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Today FM Megathread Mod warning post #1 / #1401

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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    IUA14 wrote: »
    I think Muireann O'Connell is one of the best female presenters on Irish radio and herself and Foley worked well together towards the end of the stint in 98, and bounce off each other well on TV3 on Friday nights, so that could be an interesting take on, and a slightly younger skewing, 9-12 show.

    Muireann O'Connell stood in for Alison Curtis on Phantom when the latter was on maternity leave and I heard her on a number of occasions then. That was when I first heard her and I found her enjoyable to listen to. This would have been 2011/2012. She has done stints on various constituent parts of the Communicorp organisation: Phantom, Spin SW, 98FM and Today FM.

    While I am at it (!):
    AFAIK Alison started on Today FM in 1998 as a researcher on Ian Dempsey's breakfast show. She left after a short while for the pirate Phantom FM. Around the time Phantom ceased for good as a pirate in May 2003, Alison returned to Today FM as a presenter and as a producer of Ian Dempsey's breakfast show. In 2011, by which time Communicorp had got a major share in Phantom (the legal version), Alison Curtis was drafted in to effectively replace Phantom founder Simon Maher (who they got rid of) in the afternoons. In less than two years, her show on Phantom (during which Muireann stood in for her) was ditched and Alison returned to Today FM.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 184 ✭✭The Parish priest


    I expected them to make a statement on their new schedule today with it coming into effect from Jan 9th, I think the fact that they haven't announced anything shows that they don't have a clue what they are doing


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,226 ✭✭✭joeysoap


    When Anton left so did I. Haven't tuned in since and won't. Simples.


  • Registered Users Posts: 350 ✭✭skylight1987


    I have a few questions ,who are Cormac and Daniella ? what happened to ray foley at 98fm and what happened to JP, rays sidekick?


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,009 Mod ✭✭✭✭wnolan1992


    I have a few questions ,who are Cormac and Daniella ? what happened to ray foley at 98fm and what happened to JP, rays sidekick?

    1. Cormac and Danielle = Fully Charged presenters on Spin 1038.
    2. Figures were abysmal, contract was ended. More details on his podcast, search for NTN on Soundcloud and it's the latest episode.
    3. JP is now the producer on Off the Ball on NewsTalk.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,010 ✭✭✭TheRiverman


    Today FM has become a crap station.I listen occasionally to Ian Dempsey and Matt Cooper and more frequently Premier League coverage on Saturdays.That's it because the rest is horiffic s...e.


  • Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭KReid


    IUA14 wrote: »
    I'm far from a fan of the new Chief Exec at Today FM after the disaster of 98FM...but that being said I get the logic behind the much maligned push for younger listeners. I think people saying they are going after the Spin audience or are looking to drastically overhaul the schedule to attract a far younger demographic is incorrect. I think with Today FM what has happened is that their presenters have aged, their listenership has aged, with less new listeners entering the fold...whereas before they were probably attracting enough new younger listeners to keep the average age steady. This is obviously not just down to presenters but new media options such as Spotify etc. as other people have already said.

    I'm sure they have done some research and have found that their audience is ageing which is a problem for the station, and advertisers. I think they are probably looking to get the average age of their audience down to 30-35...I think the average for Anton's show was quoted at 37 in an article last week. I personally liked Anton but given Today FM let his contract run down to having a week left I find it hard to believe he left of his own volition. I think Dempsey, as long as the JNLR's stay steady, will leave when he chooses to...I can't see Matt Cooper leaving anytime soon thankfully, and unfortunately I don't see Fergal Darcy leaving either given he is relatively new in the afternoon slot so I think changes at the station may be limited to that 9-12 slot and possibly the overall time slots of the schedule.

    On the Foley point, personally would love to see him back there...and one would hope the current management can write 98FM off as a s*itshow and look at his proven success nationally. I think Muireann O'Connell is one of the best female presenters on Irish radio and herself and Foley worked well together towards the end of the stint in 98, and bounce off each other well on TV3 on Friday nights, so that could be an interesting take on, and a slightly younger skewing, 9-12 show.


    Ray wouldn't go back to that slot in it's current format, it would need to be a music show with some inserts, 5-6 songs an hour and two or three long links with content, not bull**** interviews. The other potential problem would be that JP has moved to Newstalk, and from what i gather from listening to his podcast and other stuff on this site, JP put in a lot of work on the shows behind the scenes and kept a lot of people onside with Ray. Not to say he can't be replaced but it might not be the same without him.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Hubstan


    KReid wrote: »
    Ray wouldn't go back to that slot in it's current format

    Errr... Need I remind you there wasn't many stations jumping to take him on after the disaster he created at 98. He's now doing weekend breakfast on Red.

    Beggars can't be choosers.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27 loumasry


    Hubstan wrote: »
    Errr... Need I remind you there wasn't many stations jumping to take him on after the disaster he created at 98. He's now doing weekend breakfast on Red.

    Beggars can't be choosers.

    I would have to go and dig out the figures from 2012 but I don't think he created the disaster at 98. He's gone a year and they are still at number 5 in Dublin with 11% share, so a disaster before and after him.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Hubstan


    loumasry wrote: »
    I would have to go and dig out the figures from 2012 but I don't think he created the disaster at 98. He's gone a year and they are still at number 5 in Dublin with 11% share, so a disaster before and after him.

    Dig away. Breakfast with Aidan & Claire, although it was an equally poor breakfast show, had higher numbers.

    Blaming the format, the management and everything else for his abysmal figures is great for spin but it was Ray behind the mic, nobody else.

    Has-been.


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  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,009 Mod ✭✭✭✭wnolan1992


    Hubstan is correct. Apart from an initial bounce in his first book or two on 98, his figures dropped every book thereafter AFAIK.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,967 ✭✭✭Synode


    His breakfast show on 98FM was great, I really miss it. 98FM is a shockingly bad station so it was never going to work. I listened to the Foley show then switched off fairly quick smart. Who dafuq wants to listen the Adrian Kennedy morons at 10am


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Hubstan


    Synode wrote: »
    His breakfast show on 98FM was great

    There's about 30 odd thousand who'd agree with you there and roughly 1.3 million who wouldn't.

    Dublin doesn't like Ray. Simple.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,967 ✭✭✭Synode


    Hubstan wrote: »
    There's about 30 odd thousand who'd agree with you there and roughly 1.3 million who wouldn't.

    Dublin doesn't like Ray. Simple.

    Anyone who listened to Foley on his previous shows know that the 98FM gig was worlds apart from his normal type of show. They gave it a go and it didn't work out. Big deal. In my opinion it was more to do with the station than Foley. The 98FM brand is really poor at the moment. They've no identity and it's like they don't want, or know how to keep listeners throughout the day. But if you just want to come out with statements like 'Dublin doesn't like Foley' then go ahead. I'm a Dub. I love Foley and JP. They're fecking hilarious. Irish radio is poorer without them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Hubstan


    Synode wrote: »
    Anyone who listened to Foley on his previous shows know that the 98FM gig was worlds apart from his normal type of show. They gave it a go and it didn't work out. Big deal. In my opinion it was more to do with the station than Foley. The 98FM brand is really poor at the moment. They've no identity and it's like they don't want, or know how to keep listeners throughout the day. But if you just want to come out with statements like 'Dublin doesn't like Foley' then go ahead. I'm a Dub. I love Foley and JP. They're fecking hilarious. Irish radio is poorer without them.

    Like I said you're in the minority, I'm a Dub and I found him incessant to listen to. The show on 98 was piss poor and it wasn't the format, the management or anybody or anything else, it was him and his inane smugness that was unbearable.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,158 ✭✭✭✭ John Late Camera


    Hubstan wrote: »
    Like I said you're in the minority, I'm a Dub and I found him incessant to listen to. The show on 98 was piss poor and it wasn't the format, the management or anybody or anything else, it was him and his inane smugness that was unbearable.

    Smugness??

    Can you elaborate on that?


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Hubstan


    MrMac84 wrote: »
    Smugness??

    Can you elaborate on that?

    Have you heard Ray Foley?


  • Registered Users Posts: 900 ✭✭✭IUA14


    Hubstan wrote: »
    Have you heard Ray Foley?

    You obviously haven't heard him on 98FM much...smugness was part of his charm on TodayFM but not a feature at all of his 98FM show...if anything taking the piss out of his own deep seated insecurity was more of a feature!


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Hubstan


    IUA14 wrote: »
    You obviously haven't heard him on 98FM much

    Unfortunately I had.
    IUA14 wrote: »
    smugness was part of his charm on TodayFM

    Smugness is not charming. I didn't like him on TodayFM either, too much ego and hot air. A very poor mans Chris Moyles imho.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 50 ✭✭Bargain Blake


    The Ray loves Ray outdoor campaign on the busses, shelters and coffee mugs was such a winner with the Dublin audience!!!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭KReid


    Hubstan wrote: »
    Errr... Need I remind you there wasn't many stations jumping to take him on after the disaster he created at 98. He's now doing weekend breakfast on Red.

    Beggars can't be choosers.

    Ye, sorry, I dont mean he's got a pick of the stations and there is every chance Today FM wouldn't want him, just means that he would want to re-invent that show because it's current format wouldn't do it, which in itself would be a roadblock.
    loumasry wrote: »
    I would have to go and dig out the figures from 2012 but I don't think he created the disaster at 98. He's gone a year and they are still at number 5 in Dublin with 11% share, so a disaster before and after him.


    Synode wrote: »
    Anyone who listened to Foley on his previous shows know that the 98FM gig was worlds apart from his normal type of show. They gave it a go and it didn't work out. Big deal. In my opinion it was more to do with the station than Foley. The 98FM brand is really poor at the moment. They've no identity and it's like they don't want, or know how to keep listeners throughout the day. But if you just want to come out with statements like 'Dublin doesn't like Foley' then go ahead. I'm a Dub. I love Foley and JP. They're fecking hilarious. Irish radio is poorer without them.


    They are fourth in terms of market share, if you exclude the two national stations they are the second biggest music station in Dublin and MS grew by nearly one percent in the last year, one of the few stations to actually grow the audience, albeit from a lower base. Breakfast has been steadily improving since Foley left, although hes only just gone a year so we need more time to see the turn around there. No doubt the station was going nowhere at one point, his numbers kept going down, the APD was one of his best friends and probably wasn't in a position to make any changes to benefit him, however the show needed to be a tighter format not the open eneded format he was used to. The man who hired him as such was fired and the new PD wanted to take the station in another direction it seems and Ray was open to some change but it just didnt work out, his most recent podcast covers that. He knew they wanted him gone from a long way out even though they made changes to facilitate him.

    The station seems to be in the process of rebuilding its brand, some good outdoor marketing pieces in recent months and they have scrapped Ryan Seacrest at nights it seems. I like the music for the most part, they seem to play a bit of everything and anything, which can throw out some truely awful songs too. I was out of the country for a while a few weeks ago, didn't miss anything about the stations, just Newstalk really but when i got back I noticed that musically FM104 was still playing the same crap while 98 was playing a better selection.


  • Registered Users Posts: 900 ✭✭✭IUA14


    Have to say the last two days back in work listening to Today FM I've really enjoyed it...Shelly Gray for breakfast has been playing a better mix of good, what I would call typical Today FM music of old, and new stuff, then Phil Cawley solid as always and Muireann O'Connell from 2 to 6 has been excellent and entertaining with Cathal Funge in for McCloone...not too shabby Today FM...not too shabby!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,158 ✭✭✭✭ John Late Camera


    IUA14 wrote: »
    Have to say the last two days back in work listening to Today FM I've really enjoyed it...Shelly Gray for breakfast has been playing a better mix of good, what I would call typical Today FM music of old, and new stuff, then Phil Cawley solid as always and Muireann O'Connell from 2 to 6 has been excellent and entertaining with Cathal Funge in for McCloone...not too shabby Today FM...not too shabby!
    Phil in small doses is great wouldn't like to see him full time tho. Muireann has been good and bubbly, not overly polished but most likely after a few bevvies the day before at the Munster match she's intitled to a slip of the tounge here and there. I really think she'd be great in a duo with a male presenter (cough Foley cough) and the male female presenter is a dynamic that today fm haven't had in as long as I can remember,bar Shauna and Nordie Eoin on a Friday night.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    MrMac84 wrote: »
    Phil in small doses is great wouldn't like to see him full time tho. Muireann has been good and bubbly, not overly polished but most likely after a few bevvies the day before at the Munster match she's intitled to a slip of the tounge here and there. I really think she'd be great in a duo with a male presenter (cough Foley cough) and the male female presenter is a dynamic that today fm haven't had in as long as I can remember,bar Shauna and Nordie Eoin on a Friday night.
    Wasn't Phil doing the 10-12 am morning show before D'Arcy?

    I enjoy Phil on the weekends but he used crack me up when he was on every weekday.

    I agree with IUA14, I'm enjoying the radio with the last few days (bar Alison), a nice mix of music playing.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 184 ✭✭The Parish priest


    Wasn't Phil doing the 10-12 am morning show before D'Arcy?

    I enjoy Phil on the weekends but he used crack me up when he was on every weekday.

    I agree with IUA14, I'm enjoying the radio with the last few days (bar Alison), a nice mix of music playing.
    Before Darcy arrived
    Tim Kelly was on 10/1 followed by Phil Cawley 1//5


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    IUA14 wrote: »
    Have to say the last two days back in work listening to Today FM I've really enjoyed it...Shelly Gray for breakfast has been playing a better mix of good, what I would call typical Today FM music of old, and new stuff, then Phil Cawley solid as always and Muireann O'Connell from 2 to 6 has been excellent and entertaining with Cathal Funge in for McCloone...not too shabby Today FM...not too shabby!

    Shelly Gray is another refugee from the now defunct TXFM along with Cathal Funge. Cathal Funge had been with Phantom before its name-change and indeed Muireann O'Connell was with Phantom for a spell.


  • Registered Users Posts: 107 ✭✭AnthonyCny


    You could have the best presenter in the world with the best taste in music, it would still be useless at today FM because they would still be stuck with the playlist.

    The same 15 songs 7 days a week.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21 Skiddylicker


    I'm hoping they get rid of some of the music that the kids seem to be listening to like Skrillex (My daughter likes this guy, I just don't get it)
    efits

    Would rather see the station in the new year move towards a more of an RTE Radio 1 approach, with insightful talk shows that benefits all aspects of our lives. They could do a music show in the evenings but they really need to give over with whatever the kids deem hip these days as the kids are not the ones listening to the radio!


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,009 Mod ✭✭✭✭wnolan1992


    I'm hoping they get rid of some of the music that the kids seem to be listening to like Skrillex (My daughter likes this guy, I just don't get it)
    efits

    Would rather see the station in the new year move towards a more of an RTE Radio 1 approach, with insightful talk shows that benefits all aspects of our lives. They could do a music show in the evenings but they really need to give over with whatever the kids deem hip these days as the kids are not the ones listening to the radio!

    That's not what they have a licence to do. They're licenced as a national music station, not a talk station.


    EDIT: Slight correction, they're licenced as a "broad format" from what I can gather from a little investigation, but for all intents and purposes I think I'm still probably right in saying that they need to have a certain portion of music 7-7.

    On an interesting side-note though, their licence is in the process of being renewed AFAIK, so maybe there will be changes in their contract with the BAI? That would explain why they're saying changes are coming in 2017...


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  • Registered Users Posts: 21 Skiddylicker


    wnolan1992 wrote: »
    That's not what they have a licence to do. They're licenced as a national music station, not a talk station.


    EDIT: Slight correction, they're licenced as a "broad format" from what I can gather from a little investigation, but for all intents and purposes I think I'm still probably right in saying that they need to have a certain portion of music 7-7.

    On an interesting side-note though, their licence is in the process of being renewed AFAIK, so maybe there will be changes in their contract with the BAI? That would explain why they're saying changes are coming in 2017...

    Thank you for your reply as it appears you have done some research to help my understadning and that's appreciated

    But

    They should change to RTE Radio one format,it's much better than any of the other nonsense out there on the radio.


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