The two Johnnie's are to move to the iconic mid-morning Gerry Ryan slot and Jen Z goes to drive according to the red tops today https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/2fm-planning-major-shake-up-32825017
To put it in context at their time of leaving Tony was with 2FM for 18 years, Gareth for 16 years and Dusty for 9 years.
Ya, Tony Fenton's departure was the only one of those 3 departures that made the front pages of the newspapers and indeed he was the only one of them to get another equivalent "big gig" so to speak.
I don't remember any particular fuss being made about these presenters leaving at the time. Even though they were well known, were any of them top-tier presenters? Tony Fenton is probably better remembered now for his later career on Today FM. Gareth O'Callaghan had probably reached his sell-by date and was Dusty Rhodes ever a big name?
2FM is so dependent on its big names now, any of them leaving is the equivalent of Ian Dempsey's departure or Gerry Ryan's death. In the old days, they'd simply do a bit of a reshuffle and the station would continue on as normal. I was a little surprised to see he would've given the 2 Johnnies the time off. I wonder what the thinking behind that is? That it's better to lose them for a couple of months than to lose them forever?
I like john and his shows over the years, though to pull him up on presenters leaving 2FM at the same time, from what I remember big names Tony Fenton, Gareth O'Callaghan, Dusty Rhodes had each left 2FM in a short space of time under his reign.
Yes and Sunshine has a grand total on air staff of 4. 2fm has passed that threshold by 9am.
Also in the John Clarke article - Sunshine Radio has a bigger Dublin listenership than 2FM.
As has been previously said here there needs to be a deep questioning of how 2FM operates.
https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/radio/former-rte-2fm-boss-says-its-now-a-personality-driven-station-that-plays-a-bit-of-music/a967978080.html https://www.sundayworld.com/showbiz/celebrity/former-rte-2fm-boss-says-its-now-a-personality-driven-station-that-plays-a-bit-of-music/a563720900.html
I'm pretty sure John Clarke signed off from his radio show years ago with a little bit of a rant along the same lines as what he said here. I don't remember very much about it now but he mentioned hearing a presenter going on for ages about their oven.
What he said about the finances is interesting too and goes to show how badly it is being run now.
Looking at the financial state of 2FM, Clarke says their income has collapsed since his heyday there. “I think it’s sad that 2FM isn’t making money...When I was running the station for 10 years we were making so much money that we didn’t take any of the licence fee money."We went from €12 million when I took it over in 1999, to €20 million, which was on a par with Radio One. We were hugely successful financially and never went over the budget.
Looking at the financial state of 2FM, Clarke says their income has collapsed since his heyday there. “I think it’s sad that 2FM isn’t making money...When I was running the station for 10 years we were making so much money that we didn’t take any of the licence fee money.
"We went from €12 million when I took it over in 1999, to €20 million, which was on a par with Radio One. We were hugely successful financially and never went over the budget.
In my 30 odd years of memory, 2FM was never a place for voices of anger, protests or hate.
Very good interview about 2FM with John Clarke in today's Indo. "Personality driven station that plays a bit of music".
I never knew that having a shouty voice, laughing over nothing and thinking that everything is "so amazing" constituted a "personality' 😟
Seems to be doing sound today anyways.
I guess they’re to get the new line up working together. You’d have thought that was the 5 weeks of Ms Ryan was in for to do that. Your man has hosted shows by himself.
Even makes the statement of Lottie temporary role even worse. They can’t even lie good about it
Beta Da Silva is taking over drivetime "for a while" - his words.
Will be interesting to see how this goes. I'm a big fan of him on his 7pm new music show, but that's very much a "that was, this is" affair, which he is good at, and sounds relaxed and like he's enjoying himself....hopefully he's allowed transfer this style to drivetime, and isn't forced to be "mad" or be a " giant messer".
There may well have been. However those that got the gig seemed to be well connected to the right people.
It would seem The Sun have a agent or someone who is feedin these stories, plus they will print any old sh*te
how come its always the Irish Sun that has these stories 🤔
Oh Mea Culpa! 🙄🤦♂️
I think in 1978 - 1979 there was a public recruitment for the new station presenters
I think this is the first time (outside their DJ for a day competition) that they have actively recruited for on-air talent.
Genuinely I do hope that they look to the main stations as to what their talent has and cherry pick the very best of that but more importantly recruit proper radio people not the influencer gang.
It guess this is the kind of thing they have to do to distinguish themselves from other FM pop stations to justify getting large amounts of bailout cash from the government.
Lol, finally feeling the backlash of the Lottie appointment 10 years back.
As found via a post on the 2FM Instagram...
https://about.rte.ie/2024/07/02/rte-is-seeking-expressions-of-interest-in-presenting-roles-on-rte-2fm/
Smacks of pure desperation at this stage. I’d have Dan his walking papers and get some fresh perspective with a new head.
Sure with 2 kids under 3 what could possibly go wrong that would mean one or both couldn’t just turn up to work at last minute.
Seems like Dan was to keep throwing enough crap that hopefully something will stick
I'm not thinking Richard and Judy, but instead I'm thinking Robbie Williams and Ayda Field…he only agreed to be a judge on X Factor if his wife (who had no experience of the music business) could be a judge too. The show was in decline at that point anyway, but that pretty much finished it off.
Now there's talk of parachuting a crumlin Hospital Nurse into the primetime 2fm schedule, you couldn't make it up https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.ie/tv/13303074/carl-mullan-wife-rte-2fm-breakfast-show/amp/
I also remember Ryan Tubridy's first summer on 2fm, his Full Irish Show was rebranded "The late full Irish" and moved into Gryans 9-12 slot for the summer with Damian Farrelly doing summer breakfast
As was already mentioned, back in the crazy Celtic tiger days, Lottie's oulfella would be off-air longer than 5 weeks for his annual leave. Do you remember when he'd be talking about his family trips to Disneyland Florida and Los Angeles?
I don't believe so. My understanding is there are quite a number of on air people across all of the RTE stations in a similar position and are being offered "take it or leave it" terms and conditions to regularise their positions.
The use of Arthur Cox solicitors in meetings (at our expense) usually softens up most of 'em.
They are both mid 40s, so only a matter of time before they are shifted to RTE Gold
I'd say so. They've been around quite a while and RTE is committed to cleaning up it's 'bogus contractor' act.
