from miles around in the 80s, massive spot.

Now it an evangelical church with the brilliant sign out the front

"The Beaten Path - Now only serving Jesus"

Hotblack Desiato · 17-10-2021 12:58pm

Every broadcaster is required to be balanced in reporting of current affairs, not push a political stance, BAI rules etc etc.

EXCEPT religious broadcasters who can broadcast any sort of claptrap as fact, and even push a political line during a referendum.

I've no idea why we allow religious broadcasters to exist in Ireland. We wouldn't allow a political party to own a radio station...

Gregor Samsa · 17-10-2021 5:45pm

They’re set up as a registered charity and have a big donate button on their web site - with a specific donation option for UK tax payers. I’d say they’re more concerned with getting their message out there than commercial viability based on listenership.

19-10-2021 3:08pm

I know two youngish women (30s) who are members of new Christian churches. These churches are popping up in relatively recent times. They're the happy singalong with guitars folks.

19-10-2021 3:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042668#Comment_118042668

Ghosts.

DarkJager21 · 19-10-2021 3:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042653#Comment_118042653

It's all singalongs and acoustic renditions of Craig David & Creed until someone spikes the punch.

19-10-2021 5:48pm

God said... to Noah... there's gonna be a floody floody.

Hotblack Desiato · 19-10-2021 7:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042899#Comment_118042899

or the kool-aid

Mrs OBumble · 19-10-2021 7:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042899#Comment_118042899

Acoustic? In the big evangelical churches, these lads often have high end sound gear.

19-10-2021 7:58pm

Yeah, it's a bit of an industry. Most cadalics probably wouldn't be very familiar with the form of worship music other than kumbiya that they were taught in school but it is kind of mainstream in other denominations and countries. The biggest players have combined over a billion views on their youtube music channels so it's a global player in terms of coinage I suppose and it has spun into popular music attracting industry giants like Beiber and Kanye (who we will now refer to as Ye).

Basically a bunch of young white Americans/Australians who convene to have giant worship meetings that verge on warehouse raves, but instead of bangers and coke they seem to be getting high on the music. It's a mystery. There is a huge following and demand for the music though so I suppose it has it's place.

this kind of thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVAR85rorvU

I personally love Jewish Zemirot but there no radio stations in Ireland playin that jazz 🙄

Parachutes · 19-10-2021 8:18pm

I’d probably go on it for a well paying cushty job in radio. I’ll play as many alive-o songs as you want.

Glaceon · 19-10-2021 10:17pm

Spirit was intended to be a Medium Wave station but somehow managed to get FM frequencies all over the country, which seems like a complete waste to me. They still have a MW service but it's at such low power that it's barely usable in about half the country.

19-10-2021 10:17pm

Radio is most certainly not well paying - unless you're well known.

Mikefitzs · 19-10-2021 10:43pm

I don't care what religious sect it's from, I hate it, I hate the fact that I can't block it. I hate anything religious. They have found a new way of interfering in my private life. At least I can press the scroll button but it always bloody stops at Spirit, I guess they have some serious power on that transmitter lol

Atticus Jung · 19-10-2021 11:08pm

The music is so bad on the radio that I'm often I am flicking through the channels for something half decent and end up stopping on spirit. It actually surprises me how often it happens.

20-10-2021 12:09am

I never encounter it. And while I mostly listen to podcasts/albums/playlists when driving, I listen to the radio at night.

Baseball72 · 20-10-2021 12:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118045509#Comment_118045509

I tune in from time to time and, like the other stations I listen to (Newstalk / Talksport/ RTE1/Today FM (Matt Cooper programme), I have it saved (pun intended!) in settings so its a conscious decision on my part to listen. Its evangelical for the most part but not in "your face" sort of way. Yes, I would imagine that there is a serious Power on that transmitter!😎

SouthWesterly · 20-10-2021 12:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118045641#Comment_118045641

What frequency is it on? I can never find it

Who actually listens to Spirit FM?

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