Today Show with Sarah McInerney

11-05-2020 6:47pm #1

Séan O’Rourke has left the desk for good, and Sarah McInerney has stepped into his seat. We wish her well.

The usual rules of decency apply, carry on.

Badabing · 11-05-2020 7:59pm

Will she be hosting until First week in September or taking a month off in August and another guest host takes over.

ford fiesta · 11-05-2020 11:59pm

Did the interim presenter have to be a female?

elperello · 12-05-2020 12:01am

ford fiesta wrote: »

Did the interim presenter have to be a female?

I don't think so.

Muahahaha · 12-05-2020 12:22am

Big write up in the current issue of the Phoenix on the race for Seans seat. I'll summarise:-

-Its an inside job, on Dr.Ciara and Ivan Yates they say "if RTE wanted you, then you would have already have received the call" which suggests their agents are trying
-Dobbo would be favourite but isnt because he is not a woman, RTE management feel it has to be a female. This is because Brendan o'Connor got Marians slot so now they need a woman front and centre for their other big show.
-Miriam and Claire Byrne are the clear front runners by a country mile with many RTE staffers believing Byrne will get it due to her age of 44. The Advantage for choosing either is that they are both already in the RTE Top 10 earners list and RTE cannot afford any more new entrants onto high salaries
-Dark horse is Rachel English, however its believed she wants to concentrate on being a novelist
-Sarah McInerney not in the running, seen by RTE management as being too inexperienced and lacking the X factor
-Some question marks over Byrne due to her editorial decisions on Claire Byrne Live- the mock isolation ward and garden shed stunts didnt go down well with management who found it crass. Also a fear that she is too private and doesnt give anything away about herself on air. Management want the presenter to both inform the listeners and to also entertain them
- On the other hand Miriam is seen as giving away too much on air. Also RTE management think her gushing praise of minor celebs and musicians on her Sunday show can grate with listeners, its just too OTT. And they dont like her giving interviews to every tabloid and glossy magazine dozens of times a year. If Miriam got the job then a run to 2025 when she turns 65 would suit her perfectly because word is she wants that job in the Aras and the election falls due that year.
-

Mav11 · 12-05-2020 10:06am

Cutting edge line up planned for this morning!!!

Joe_ Public · 12-05-2020 11:28am

Very heavy content format so far, border restrictions, nursing homes, testing issues, WHO interview, dentistry issues, wearing of masks. Three quarters way in before we get a non virus topic and it's about a lung transplant. Very worthy, i have to say, but not a great mix of subjects as has always been traditional, particularly heading into summer season.

Tork · 12-05-2020 12:23pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

-Its an inside job, on Dr.Ciara and Ivan Yates they say "if RTE wanted you, then you would have already have received the call" which suggests their agents are trying

Neither of those presenters would be suitable for this gig anyway. At 60, Yates is probably too old and his style of broadcasting wouldn't work for this. He isn't a particularly polished presenter either. Ciara Kelly doesn't have the personality or the experience to do this either. She wouldn't even have that show if George Hook hadn't disengaged his brain before opening his mouth.

Matt Cooper might have had a chance at one point but The Last Word is barely a functioning current affairs program any more. After that, what are you left with from the national stations? The Newstalk breakfast crew?

-

Dobbo would be favourite but isnt because he is not a woman, RTE management feel it has to be a female. This is because Brendan o'Connor got Marians slot so now they need a woman front and centre for their other big show.

This sort of thinking grinds my gears. Gender should never come into this. Bryan Dobson would be a very good choice for this and it's unfair to rule him out just because of his gender. As it turning out, Brendan O'Connor probably wasn't the right choice for Marian's slot but that has nothing to do with him being a man.

Some question marks over Byrne due to her editorial decisions on Claire Byrne Live- the mock isolation ward and garden shed stunts didnt go down well with management who found it crass. Also a fear that she is too private and doesnt give anything away about herself on air.

Very odd logic, that. Maybe they were ill-judged but what about all the other TV programmes she has presented?
Did Sean O'Rourke or Pat Kenny ever really give much away about themselves on air? This is a current affairs programme we're talking about here, not a reboot of the Gerry Ryan show. I'm sure if needs be, she can be more human.

On the other hand Miriam is seen as giving away too much on air. Also RTE management think her gushing praise of minor celebs and musicians on her Sunday show can grate with listeners, its just too OTT. -

Well, if that takes her out of the running, good. I found her tough going when she stood in for Sean O'Rourke last summer - all those "mmmm mmmm" noises she made when she was interviewing people was very grating. She falls down between two stools anyway. She's a current affairs presenter with the profile of a light entertainment one. It's probably better to do neither. And is she really as popular as the media like to think she is?

12-05-2020 1:12pm

Tork wrote: »

Neither of those presenters would be suitable for this gig anyway. At 60, Yates is probably too old and his style of broadcasting wouldn't work for this. He isn't a particularly polished presenter either. Ciara Kelly doesn't have the personality or the experience to do this either. She wouldn't even have that show if George Hook hadn't disengaged his brain before opening his mouth.

Matt Cooper might have had a chance at one point but The Last Word is barely a functioning current affairs program any more. After that, what are you left with from the national stations? The Newstalk breakfast crew?

-

This sort of thinking grinds my gears. Gender should never come into this. Bryan Dobson would be a very good choice for this and it's unfair to rule him out just because of his gender. As it turning out, Brendan O'Connor probably wasn't the right choice for Marian's slot but that has nothing to do with him being a man.

Very odd logic, that. Maybe they were ill-judged but what about all the other TV programmes she has presented?
Did Sean O'Rourke or Pat Kenny ever really give much away about themselves on air? This is a current affairs programme we're talking about here, not a reboot of the Gerry Ryan show. I'm sure if needs be, she can be more human.

Well, if that takes her out of the running, good. I found her tough going when she stood in for Sean O'Rourke last summer - all those "mmmm mmmm" noises she made when she was interviewing people was very grating. She falls down between two stools anyway. She's a current affairs presenter with the profile of a light entertainment one. It's probably better to do neither. And is she really as popular as the media like to think she is?

Indeed when you are in her audience in the studio Claire makes plenty of chatty reference to her own life and family the show starts. Comes across as a very warm person.

Muahahaha · 12-05-2020 1:30pm

Tork wrote: »

This sort of thinking grinds my gears. Gender should never come into this. Bryan Dobson would be a very good choice for this and it's unfair to rule him out just because of his gender. As it turning out, Brendan O'Connor probably wasn't the right choice for Marian's slot but that has nothing to do with him being a man.

I agree gender shouldnt come into it but thats not how the new real politik works. The jist of the article said that Brendans appointment was rushed and it caused surprise among some RTE staffers. None the less because he got it management feels they now have to balance the genders by appointing a female to the Today show. I agree Dobbo would be perfect for it as he is decent at current affairs but can do the light hearted stuff too.

Well, if that takes her out of the running, good. I found her tough going when she stood in for Sean O'Rourke last summer - all those "mmmm mmmm" noises she made when she was interviewing people was very grating. She falls down between two stools anyway. She's a current affairs presenter with the profile of a light entertainment one. It's probably better to do neither. And is she really as popular as the media like to think she is?

IMO Miriam shouldnt be let anywhere near current affairs. She is what I would call a rote interviewer, she has her 8 or 10 questions on a cue card and she is going to ask those questions of a Minister no matter what. Good interviewers like Sean o'Rourke are dynamic within the interview and can spot small details inside the answers and then they use that to drill down further with their next question. Miriam doesnt have this skill, if you're a politican who has to be interviewed you'd be glad to get Miriam any day of the week over someone like Sean o'Rourke.

Tork · 12-05-2020 3:18pm

Does anybody apart from the Twitterati give a stuff what gender Sean O'Rourke's replacement will be? It's utterly bonkers, isn't it? I really don't care who they appoint as long as they're good at their job. That's the way it should be, rather than annoying the Jennifer Gannons of this world.

gourcuff · 12-05-2020 3:40pm

sarah has been good so far, why not let her have it permanently...

Brendan Bendar · 12-05-2020 5:50pm

gourcuff wrote: »

sarah has been good so far, why not let her have it permanently...

Too monotone, too one paced, too lightweight, too like a like a fridge humming away in the background......

Otherwise a nice lady......

generalgerry · 12-05-2020 11:12pm

Used to like Sarah McInerney on Vincent Browne, but hated her when she was on Newstalk. She was a complete pain the h0le on that show. As she is on this.

Can't actually think who should get the job. Sean O'Rourke was the perfect mix of Pat Kenny and someone with an actual personality. I would love to see John Murray taken from sport and put back in to politics, but I don't think he's even in the mix for this job. I can't see RTE giving this job to a man, I think it will undoubtedly go to one of their female presenters.

Klonker · 12-05-2020 11:38pm

Has anyone listened to a podcast of this show this week and if so where did you get it and what was it called?
I used to listen to podcast version of Sean's show later in the day but can't find one for the new version of the show.

Tork · 12-05-2020 11:41pm

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/podcasts/series/31986

[url] RSS https://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_todayradio.xml [/url]

elperello · 12-05-2020 11:54pm

I think it is early days to decide about S McI.

If you had asked me to give an opinion two days into SO'R's stint I'd have written him off.

Of course I was wrong and came to appreciate the qualities he brought to the job.

Muahahaha · 13-05-2020 4:29pm

I think Sarah is alright but the problem is she is not a heavy hitter and thats what this position needs.

When Pat Kenny left for Newstalk everyone thought that his listeners would go with him, they ran their 'turn the dial' media campaign for about six months but it didnt stick. The reason for that was because Sean did far better than any expectations, not only did he retain Pat Kennys audience, he also built on it. The Newstalk plan of poaching a heavy hitter from RTE was left in ruin because RTE replaced him with someone equally as competent.

The danger for RTE giving it to Sarah permanently is that this time people would actually turn the dial and head over to Pat Kenny. They need a big name in there to go head to head with Kenny, Sarah would be too big of a risk in that regard IMO.

BarryD2 · 13-05-2020 4:56pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

If Miriam got the job then a run to 2025 when she turns 65 would suit her perfectly because word is she wants that job in the Aras and the election falls due that year.

That is a depressing thought, on both counts.

Azatadine · 14-05-2020 7:47am

generalgerry wrote: »

Used to like Sarah McInerney on Vincent Browne, but hated her when she was on Newstalk. She was a complete pain the h0le on that show. As she is on this.

Agreed. I liked her on VB but she was awful on the breakfast show. Mind you, that imbecile who co-presentedwith her didn't help. They were a terrible pairing. Maybe she might be better on her own.

Speaking of the breakfast show, like Ivan or loathe him, that show was entertaining. Its gotten progressively worse and its unlistenable to now with those two wet blankets that present it now./quote]

dominatinMC · 14-05-2020 9:13am

I like Sarah, but as others have alluded to, she doesn't carry the gravitas of someone like Dobson. Also, no to Miriam! Just imagine if she was in the hotseat last year for the infamous Maria Bailey interview instead of Sean. It would have been a complete armchair ride, rather than the monumental car crash which it was.
I was wondering if Cormac O hEadhra would be in the running...given that he is a man, maybe not, but he is a decent current affairs presenter, and can mix in light entertainment too. Although his accent can be a bit grating at times..

NIMAN · 14-05-2020 9:28am

I wonder what the listening figures are like for the show so far?

Judging by the lack of posts to this thread, Sarah Mc isn't generating a lot of discussion.

Beechwoodspark · 14-05-2020 9:34am

Sarah Mc is a competent broadcaster. So far so good. Quite different in person to SOR but personally I prefer her to Miriam or some of the other options mentioned.

Here’s a curve ball - what about Brian o Connell the cork correspondent as anchor ? He does a good job on his reports.

Beechwoodspark · 14-05-2020 9:36am

dominatinMC wrote: »

I like Sarah, but as others have alluded to, she doesn't carry the gravitas of someone like Dobson. Also, no to Miriam! Just imagine if she was in the hotseat last year for the infamous Maria Bailey interview instead of Sean. It would have been a complete armchair ride, rather than the monumental car crash which it was.
I was wondering if Cormac O hEadhra would be in the running...given that he is a man, maybe not, but he is a decent current affairs presenter, and can mix in light entertainment too. Although his accent can be a bit grating at times..

COH was also on my possibles list to take over.

Beechwoodspark · 14-05-2020 9:37am

Someone else I would “take a punt” on is tony Connelly the Brussels reporter

s1ippy · 14-05-2020 9:37am

Muahahaha wrote: »

Big write up in the current issue of the Phoenix on the race for Seans seat. I'll summarise:-

-Its an inside job, on Dr.Ciara and Ivan Yates they say "if RTE wanted you, then you would have already have received the call" which suggests their agents are trying
-Dobbo would be favourite but isnt because he is not a woman, RTE management feel it has to be a female. This is because Brendan o'Connor got Marians slot so now they need a woman front and centre for their other big show.
-Miriam and Claire Byrne are the clear front runners by a country mile with many RTE staffers believing Byrne will get it due to her age of 44. The Advantage for choosing either is that they are both already in the RTE Top 10 earners list and RTE cannot afford any more new entrants onto high salaries
-Dark horse is Rachel English, however its believed she wants to concentrate on being a novelist
-Sarah McInerney not in the running, seen by RTE management as being too inexperienced and lacking the X factor
-Some question marks over Byrne due to her editorial decisions on Claire Byrne Live- the mock isolation ward and garden shed stunts didnt go down well with management who found it crass. Also a fear that she is too private and doesnt give anything away about herself on air. Management want the presenter to both inform the listeners and to also entertain them
- On the other hand Miriam is seen as giving away too much on air. Also RTE management think her gushing praise of minor celebs and musicians on her Sunday show can grate with listeners, its just too OTT. And they dont like her giving interviews to every tabloid and glossy magazine dozens of times a year. If Miriam got the job then a run to 2025 when she turns 65 would suit her perfectly because word is she wants that job in the Aras and the election falls due that year.
-

Jesus although I'm sure it's all true that makes be feel nauseous.

Beechwoodspark · 14-05-2020 9:38am

Someone else I would “take a punt” on is tony Connelly the Brussels reporter

14-05-2020 9:44am

I’ve always liked Sara McI , I love her voice, could listen to her speaking all day for some reason. Haven’t listened to her yet on the SOR show as my preference is Pat Kenny on Newstalk. He’s brilliant. Between Pat ,Sean Moncrieff, and Ivan Newstalk wins hands down for me at the moment.

(Afternoon radio of RTÉ is woeful , Joe Duffy and Ray Darcy, such a tired and boring formula)

touts · 14-05-2020 10:10am

I think the best move would be Cormac O hEadhra to the morning slot and then Sarah to the Saturday slot. I think she would do well in that politics heavy slot.

But Cormac is male so no chance of promotion on merit in the new feminist RTE. It will be Miriam or Claire.

padd b1975 · 14-05-2020 10:56am

Excellent handling of Mary Lou this morning on her childcare insurance being underwritten by the taxpayer guff.

Cool, calm and asked all the right questions.

Very impressive in my opinion.

Mad_maxx · 14-05-2020 11:12am

dominatinMC wrote: »

I like Sarah, but as others have alluded to, she doesn't carry the gravitas of someone like Dobson. Also, no to Miriam! Just imagine if she was in the hotseat last year for the infamous Maria Bailey interview instead of Sean. It would have been a complete armchair ride, rather than the monumental car crash which it was.
I was wondering if Cormac O hEadhra would be in the running...given that he is a man, maybe not, but he is a decent current affairs presenter, and can mix in light entertainment too. Although his accent can be a bit grating at times..

o hEadhra is the jonathan healy of RTE , far too left wing aswell which is saying something for rte

Today Show with Sarah McInerney

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