RTE 1: 'Today' with Claire Byrne

I have to listen back to that piece. It sounded a wee bit desperate and not thought through

She leaves behind a legacy of 5 years of boring radio.

Good luck to her in Newstalk but in all fairness she was very very mediocre at best. Not that she'll be worried or feel agrieved by what I've written but she took RTE to the cleaners for her 10 hrs a week.

We done to Claire, a great broadcaster and journalist. RTÉ were silly to let her go, as though McCullagh is a good writer, he is not a particularly good broadcaster.

But then again, I don't suppose they are able to match what Bauer Media can offer these days. And if Claire Byrne can do much better out of them, then fair play.

Claire will not have the same effect as Pat Kenny's move, I'd suggest she may see a drop in audience but we won't know until late next year as she start on Newstalk in February, Pat's move was a much bigger issue.

But you must surely agree that RTÉ was not financially sound or ran in an proper way? IMO its only 2 years ago at this stage and if you have read any of the newspapers today there is still much fallout.

I remain an avid TV viewer / streamer. But it doesn't have to include RTÉ and it now sadly rarely does.

Ive paid my licence for many years but its getting difficult to justify 160eu for the absolute horse manure RTE have on their channels. I get a very small bit of value from R1, but it is limited. There's probably 3 shows I tune into now and again. Claire Byrne, Drivetime (although Cormac is painful) and John creedon if im in the car.

Endless repeats of Kilnascully, Diarmuid Gavin, cheap Irish homes and Mrs Browns boys is not value for money….nor is the rotating guest list on shows like the Late Late and their current affairs shows are gone to complete pot, and that used to be a strong point for RTE. Its just not anymore.

Aside from a handful of rugby /hurling games…there is nothing for me.

RTE in no way deserve an increase in licence fees to continue pouring money into a broadcaster that is getting worse by the year, with vastly overpaid "talent" churning out absolute muck. RTE are most definitely not the BBC, and their output is nowhere near the same quality (budgets taken into account). They're not even in the same ballpark. lets be real

It's well known that Newstalk has offered her less money.

For a great journalist I can't think of a single good interview she did.

I agree about David Mc though - he's not great.

But should they give equal time to miniority sports?

So they should try to compete with Sky for sporting rights, where possible?

Sport is in no way a minority, from what I can see broadcast is wall to wall sport. I get live sport, but can't get my head around how much talk there is about it, 3 hours a night on Newstalk, 1 hour on 2FM, plenty more at the weekend.

It really is well served if not in danger of being saturated.

RTÉ have made the decision to move Game On over to Radio 1 in the same time slot, sport has a large fan base surely Arena would be better served at 6pm sandwiched between Drivetime and Game On.

I remember in early 2020, at the start of COVID, Claire was broadcasting to the nation from her garden shed, having to isolate, because she said she "got a dose".

Great comment on here at the time in the COVID thread,

"she is a dose!"