2FM - getting worse?

Conor84 · 21-12-2012 5:24am #1

Is it any wonder that 2FM is losing listeners in all the surveys when it comes across as so unprofessional and arrogant.

Was listening to Fanning's Fab 50 tonight and it was painful. Loads of technical hitches (The Fly by U2 was messed up) and eventhough the pretence was otherwise the show from 7 - 10 was definitely pre recorded with the long gaps from news back to the show and the terrible editing of links from Dave with so many being drowned out with ads and jingles - it was really poor to listen to.

I am not the biggest Dave Fanning fan but eventhough I wanted to listen tonight it was painful. He said in an interview a few months ago (Sunday Times I think) he doesn't even want to be presenting a music show any more but there he is with usually the last 3 hours of live broadcasting on the station during the week.

Tonight he was eating on air eventhough I am convinced it wasn't live, plugging Dan Hegarty for coming up next when embarassingly it wasn't even Dan's pre-recorded show that followed.

He said he was finished with the countdown at some random number and the said he had changed his mind and was playing a few more.

It is poor to think that a station that claims to be the national station pretty much goes into snooze mode at 7pm and just muddles through from there. I think I read than 2FM are losing millions but it seems that the management as presumably well paid public servants don't really give a damn.

2FM is alright during the day although audience figures seem always to be going down and I think in most segments they are well behind Today FM. There is no coherent music or programming policy especially after 7pm with 74 year old Larry Gogan on the schedule alongside serious dance tracks at the weekend. I know that they are losing millions a year and eventhough I have been a fan in th epast I resent having to pay the license fee to subsidise a loss making station that gives the impression that it doesn't even want to make an effort to sound and act professional.

megafan · 21-12-2012 6:04am

Your right Conor84 it's all a bit jaded don't know anybody who really listens to it any more only time I would would be in the car down the country if lost reception on Newstalk 104.102 or nothing on RTE 1 or BBC's..... in fact can't remember the last time I listened to it in earnest??? DJ's & show hosts haven't got the sparkle or interest & just seem tired of it all:(

kneemos · 21-12-2012 6:06am

On the odd occasion I turn it on all I hear is inane "banter"and endless competitions which are interrupted by some pop music.It's mind bending.

PODboy · 21-12-2012 1:52pm

With the exception of the excellent and very talented Will Leahy - who does realise that we are intelligent and that so many of us today are educated to at least second level - the station is a joke - no music policy, ageing DJ's careless recorded programmes and above all no remit. By the way I am very suspect of the last JNLR book which gave them some minor growth...2FM was set in up in 1979 as Ireland young people's station - would it be possible to sue the Minister for Communications for allowing this insult to young Ireland to continue losing tax payer's money? I live in Finglas Dublin and while a serious radio listener - am so disappointed with the quality and out put of the National Broadcaster which come no where near BBC's Radio one, two,three, four and five live.

Marty on lyric an insult to the arts?
Gogan on 2fm - what a contradiction?
Tubridy on 2fm - overated and over paid?
Compare sport on RTE Radio to BBC Five or Newstalk?
Sure Radio one should replace all its music programmes with documentaries/ features etc - or is it just lazy????

Its very obvious listening to RTE Radio at the moment that so many commercial breaks are taken up with station promos - even the advertisers are beginning to vote with their feet.

Cookie Policy · 21-12-2012 9:12pm

They need an definite image and genre. They're all over the place, they were supposed to be the youth national station but they're far from it.

There is huge potential at 2FM if they:

Decided they really were a youth station and play youth driven music with YOUTH driven presenters. I personally think SPIN 1038 in Dublin, Kiss FM & Capital FM in the UK are prime examples. They have a definite image no veering other ways. They play the biggest hit's and nothing else, but allow specialist shows (due to licencing issues yeah but) late night and at weekends and it works out.

They need to sort out their imaging again prime examples of excellent imaging; Kiss FM, SPIN 1038, Capital FM and XFM London. They are all over the place, there's no tightness in imaging there is often gaps of 3-4 seconds of dead air before the usual "2FM" whisper comes on into ads. My own opinion is the american voice overs can make a station sound much more professional and I know they are not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoy them.

Presenters have to go, they are all too old and they need to give younger talent a chance. They government and RTE are always banging on about the young talent in this country yet YOUNG is where it stays, I mean they think that younger people will drive down the ratings. I personally think quite the contrary, and to be honest with 2FM at the moment there isn't much listeners left. The youth is treated in my eyes as "Your not mature enough to work for RTE yet. Come back when your 35-40 years old."

I think 2FM are competing with Today FM too much in the sense of "Hey to John driving down the country" Today FM have got listeners on their side on that one and they know when enough is enough. They amount of text messages read out of 2FM is ridiculous too. They need to define their image and decide do they want to take the reins and see there is a gap in the market for a national youth station. It's on a plate in front of them!!

soc160 · 21-12-2012 10:27pm

As alluded to by most here 2fm has no direction or remit. They are required by their license to provide a certain service, I don't know what that is though, I cant find any licensing agreement or mission statement from the station online. The chances are they don't know themselves. They need to contrast and compliment Rte 1, have a different output, aim at a younger demographic while leaving Rte 1 to take the older more mature market, that way they can have a hold over a larger demographic. I dont listen to either of the stations regularly but from what I can see as an outsider is 2fm is a dumping ground for Rte talent, the likes of Hector, Baz, Lucy Kennedy and other crap have appeared there.

The station is such a horrible mess it would take 5 years or so to turn it around, presenters would have to be move don, youth would need to be given a chance. I just think the station is such a horrible waste of potential and Rte should be ashamed of it.

There is also another route they could take, I dont know if it would be possible but why not have a third mainstream station and make that a national youth station and keep 2fm as a "young adults" kind of station with a few stations. They have the resources and technology to create another station its probably just a licensing issue that would be a major issue.

GreeBo · 21-12-2012 10:33pm

The BattleAxe is all I listen to there these days tbh.

WaltKowalski · 21-12-2012 10:37pm

PODboy wrote: »

With the exception of the excellent and very talented Will Leahy

His is the only show I listen to out of any of the 2fm/rte stations.

666irishguy · 21-12-2012 10:48pm

I think 2FM was seen as the hip young persons station when it launched. The problem is it is still using the same kind of formula's for programs and comes across as a bit of a dad rock station. One of the best stations around still but it needs a bit of a shake up.

jjf1974 · 22-12-2012 11:11am

GreeBo wrote: »

The BattleAxe is all I listen to there these days tbh.

+1 I also like to listin to colm hayes.I would need to be paid a 6 figure amount before i could listen to tubs or hector:eek:

PODboy · 22-12-2012 2:01pm

I am a Public Broacaster supporter who sees the BBC Radio model as the one that works for the Listener. RTE has the transmission facilities to use the following model to ensure its survival in the future:

RTE Radio one to become a mix of Radio 4 and Five Live - with opt out sports available on either digital or certain FM /AM frequencies. Remember BBC Five Live has the majority of its audience still on AM . RTE Radio One would also drop all its music programmes and replace with Features, Running News and Sport and Commentaries.

RTE Radio 2FM would return to its original remit - a station for young Ireland - doing what it did back in 1979 - encouraging new bands, breaking new tracks, dealing with young peoples issues - essentially One FM (BBC) and 6FM.together - a Kool station for young Ireland - 24 hours a day. It would recruit a new batch of young exciting and intelligent presenters - it is hard to know who should not get the shaft - essentially a new Controller would do a 'Matthew Bannister' - clear out all the ageing jocks. RTE has a responsibility as a public service broadcaster to find new vibrant young Male and Female presenters who are in touch with music Ireland. Remember if it were not for Gerry Ryan RIP the current station would be gone..........

Lyric FM - the people have spoken there is not a demand for this station which does not know what it is and where it is going day- time - I do compliment Lyric for its night time programming and its Live Concerts etc - Lyric should become an AOR adult BBC Radio 2 style station 7am to 7pm -and retain its original remit 7pm to 7am 100% Pure Classical. Its arts programmes would tranfer to the new style RTE Radio one. The day time presenters could then be the likes of Marty, Lorcan, Larry, Ronan, playing middle of the road oldies, /country/ etc

At last our National Broadcaster would have a focus and a strategy - so that when you think of RTE Radio you think Talk and Sport - RTE 2FM - New Music, Current Hits, In demand Album Plays and most important new band and new presenters. OB from music events etc and Lyric one - Oldies and memories - Lyric 2 Classical - to be renamed RTE Radio 3

In my discussion I have not gone near the real 'White Elephant in Irish Public Service Broadcasting R na G - can anyone tell us how many listeners it has in a typical 24 hour spread?, How much does it cost per listener ?- I bet it would be better value on the Tax Payer to re- open Athlone Medium wave, or even better give each listener a Cash Grant to Install an Online Radio to receive the station. Then we the tax payers would have a nationwide FM Opt out for RTE to use for additional sport on Radio one - like Five Live Sports Extra and Radio 4 Extra on the BBC.

I hate to admit I am now listening more and more to Newstalk and BBC Radio Five than the service that I am paying for myself through the Licences.

Does anybody else agree?

I want our Public Service Radio to survive - and I want to follow this up aggressively - How much of our tax payers money is spent per listener on R na G and how many Producers / Assistants are employed in RTE Radio.

smurfs5 · 22-12-2012 3:46pm

For me, they should have a schedule like this based on the presenters I could think of :

6-10am : Ray Foley
10am-1pm : Simon Murdoch (iRadio)
1pm-4pm : Dermot & Dave
4pm-7pm : Eoghan McDermott
7-9pm : Request Show with Paul Bonass
9pm-2am : Specialist Shows

Solair · 22-12-2012 3:56pm

I think 2FM needs to look at actually doing some public service stuff for Irish music. I'd like it to be an alternative to the commercial stations but, it isn't!

RTE Radio 2 aka 2FM was set up to do away with commercial stations, at the time known as pirates because we had a legal monopoly for RTE in the 1970s and no licensed music broadcaster. It's not surprising it's all over the place in an era where that market is open and well and truly covered by commercial operations!

I think it should be put on the market and sold off if it's not going to use its remit to do something that would actually make it a PSB. I don't understand why we have a PSB operating a mainstream commercial music station to be perfectly honest.

RTE has big debts so just sell the thing off and use the money for some proper psb stuff on other channels.

Infoanon · 22-12-2012 4:19pm

PODboy wrote: »

RTE Radio 2FM would return to its original remit - a station for young Ireland
I want our Public Service Radio to survive - and I want to follow this up aggressively - How much of our tax payers money is spent per listener on R na G and how many Producers / Assistants are employed in RTE Radio.

'Radio 2' as it was known in 1979 was an absolute disaster with programming decisions been made by non radio people.As an example Declan Meehan was let go - the same Declan Meehan who became a Superstar on Radio Nova with the 'Brekkie Trekkie'
'2FM' has been in trouble for years now - its purpose is unknown ! BUT if RTE sort out the issues what will their reward be ? The Govt will force RTE to sell off 2FM to the private sector.

R'na'G - politically no government will take the decision to shut it down - apparently 1 Bn is spent on the Irish language every year according to Newspaper reports - so the cost of running R'na'G is miniscule in that respect.

endofrainbow · 22-12-2012 4:24pm

only show worth listening to is Ireland's Biggest Jukebox with John Clarke.

IrishHomer · 22-12-2012 9:36pm

endofrainbow wrote: »

only show worth listening to is Ireland's Biggest Jukebox with John Clarke.

That's not even worth listening to more than once.

Reason is same songs played week after week mont after month year after year.

Fuzzy Clam · 22-12-2012 11:17pm

To clarify a point, 2FM (Radio 2) was not a "Youth" station. It was a music station aimed mainly, but not exclusively, at a younger audience. In it's early days programs ranged from Poparama through to Country & Irish and Rock, through to album tracks and everything in between. This was it's problem. Some very good individual programs but without consistancy in style and format.
In hindsight, and compared with what we have to tolerate today, some of early Radio 2 was very good, although I admit to not listening to much of it, being a Nova listener.
RTE have always followed and never led. 2 FM is no exception. From the off, Radio 2 should have had clear, single, format. Instead it just took bits of this and that and put it together.
In the early nineties, it was clear what the kids wanted, with the likes of the pirate dance stations that were about at the time. 2 FM did, eventualy, go for this market but, as always with them, it was a half hearted affair. They should have stuck with the youth market but instead have veered away again.

IMO, 2FM should be the youth station of Ireland., 2Day FM should aim at the slightly older listener. Where this leaves the Spins? I don't know.

22-12-2012 11:24pm

666irishguy wrote: »

I think 2FM was seen as the hip young persons station when it launched. The problem is it is still using the same kind of formula's for programs and comes across as a bit of a dad rock station. One of the best stations around still but it needs a bit of a shake up.

Unfortunately it's also still using some of the same presenters from back then! I mean, Larry Gogan - way past his best, as is the aforementioned Dave Fanning.

smurfs5 · 23-12-2012 12:16am

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

IMO, 2FM should be the youth station of Ireland., 2Day FM should aim at the slightly older listener. Where this leaves the Spins? I don't know.

Well, BBC Radio 1 is the youth station of the UK but Capital is also extremely popular. You need that alternative from a station which plays a wide variety of music. People who just want hit music stick with Capital.
IMO, SPIN has the youth market down to a tee. It knows its audience and I like the way they're not afraid to play songs which are a bit left-field. Even if RTE Radio 2/ 2FM decided to become a youth-driven station, SPIN would still be extremely popular as they're all about playing the most Top 40/ Pop music with shortish links whereas 2FM would presumably play different types of music which would never be heard on SPIN and the presenters would have personality and would talk quite a lot and make a proper "show" out of their slot.

seamey beag84 · 25-12-2012 6:20pm

While i agree that most of 2fm is terrible, I have to disagree and say Will Leahy goes in with the bad bunch. Tries way to hard to be slightly funny, same ****e day in day out. I'd be more inclined to listen to evening radio and think 2fm aren't too bad there. Fanning, Hegerty, Battle (sometimes) and when they have Donal dinnen are usually good shows, can be a bit mundane at times but at least you'll hear something new and hear about artists, albums, gigs and festivals that you want to know about, not wishing happy bday to Barbara in Ballybeyond.

kneemos · 25-12-2012 9:54pm

2FM and RTE in general seem to be stuck in their ways and completely lacking any inovation or even fresh ideas.The same old presenters and mimicking the BBC is apparently the limit of their imagination,perhaps it's a product of a public .service pay packet and nobodys job is in danger.Hector and Tubridy anywhere near a microphone is a major error,Hector in paticular.

PODboy · 26-12-2012 1:51am

Come on it is time to do an FOI query on how much it costs to run. 2FM is going nowhere it has no remit - it either needs to be sold off as soon as possible, or relaunced as Ireland and the taxpayers BBC Radio one. The young people of Ireland are being disenfranchised by not haveing a Public Service young peoples music station presented by their intelligent peers.
I asked a question some days ago - how much does it cost per listener to run Radio na Gaeltacht - another dead duck!!

tippspur · 26-12-2012 2:07am

GreeBo wrote: »

The BattleAxe is all I listen to there these days tbh.

Same here,best show on the radio.

Kensington · 16-01-2013 11:27pm

Two weeks into the new year and it looks like even RTE have given up hope on 2FM and left it to stagger along in automation mode.

Dan Hegarty, which was clearly pre-recorded, crashed abruptly out of the news at 10pm and the first fifteen minutes of the show then had some lad named Carl recording Operation Transformation promos and links for RTE Pulse - complete with hesitations and mistakes - going out (actually) live on air over the Dan Hegarty recording. Just as well he didn't swear!

kneemos · 16-01-2013 11:33pm

Kensington wrote: »

Two weeks into the new year and it looks like even RTE have given up hope on 2FM and left it to stagger along in automation mode.

Dan Hegarty, which was clearly pre-recorded, crashed abruptly out of the news at 10pm and the first fifteen minutes of the show then had some lad named Carl recording Operation Transformation promos and links for RTE Pulse - complete with hesitations and mistakes - going out (actually) live on air over the Dan Hegarty recording. Just as well he didn't swear!

They don't even listen to it themselves then if it lasted for fifteen minutes.

[Deleted User] · 16-01-2013 11:36pm

I don't see Larry Gogan as a problem. Annie Nightingale is 72 and she's still on BBC Radio 1.

smurfs5 · 16-01-2013 11:44pm

Karsini wrote: »

I don't see Larry Gogan as a problem. Annie Nightingale is 72 and she's still on BBC Radio 1.

There is a big difference between a prime afternoon slot and a 3am slot on a Saturday morning.

[Deleted User] · 16-01-2013 11:46pm

smurfs5 wrote: »

There is a big difference between a prime afternoon slot and a 3am slot on a Saturday morning.

Yet he's still getting a good listenership.

end of the road · 17-01-2013 2:22am

Karsini wrote: »

Annie Nightingale is 72 and she's still on BBC Radio 1.

and she plays breaks, imagine that, a 72 year old raver, an absolute legend is what she is haha.

PODboy · 17-01-2013 10:11am

Since G Ryan passes on no one ever has a good to say about the station - it reminds me Clery's Shop - loads of bits and pieces - living in the past, too many old heads - out of touch. I thought Willie O Reilly would have helped up its game. Close it down sell it off - who would buy it?

popebenny16 · 17-01-2013 2:21pm

PODboy wrote: »

Since G Ryan passes on no one ever has a good to say about the station - it reminds me Clery's Shop - loads of bits and pieces - living in the past, too many old heads - out of touch. I thought Willie O Reilly would have helped up its game. Close it down sell it off - who would buy it?

bingo. G Ryan was the fulcrum around the station, and from what I recall, his advertising revenue basicly kept the whole thing going.

The first fundamental error 2fm made after Gerry Ryans's death was the splitting of the morning show at 11pm. Why isnt Tubs only given two hours? IF it is because of the Late Late workload then he should give up the radio gig (and the salary) and allow 2fm to have an identifable mid morning show, just like todayfm does. Splitting in the face of the opposition does the figures for both Tubs and Hayes harm.

The only shows i would listen to on 2fm would be a bit of tubs in my car, a bit of will leahy and ballbusters (although they should get rid of the bloke presenter who constantly interputs his guests even though he hasnt been listening to them) on a saturday. Thats it. The reason is the same as it has always been since the early 80's. It just sounds naff. No matter how much they try it sounds like the p&t youth department from 1980.

One example which has been pointed out - Spin. I live in the spin south west area, they have a great indy music show in irish sunday mornings. Why does RTE have to follow all the other stations with a "best of" a show you probably avoided all week on a sat morning, and do a show like that instead? They also shoudl ahve moved heaven and earth to get Ray Foley for breakfast.

Breakfast show is the main thing on commerical radio, sets the tone and the image. Today fm have Ian Dempsey and Gift Grub. 2fm have Hector, with a lead in from Tubs at 8.55.

Today FM has a tight easily identifable image. 2fm doesnt.

2FM - getting worse?

Comments