RTE Gold discussion thread

channelsurfer2 · 03-07-2023 5:52pm

I think he spends the first 30 mins prepping for the links after 9

GSF · 03-07-2023 8:16pm

The emergency tape must kick in nearly every day now. Still no sign of the Dave Fanning show rumoured back in February, I suppose Rte are in no hurry to get stuff done. The best thing about Ronan Collins show is at least it’s all recorded so it doesn’t usually crash half way through it

GSF · 04-07-2023 11:48am

There really is no reason why they couldn’t do what Global do an use the same newsreader as they have on Classic fm to pre record a 60 second News update at 5 to the hour for play out at the top of each hour. Or failing that do it live at :55 past the hour and :25 the hour at breakfast and drive. The levels of automation at RTE are abysmal compared to a slick operation like Global or Bauer in the U.K.

the reason to listen to Rte gold is the wide playlist but they don’t make it easy with their bumbling incompetence at play out

KildareP · 04-07-2023 12:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120803104#Comment_120803104

Years ago 2FM used to play Cormac Battle out prerecorded on 2FM in the evening and you'd often hear someone rehearsing or prerecording something else going out live underneath the show. If they couldn't even monitor one of their primary FM broadcast stations off-air, what hope does a niche digital station have!

Besides the fact that Classic Hits, Nova, Sunshine and East Coast can all manage timeshifted news output with as little as a single newsreader. Or FM104/Q102 can do a central live news bulletin. Or pretty much every ILR can have the Newstalk hourly bulletins cut in seamlessly when the station is completely unmanned.

lertsnim · 04-07-2023 12:37pm

7.00 to 7.30 during the breakfast show is spent deciding on which Lewis Capaldi/Niall Horan/Ed Sheeran songs to play on the gold radio station.

GSF · 04-07-2023 4:29pm

Ronan off on his holidays and not taping shows in advance so there is a mix of Aidan and Amanda covering for him and Jon Kenny in for Rick on Friday. Who knows whether any of it will be live!

alzer100 · 04-07-2023 5:16pm

Was the first 30 minutes of Will Leahy's show always prerecorded? Or is this something that has become more prevalent since taking on Ronan Collins? I always took it that weekday programming was live. I would assume that the fill in presenters will be live but you will be able to tell rather quickly. I don't understand why some of Will Leahy's breakfast show is prerecorded??? It makes things pretty messy IMO. The only authentic live show is Rick O'Shea 1-4pm.

Glaceon · 05-07-2023 8:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804975#Comment_120804975

I don't think the first half hour is always pre-recorded but it usually is. The last hour is probably pre-recorded so he can go to his day job as a solicitor.

GSF · 05-07-2023 4:57pm

No top 10 at 10 today. Instead it sounded almost live 🤣

alzer100 · 05-07-2023 5:29pm

Who was it that presented?

ford fiesta · 05-07-2023 5:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810031#Comment_120810031

Aidan Leonard

alzer100 · 05-07-2023 5:45pm

So it looks like for the rest of the week, Aidan Leonard is on from 10am-1pm with Jon Kenny on for Rick O'Shea this Friday. Amanda Fennelly on 10am -1pm Monday and Tuesday.

I would be pretty confident that those shows will be live.

irlirishkev · 07-07-2023 12:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810093#Comment_120810093

I have to say, Will Leahy / Aidan Leonard / Rick O'Shea is a better lineup than Will / Ronan / Rick, for me anyway.

I haven't been overly thrilled with Ronan Collins tbh.

As an aside, I'm dreading Dave Fanning's arrival on Gold. Can't stand him and his motormouth ways. The only person on earth who manages to speak over himself. His playlist could be interesting, as long as he doesn't jabber on..

alzer100 · 07-07-2023 12:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120817608#Comment_120817608

I agree with you, some of Ronan Collins links can sound a bit to me sort of cringing? I never listened to RC on RTE Radio 1 so I don't know his true presentation style. Would like to hear him do a live show, but that is quite unlikely.

Wouldn't like to hear Dave Fanning on a regular weekday show as his particular playlists would veer off from Gold's format as I don't think Dave Fanning would be into the type of music that Gold puts out but I think a regular weekend slot would be interesting.

I do have a great respect for Aidan Leonard, he's a guy that has worked in Dublin radio since the late 70s, through the super pirate era and in the early phases of legalised local and national radio. Very experienced radio person and I bet he would have a wealth of radio stories to tell.

channelsurfer2 · 07-07-2023 3:06pm

John Kenny (rte staff not contract I think ) doing a great job for Rick today.

channelsurfer2 · 07-07-2023 3:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120817824#Comment_120817824

Ronans style was a lot different on RTE Radio 1 but it was around 50 minutes and live. The recorded links just dont seem to be a fit for this 10-1 show and a very strange choice really.

alzer100 · 07-07-2023 3:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120818732#Comment_120818732

Jeez, 50 minutes work on RTE Radio 1! I wonder would doing a 3 hour live radio show be too much for him? Just listening today, at least Jon Kenny did his show live.

ford fiesta · 07-07-2023 4:44pm

Rick was very popular on the 10 to 1 shift, until Ronan took over that slot.

It meant that both live shows (Will and then Rick) were back to back, then automation kicks in at 1

So they should really move Ronan's voicetracked show to the 1 to 4 afternoon slot, or maybe in the evening.

It is like listening to a different presenter compared to Ronan's show on Radio 1.

alzer100 · 07-07-2023 4:51pm

Exactly, they should have the live weekday shows back to back. Ronan Collins slot is essentially automation, it really should be from 1pm onwards.

waywill1966 · 08-07-2023 12:07pm

I feel that this station has more potential than 2fm, if it was developed better. There seems to be more talk about it especially on social media. I wonder if there was a poll about replacing 2fm with Gold would it get much interest!

ZaK23-54 · 08-07-2023 12:42pm

Has anyone an idea of how many listeners RTÉ Gold has - and list out their favourite shows and DJ’s

why are they not in JNLR’s?

odyssey06 · 08-07-2023 12:47pm

Favourite show at the moment - John Connolly ABC to XTC in the 5pm Saturday slot.

I was a fan of Dalys 80s which used to air few years back in the same slot, which had a blend of 80s music, retro news reports, what was on TV \ cinema etc. Pity they couldn't be pod-casted for the clips, but they'd probably have to shorten the songs to 30 seconds like Desert Island Discs.

alzer100 · 08-07-2023 1:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120821627#Comment_120821627

RTE Radio 1 and RTE Gold's programming content target the 25-45 + listener age group (A very big + with respect to RTE Radio 1). With respect to FM, 2FM's programming content target the younger 15-25 listener age group. As RTE is a public service provider, they would be called out if they suddenly flipped the format of 2FM to a Classic Hits AC format such as what is RTE Gold or essentially replace 2FM with RTE Gold. They would be accused of cherry picking the lucrative 25-45+ listener age group advertising market for potential revenue purposes and for not committing to providing content for a wide audience.

I don't ever envisage seen 2FM been replaced with RTE Gold.

GSF · 08-07-2023 9:27pm

They’ve used most of the under employed Rte radio 1 continuity announcers recently

Declan A Walsh · 09-07-2023 7:47pm

Here is my money's worth.

1. Would Dave Fanning not be better suited to 2XM as that is RTE's online alternative station (formerly digital of course)?

2. I do not listen to RTE Gold much on a regular basis with the exception of one programme, which was mentioned above, i.e. ABC to XTC with John Connolly. Incidentally, it appears that is used to be on the aforementioned 2XM. Quite a lot of what John plays could be construed as alternative, albeit of the oldies variety. Generally speaking, I catch it afterwards on the RTE Player. Apart from suiting me timewise, it also means I can skip bits I don't like!

3. Aidan Leonard is not the only current presenter with pirate experience on RTE Gold.

- Ronan Collins went through the pirates from the mid 1970s to the late 1970s. He went on then to be one of the original presenters on what was then called RTE Radio 2 (2FM).

- John Kenny, who is a stand-in presenter for RTE Gold, has extensive pirate experience, starting like Aidan Leonard in the late 1970s and ending up on the superpirates. There is a case to be made for moving his Classic Rock Show to RTE Gold and then extending it beyond its various brief runs.

4. It would be great to replace 2FM with RTE Gold on the FM airwaves, but I appreciate that it may not be a straight-forward process.

twinklerunner · 10-07-2023 5:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120821729#Comment_120821729

Presumably because it doesn't carry adverts, so just like RnaG - no JLNRs.

GSF · 10-07-2023 9:20pm

Well Bakhurst hinting that digital stations may not be core to RTE so here we go again. Maybe he will put Marty Morrissey on drive time

its_steve116 · 11-07-2023 12:35am

If he put Marty Miller (Radio Nova) on drivetime I wouldn't be complaining.

alzer100 · 11-07-2023 1:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832302#Comment_120832302

Yeah, I can see RTE Gold being in trouble again. Although he will need approval from the minister to axe any digital service. The problem I have with this guy, like his predecessor is that I see him as just another elite. He's going to be out to prove something, he will spend a couple of years in RTE on a super salary in which he may be successful with axing some services (no great cost savings there), attemting to repair (or make it look like that) then sugercoating RTE's tarnished public image regarding it's core values etc. But in my view, he won't really do anything of great significance. Unfortunately this time round RTE Gold maybe a casualty.

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"

Expunge · 11-07-2023 10:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120831142#Comment_120831142

RnaG is surveyed in the JNLRs. RTE just doesn't publish it , as far as I know.

It's an expensive business paying for the JNLRs so none of the online streams are surveyed but they have plenty of data on listening to Gold online. You're right - no ads or sponsorship so no need to spend on JNLR.

The streams and length of time listening to RTE Gold are rumoured to exceed both RnaG and Lyric. Just a rumour.

ford fiesta · 11-07-2023 1:59pm

RTE Gold has been on air on Digital, Saorview and Internet for 16 years.

It has built up a loyal audience as listeners don't like a restricted playlist of 300 songs like Classic Hits and Nova. Even the weekend voicetracked shows are very popular.

Scrapping it without testing it on nationwide FM taking in revenue would be a bad idea.

turbocab · 13-07-2023 12:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120833216#Comment_120833216

Should just axe 2 fm and put Gold in its place on the fm network.Does nobody realise the 15 to 30 year ods dont listen to FM or any radio for that matter

channelsurfer2 · 17-07-2023 12:51pm

i think most of the rte commerical enterprises stuff will be paired down but that then leaves the licence fee under pressure for revenue. Rte gold and lyric should survive at least for now.

GSF · 07-08-2023 12:19pm

Good Top 100 today of story songs. This is what Rte gold does best.

drserious4 · 07-08-2023 1:04pm

Should be on FM frequency instead of 2FM.

alzer100 · 07-08-2023 1:21pm

I wonder could they could do a top 100 "live" recordings at some point in the future?

I'm sure the material is there as many artists have recorded and released live versions of their songs. Even some of RTE Gold's playlist consists of songs that were recorded live.

Have they ever done this before?

GSF · 07-08-2023 2:33pm

Don’t think it’s been done before I’m sure they are going to run out of ideas soon!

GSF · 17-08-2023 10:44am

Really pushing the shite-ometer today with One Day at a Time and Do You Want Your old Lobby Washed Down? minutes apart in the top 10 at ten

ford fiesta · 17-08-2023 11:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989638#Comment_120989638

I disagree, although not everyone's cup of tea - these 2 songs were huge Irish hits, in the Irish charts, in a different era to now and marked the start of the 1980s in Irish culture and they will be remembered with great fondness.

GSF · 18-08-2023 11:41am

Now they have started playing their Saturday output on Friday morning with Mickey Mac 😂

zoobizoo · 19-08-2023 2:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989638#Comment_120989638

While I wouldn't actively search for either song to play they were part of Irish radio history. Much like 'Lannigan's Ball', 'the Oldest Swinger in Town' and 'I used to love her'.

That's the great thing about Gold, they play tunes that you might not hear elsewhere. I'd rather those than hearing Toto's Africa (which is overplayed) .

They should play snippets from Harbour Hotel .... or just repeat the whole thing from the start 😀!

Azatadine · 19-08-2023 2:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120948849#Comment_120948849

I was on the road for about 4 hours that day and yes, that was absolutely brilliant listening.

ZaK23-54 · 19-08-2023 8:14pm

Has Micky Mac an extra hour ..on Friday?

I like his Saturday show - he gets on with it and plays lots of songs I had almost forgotten..

RINO87 · 20-08-2023 3:10pm

Can we organise a whip around to buy Michael Cahill a new compilation CD or even a mix tape please?

waywill1966 · 20-08-2023 6:11pm

What a cd? Lol

irlirishkev · 24-08-2023 10:08pm

The suggestions of moving Gold to FM, or even replacing 2FM.. I have a feeling that would be the end of Gold as we know it.. A major attraction with Gold, apart from the music, is the lack of BS: ads/news/sport/weather/angelus etc etc..

Presumably a move to FM would mean the introduction of the above? Not to mention a tighter playlist to suit the masses; Less Obscure, More Crowd-Pleasey.

Scary thought.

lertsnim · 25-08-2023 8:20am

Exactly. Even when it used to be on Radio 1 on Sunday afternoons there was ads.

RINO87 · 25-08-2023 10:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121023805#Comment_121023805

Completely forgot they used to do Saturday and Sunday afternoons during the "Emergency"!

iffandonlyif · 27-08-2023 9:15am

Gold playing two tracks over each other inadvertently. One of them has gone into an ad.

KaneToad · 27-08-2023 9:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989638#Comment_120989638

I also disagree. These are original and culturally significant Irish interest songs. They're not my favourites but they definitely deserve the odd outing on Gold.

RTE Gold discussion thread

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