Path to power podcast without Ivan Yates

Yep. Every podcast I wholly enjoy inevitably goes to shite.

I think Matt is trying to save face but soldiering on but there is no doubt the X-factor of the podcast was undoubtedly Ivan.

I gave the new episodes the benefit of the doubt but as explicitly challenged by Matt at the start of the first new look pod "this won't now become some middle of the road echo chamber".

But unfortunately it has. I respect and like a few of his new contributors Shane Coleman, Larry Donnelly. That said, going forward it will be as Vanilla as the Last Word. Nobody will stir the pot, challenge Matt or speak outside the lines.

He obviously inviting contrarian journalists he (and I) disagrees with, but they are somehow much worse because they have no humour.

The appeal of Ivan Yates to me was his experience as a former politician and senior minister, he offered a sort of insider perspective to party dynamics, different political roles and the sort of games and backstabbing that goes on in political life.

When it's just fairly bland journalists debating hot topics it loses that perspective and ultimately is just like a lot of other podcasts out there, many of which have more charismatic hosts. I haven't listened to it much without Ivan and don't think I will again with these sort of co-hosts.

That said I agree with Matt's decision to sever connections with Ivan, it was crazy not to disclose his connections with Jim Gavin and the many FF ministers he coached and it's hard to believe he wasn't using the position to deliberately promote people he had a personal connection given some of the things that were said.

I still have my subscription, i've given it a chance. It's ok. It's not what it was, not even close. I don't look forward to Fridays and Sundays anymore, I use to be excited to open a new episode, now I don't really care. Shane Coleman on multiple times, WTF is that.

I'm not sure I'll be keeping my sub going, sadly. It was my favourite pod.

P2P was a favourite of mine too and I havent listened to it since Ivan left. Apart from the insider perspective, a huge draw with him was the humour and banter he brought to proceedings. I have a lot of time for the likes of Larry Donnelly but he's fine on a Tuesday morning analyzing US news with Pat Kenny. If you're asking people to fork out cash for your show, you would want a bit more than the dry as a bone commentary you can get for free on radio 5 days a week.

They're asking people to PAY to listen to Colleran and Brenda Power! They couldn't pay ME to listen to that!

Yeah I'd echo the comments above. I have given it a good chance but it has fallen a bit flat. There is no back and forth banter and "you know yourself…" about it. It has now become an awful lot more "roundtable".

I'd say it is clear Ivan is making his money from PR and hosting outside the pod realm.

He was 100% brought in as a mercenary for the path 2 power podcast.

Jaysus now we are getting episodes back to back without Matt Cooper even. YouTube views are down over 75% since Ivan Yates left.

Someone posted in The Last Word thread in the radio sub, that MC hasn't been on air in two weeks.

Turns out he hasn't put out a P2P episodes either in the same time. Is he unwell?

Read somewhere today that Ivan was starting a new podcast with another guy

For those of you missing cutting political analysis the Taoiseach is this week’s guest on Mark Moriarty’s “Roasted” podcast, brought to you by M&S Food.

Mark’s podcast is also brought to you by NKM, and normally consists of him interviewing the other stars of NKM…..in the same way many of the stars of NKM interview other stars of NKM on their radio shows. Getting the Taoiseach to appear on the show is a big step up and quite a coup so to speak.

Quite what the Taoiseach is doing on this show however is another matter. How a man who is in such a busy and demanding job has the time to be on a podcast like this is a question worth asking. Who advised him that this would be a good move? It’s also not the first NK Productions podcast he has appeared on btw. What’s next? Will it be Kathryn Thomas’ pod, Carl Mullan’s, or perhaps he can flex his sporting knowledge on Donncha O’Callaghan’s? Or maybe he could tell Doireann Garrihy about the laughs of his life?

I had thought NK’s power and influence ended with RTÉ and Virgin, Bauer etc. It seems not.

It is truly bizarre.

I think the relationship between traditional media and new media is like the difficult relationship between the print media and the early radio broadcasters. When HG Wells' "War of the Worlds" caused panic because people thought the Martians had invaded (I think in 1929), the print media were outraged and argued this showed radio was unreliable. Sort of like what they are now saying about social media. Although I think in the case of social media its different because of online anonymity. I think podcasters that are already well known and named have more credibility with the public. Unfortunately too many are nonetheless taken in by the bots especially in the US.

I used to watch this regularly, but I stopped once Ivan left. The X-factor of the podcast; what sets podcasts apart from regular television and radio, was lost when Ivan left. It's no different that his radio show. I have no desire to pay to listen to the likes of John Deasy tell everyone how wonderful he is.

He appeared on the Virgin Media show, The Assembly, which was another strange choice when you consider that Rosie O'Donnell, Joanne McNally, and Ryan Tubridy were the other guests on that show. I think this is all part of FF's attempt to try to win over younger voters on the left, something they are never going to do.