Why did radio Nova sack John Clarke ?
Ratings were down
I thought he took time off as he was sick. His downturn in ratings could also coincided with the toxic decision to put Hayes and Kennedy on breakfast, probably the worst period for shows and music in the stations short history.
Saw this on Facebook, sounds uncannily like Nova...
And after the break we've got rock and roll anthems from Simple Minds, Picture This and Nickelback...
As a matter of interest, here is some of the previous experience of the current staff at Radio Nova of playing rock music on the radio - leaving out stuff that they got involved with after they joined.
Starting with...
Kevin Brannigan, CEO - the operator of two temporary license runs for 949 The Rock. It was the forerunner for Radio Nova, with much more actual old classic rock and more album tracks.
Marty Miller - presented Dad Rock on Today FM - a classic rock show
Pat Courtney - the "Classic Hits" era of 98FM when a significant proportion of the music was classic rock; an entertainment news slot on the aforementioned 949 The Rock for one of its runs
Greg Gaughren - rock show on early '80s pirate Kiss FM; "Classic Hits" era of 98FM; and the Rock104 era of what is now FM104, when the playlist had a significant proportion of classic rock.
Matt Dempsey - Capitol/Nitesky Radio, where he played mainly alternative rock but also some classic rock depending on the time; one of the temporary runs of 949 The Rock
Pat James - rock shows on various pirates in the 1970s and 1980s; one of the temporary runs of 949 The Rock
Tony Ainscough - at least one of the temporary runs of 949 The Rock and probably two
Kieran McGuinness - TXFM, former licensed alternative rock station. He is also a musician.
His "Biggest Jukebox" show was the best thing that Nova had.
There is a curious LMFM connection with Nova over the years- the station for Louth and Meath.
The following past and present presenters and/or producers on Radio Nova have also been involved with LMFM:
Andy Clarke, Paul McGuinness, Johnny Bowe, Phil Cawley, Gareth O’Connor, Adrienne O’Hora, Peter Dunne, Moss Breathnach/Jack Hyland (presenter on Nova as Jack Hyland, involved with production on LMFM as Moss) and Enda Caldwell, who did production on Nova for 8 days and was a producer/presenter on LMFM. I don't know if there any more, but that is a good number of names to start with. Arguably you could also include Dalton Mac Namee, who is a content writer for Nova and did work experience in LMFM as a transition year student!
Is anyone having problems playing Nova on an Echo? We've an Echo Dot here and for the last week or so when you ask it to play Nova, it plays some French station also called Nova. I've tried all the combinations of the name - Nova, Nova 100.3, Nova Ireland etc etc.
Only show I listen to on Nova is the Friday Night Rock Show so hoping it'll work for tonight.
I don't use echo but on Google to differentiate it with the Melbourne station I had to say "play radio nova 100".
Been listening to Nova more during the day how the hell do they keep their license given the playlist is hardly rock (Elton John today?!?!).
Clearly the BAI don't monitor these things either
Some of Elton John's stuff does stray into rock, but not necessarily all of it!
I'm assuming O'Connor and Dunne are producers? I've never heard either of them on air.
Gareth O'Connor did sports news for a period on Radio Nova. I remember hearing him on Nova - mainly weekends I think. I seem to remember that much was made of the fact that Nova had secured his services. He has cropped up on many stations (including LMFM) over the years, but is particularly associated with 2FM and RTE Sports. In recent years, he has been a presenter on Christmas FM. As regards Peter Dunne, all I know is that, according to him, that Radio Nova took him on having heard him on Midlands Radio. Midlands Radio, where he returned to after other stations including LMFM, also mention his connection to Radio Nova. Maybe he was a filler presenter.
Just the mention of Gareth O'connor takes me back to Tony Fentons 2fm drivetime show.
Actually maybe that was Andrew O'connor 🤔
I think Gareth is now a producer on Virgin Media's Tonight Show
So PJ and Jim (and Clinton) won an IMRO award last night for the jack and Jill Promo.
Dee Woods won DJ of the year too...
Thanks Declan for the post , however Nova is not a Rock Station - its guitar led.
Classic Hits 98FM was not a classic rock station - it used the Classic Hits format similar to WCBS and today's Classic Hits (4FM) - unless you define the Eagles as 'Rock' !
I don't recall Greg Gaughren doing a rock show on Kiss - thought Dennis Murray did the rock shows on Kiss 102.7 (as an aside considered by some as the greatest station ahead of the original Nova). I am open to correction on that one.
Radio Nova officially is licensed as a classic rock station, but it has been somewhat diluted to put it mildly!
I know that Classic Hits 98FM was not a classic rock station, but it did have a soft rock orientation during that particular era of 98FM, especially in its first couple of years. Likewise, Rock104 was not a licensed classic rock station, but it had a rock orientation during that phase of the station now called FM104.
Yes, I believe The Eagles are indeed rock. They are often characterised as country rock or soft rock, but some of their songs are straight rock. They often feature in stations or shows that are labelled "classic rock". Not all rock is heavy!
Re Greg Gaughren doing a rock show on Kiss FM, that is something that I read around the time of the launch of this Radio Nova. I stand corrected if I was misinformed.
PJ was on the Late late earlier, seems he went through a breakdown and had to spend time in hospital hence why he wasn't on the morning show for a few weeks at the start of the year.
Really glad that he's on the mend and great to hear him back laughing. Just a shame Ryan kills such an important topic, rushed through PJ's story trying to wrap the show up.
Jim also interviewed him about it for their podcast show which thankfully is longer and more insightful. Fair play to him for being so open about it, can'thave been easy.
A great song I never hear on Nova. They seem to think REO's only songs are "I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore", "Keep On Lovin' You" and "Take it on the Run", the former of which I heard on Greg's show this evening.
Notice those three songs are all ballads/slower songs? There's more to them than just an 80s power-ballad band.
Seems that Greg's show has that little bit more leeway - in particular his Saturday Soundtrack show.
I think the only place you will hear this on Nova is The Friday Night Rock Show !
Tony has played early Reo tracks like this one Golden Country / Time For Me To Fly and Back On The Road Again over the years !
It pisses me off that Nova advertises the upcoming Volbeat show but doesn't actually play any Volbeat.
They play Amy Winehouse and KT Tunstall and have done for ages. Bob Marley too.
I remember an ad for * Steve Hackett a few years ago on Radio Nova. He was a guitarist with Genesis for much of the 1970s until the late 1970s. It included a snippet of a well-known Genesis tune from well after he had left the band! I also remember a promo they used to play for a show presented by former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman. A snippet of Owner of a Lonely Heart was played, which he had no involvement with as he was not in the band at that time! That kind of stuff is annoying.
*Edit: I should have also mentioned that you would never hear any Steve Hackett on Nova, except possibly on Tony Anscough's show and Pat James' Off the Record on digital sister station Classic Rock. Not even the most well-known Genesis tune during the Steve Hackett era: I Know What I Like (in your Wardrobe). The latter song was also part of the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis, which you would never hear on Nova, with those honourable exceptions.
The Prodigy, another artist I've heard advertised on Nova but not playlisted.
I actually requested "Lola Montez" to Kieran McGuinness a few years ago as part of his "alternative Eurovision" show (Volbeat are Danish) but it didn't get played. He played "Enter Sandman" instead (Lars Ulrich is originally from Denmark).
Pat Courtney will talk about Foo Fighters in his news segments, but never actually plays any. Even when Hakins died he never played a song out of tribute as far as I heard. Maybe other shows did?
Kinda hard to take the station's bona fides seriously when it routinely plays All Star by Smashmouth but the Foo's are seemingly rarely heard.
I don't listen all day, every day but equally its rare enough to hear Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns n Roses (bar maybe November rain or Sweet child of mine) and all 3 have played here in recent years.
In fairness, I have heard a few songs by Guns n Roses on Radio Nova. Welcome to the Jungle has been played a number of times.
It is true that Metallica does not get played much, but Enter Sandman does turn up on the playlist. I think I heard One once one evening!
I don't think I ever heard Iron Maiden on the station. Possibly Tony Anscough might play them.
