Breakfast with Ray (Foley) and Jay [Cork's Red FM, 6am-9am]

Itssoeasy

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Hardly surprising given that his take the piss voice is obviously based on McColl. :P

When I first tuned in, I was a bit drowsy and when McColl came on I was certain it was Foley taking the absolute piss for a few seconds. :pac:

Ya the first time there was a link I was convicnced it was Ray until he said his name I then realised it wasn't the lads.

hufpc8w3adnk65

McColl who used be on 4fm?

wnolan1992

Violet Young Birthday wrote: »

McColl who used be on 4fm?

That's the guy.

hufpc8w3adnk65

wnolan1992 wrote: »

That's the guy.

sweet mary n joesph....98 is in trouble alright!!

leggo

To be fair, Brian McColl is one of the most respected broadcasters in the industry here. He's the type of jock who can do any format well and slot into any role, and is probably on all stations' speed dial when they need reliable cover. He's also one of the top people in the country for radio training and advice. Having taken one myself, I can tell you that his workshops are excellent, and he's also great for follow-ups if you need advice and so on. He really takes pride in what he does and is there for anyone who needs help. He's definitely not one of these fly-by's who had a two-month stint on Bog FM and now charges €200 for 'seminars' about how to make it in the 'cold, harsh world of radio'.

I'd imagine the problem with him on 98 is that he's just a fill-in guy, so is completely restricted to "This is/that was", one spoken link per hour and so on. If you were expecting Foley, I can see how it's a shock to the system, but that isn't to take away the serious credentials of McColl.

He's also not averse to taking the piss out of himself and other DJs: :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58VwTtJrOmI

SparklersJo

Basq wrote: »

Had a feeling that would be the case.. as no time and date was confirmed by 98FM and they took the show website offline last week too.

Does anyone else find all this a bit suspect though? ...Foley said when leaving Today FM that he would try to come in and do some podcasting in his week off, which he didn't do. Granted maybe he forgot or didn't have time or couldn't be arsed or something, but we were all under the impression that they were starting on 98FM this Monday, and then no sign, and no word.
And I find it odd that they were advertised on the 98FM website, and then suddenly taken off. All it says now is that a new show is coming for The Morning Crew. No names, nothing. Do you not think they would be advertising a national DJ joining their station? Even if they didn't put up a start date, should they not be advertising it in their own interest?

Or am I reading way to much into this?

leggo

Local radio is no stranger to messy situations like this sometimes happening, but I seriously, seriously doubt it in this case. As many people have said, this has likely been planned for a while before it was announced, so I can't see anything like a last minute change of heart from either side happening. Technically there was never any official start date announced, just speculation on here that we kinda took for truth in the absence of any better facts. So it's probably just 98 figuring out how they plan to advertise and market the show's debut.

Either way, Foley will be back soon. You don't fall by the wayside when you're gaining listeners.

SparklersJo

leggo wrote: »

...Technically there was never any official start date announced, just speculation on here that we kinda took for truth in the absence of any better facts. So it's probably just 98 figuring out how they plan to advertise and market the show's debut.

Either way, Foley will be back soon. You don't fall by the wayside when you're gaining listeners.

Well 98 would probably want to start pulling their finger out at this stage and get an advertising campaign going! Surely it can't be too long away now that Foley and JP are starting, and they got nothing done!
Hopefully that's all it is and you're right leggo, and we won't be waiting too much longer for The Return. I think everyone on here will be getting serious Foley withdrawal soon!

Itssoeasy

The November 12th date was from the paper about the move and i dont think the lads ever said that was the date they were starting on. And then KC was starting on the 12th so maybe that's where the confusion came from.

But ya the fact they had a thing up on the 98fm website and the podcast is up on iTunes(with no podcasts in it) was strange.

Also didnt someone here say that ray was going on holidays or said he was going to ?

I'm not getting foley withdrawals. A break will make it better when they do return.

wnolan1992

I'd need to listen back, but I'm almost positive Foley and JP mentioned that they were starting on Monday (as in yesterday) on the podcasts and on air...

heybaby

wnolan1992 wrote: »

I'd need to listen back, but I'm almost positive Foley and JP mentioned that they were starting on Monday (as in yesterday) on the podcasts and on air...

Lads it doesnt take too much detective work, if you check Brian Mc colls twitter he said just today that foley will start next week . While foley's show will obviously have more features than McColl's does now, You wont have the same kind of show he gave listeners on Today fm where foley was very much indulged. Links wont be allowed to ramble on and on, the whole lazy radio feature will have to be curtailed if not dropped completely, he'll be forced to go to news on time for a change so it will be interesting to see if foley can return to heavily formatted radio successfully given that it will inhibit him comparatively speaking.

The other thing is this, foley quite clearly is either loved or hated, there seems little in between, he clearly has a cult following of very loyal listeners, the question is can he tempt these listeners to switch stations long term once it becomes obvious of the shows heavily formatted nature and will foley's juvenile sometimes patronsing style sit well with a broader audience ?

elmoslattery

https://mobile.twitter.com/brianmccoll/status/267890616028000256

It's wierd they have done no promotion, not even on their own website. Show is starting in 5 days...

SparklersJo

heybaby wrote: »

...You wont have the same kind of show he gave listeners on Today fm where foley was very much indulged. Links wont be allowed to ramble on and on, the whole lazy radio feature will have to be curtailed if not dropped completely, he'll be forced to go to news on time for a change so it will be interesting to see if foley can return to heavily formatted radio successfully given that it will inhibit him comparatively speaking.

...the question is can he tempt these listeners to switch stations long term once it becomes obvious of the shows heavily formatted nature and will foley's juvenile sometimes patronsing style sit well with a broader audience ?

Broader than a national audience??

Also,if you're saying that Foley's style will have to be curtailed, that he will have to follow a format and links won't have that rambling quality to them, then it would follow that his style would no longer be "juvenile sometimes patronsing", no?

leggo

heybaby wrote: »

The other thing is this, foley quite clearly is either loved or hated, there seems little in between, he clearly has a cult following of very loyal listeners, the question is can he tempt these listeners to switch stations long term once it becomes obvious of the shows heavily formatted nature and will foley's juvenile sometimes patronsing style sit well with a broader audience ?

I dunno if you're necessarily right that he'll be curtailed. Foley is very much a name presenter now and has the credentials to dictate the format. This isn't the same as Jim going back to 104 after the 2FM show had failed, that was more 104 doing him a favour while cashing in on the public's sympathy towards him in being left out in the cold (see also: Spin hiring Nikki Hayes). He was coming from a position of weakness there, i.e. a failed jump to national. So he had to fall into line with the format (though it wasn't a massive shift considering he'd helped shape the Strawberry Alarm Clock format).

Foley is coming from a position of strength. His Today FM days can be considered very much a success...and radio is pretty much a blank canvass where the format follows the listeners rather than the other way around. He already has the listeners. You may argue that he doesn't in Dublin, but why would 98 poach him at all in that case?

So I'd suggest that this will be more of a case of him mirroring Ian Dempsey, since it's the worst kept secret in Irish radio that this is a trial run for him to eventually take over that show, and he'll be given time to dictate the format and develop his breakfast style on his own terms.

Granted, if the JNLRs don't go so well, then he'll be pressured to be more tight and 'local'.

Also, on a slightly pedantic note, he's not facing a broader audience, by virtue of 98 being a local. Even if his figures are comparable in number to those on Today FM, if anything it's the complete opposite as Dublin will have its own more specific humour and taste for radio. Though you may have meant that and it was a simple typo.

heybaby

leggo wrote: »

I dunno if you're necessarily right that he'll be curtailed. Foley is very much a name presenter now and has the credentials to dictate the format. This isn't the same as Jim going back to 104 after the 2FM show had failed, that was more 104 doing him a favour while cashing in on the public's sympathy towards him in being left out in the cold (see also: Spin hiring Nikki Hayes). He was coming from a position of weakness there, i.e. a failed jump to national. So he had to fall into line with the format (though it wasn't a massive shift considering he'd helped shape the Strawberry Alarm Clock format).

Foley is coming from a position of strength. His Today FM days can be considered very much a success...and radio is pretty much a blank canvass where the format follows the listeners rather than the other way around. He already has the listeners. You may argue that he doesn't in Dublin, but why would 98 poach him at all in that case?

So I'd suggest that this will be more of a case of him mirroring Ian Dempsey, since it's the worst kept secret in Irish radio that this is a trial run for him to eventually take over that show, and he'll be given time to dictate the format and develop his breakfast style on his own terms.

Granted, if the JNLRs don't go so well, then he'll be pressured to be more tight and 'local'.

Also, on a slightly pedantic note, he's not facing a broader audience, by virtue of 98 being a local. Even if his figures are comparable in number to those on Today FM, if anything it's the complete opposite as Dublin will have its own more specific humour and taste for radio. Though you may have meant that and it was a simple typo.

Several points :
Jim going back to fm104 was done for 104's benefit entirely, I dont really think 104 are in the habit of doing people favours

As regards a broader audience on 98 fm I meant in terms of age demographics, breakfast has the widest range over all shows on the station, juvenile and all that Foley's style is , he'll have to alter his style somewhat to appeal to children and mothers in the morning, cant really see lazy radio and playing theme tunes from 80's tv shows appealing to a 5 year old in darndale

It is still a curious decision if it was his, to voluntarily leave a national station and move to a local station in Dublin whose listenership figures are in the toilet. Whatever way you paint it, its a step down. My guess is that Today fm decided the show had gone as far as it could and the midday slot needed freshening up.

Foley performed well on station that was more popular with a rural listenership, he will absolutely have to do what fm104 do and make it all about Dublin, Dublin , Dublin if he doesnt the show will die on its ass

As regards it being an open secret that Foley is being lined up to replace Dempsey on breakfast, generally I find in Radio, open secrets are completely off the wall, this idea is more wishful thinking on peoples' parts, dempsey is going nowhere and suggestions that the todayfm bosses are thinking several years ahead of themselves and manufacturing a replacement by allowing Foley to go to a local competitor I think are way off.

The fact that 98 fm have given foley the breakfast show is a gamble for everyone involved, if it doesnt work foley will most likely survive, its a different story for 98fm, I think this is a last roll of the dice, if they dont start picking up listeners quickly they are in big big trouble. 98 fm are already ad free from 10am - 3pm 5 days a week, no radio station can sustain being ad free for 25 daytime hours per week for very long.

Its vital 98 fm find their identity fast. The removal of a personality jock like Cooper and the inclusion of the syndicated Ryan Seacrest show says to me they are going down the hot hits route and ditching the classic hits, in other words taking on fm104 directly. If foley fails to win listeners from fm 104 , 98fm will be in serious trouble.

leggo

heybaby wrote: »

Several points :
Jim going back to fm104 was done for 104's benefit entirely, I dont really think 104 are in the habit of doing people favours

You get what I mean: it was a case that it made sense for both sides, and he wasn't coming from a position of strength (i.e. a successful show) so had little to no negotiating room in dictating the format of the show. If 104 didn't offer him a breakfast show, he may not have been offered another lucrative job and could just as easily have ended up on overnights at a fraction of the wage somewhere else. (I like Jim, as I said before in this thread, so that isn't a comment on his ability...I'm just saying that he was particularly lucky insofar as timing)

As regards a broader audience on 98 fm I meant in terms of age demographics, breakfast has the widest range over all shows on the station, juvenile and all that Foley's style is , he'll have to alter his style somewhat to appeal to children and mothers in the morning, cant really see lazy radio and playing theme tunes from 80's tv shows appealing to a 5 year old in darndale

Yeah, I get you there and that makes sense. To be fair though, Lazy Radio hasn't really been a major factor on his show for a while now (he did it occasionally as a throwback for long-time listeners), and he noted on his last Today FM show that it was his last time doing it. So, while I know you're not specifically talking about that 'bit', that would also suggest to me that his mindset is very much in place for what you're discussing.

You also have to remember that Foley has a track record now of taking different slots, making them his own and making them work. Listening back to the podcasts of The Blast that someone posted a few pages back, it's interesting in hindsight to see how similar it was in style, yet how different it was in format. It's still very much the same Ray Foley who we knew in the afternoons, but much younger and edgy, and seeing how he managed to then transform that into the afternoon show that we're all familiar with is impressive. So he does have the tools for changing up his shtick to suit the relevant audience while retaining his own style. I listened to The Blast occasionally back in the day (before I knew anything about radio) and, to me, the transition was seamless. But listening again in hindsight, and with the added knowledge I've picked up over the years, there was a marked difference. That says a lot.

It is still a curious decision if it was his, to voluntarily leave a national station and move to a local station in Dublin whose listenership figures are in the toilet. Whatever way you paint it, its a step down. My guess is that Today fm decided the show had gone as far as it could and the midday slot needed freshening up.

I think both sides have come out and said that it was mutual, and I'd tend to believe them. It's just a decision that made sense for everyone, given 98 being a sister station of Today FM, their need for that extra kick up the arse in the mornings that you accurately discussed, and Foley's will to work on a breakfast show with no sign of Dempsey going anywhere.

Foley performed well on station that was more popular with a rural listenership, he will absolutely have to do what fm104 do and make it all about Dublin, Dublin , Dublin if he doesnt the show will die on its ass

Agreed.

As regards it being an open secret that Foley is being lined up to replace Dempsey on breakfast, generally I find in Radio, open secrets are completely off the wall, this idea is more wishful thinking on peoples' parts, dempsey is going nowhere and suggestions that the todayfm bosses are thinking several years ahead of themselves and manufacturing a replacement by allowing Foley to go to a local competitor I think are way off.

Hmm, I dunno. When KC went to Today FM, everyone and their mother knew it was to eventually take over from Foley, and where is he now?

Today FM have probably the most stable line-ups in Irish radio today, so it's entirely plausible, given that they're doing well and can afford to do so, that they would plan for the future. That's what businesses do. It makes more sense for them, if they can, to help out a sister station and line-up a long-term replacement for their successful morning show than to just play it by ear and shoehorn whoever is available into Dempsey's slot when his time comes, doesn't it?

What I'll give you is that it isn't a given that Foley will do so, even as a fan of his. Local radio is a moshpit and massively competitive in Dublin. So it's entirely possible that he ends up in a battle with 104 that he may or may not win and could end up on the locals for life.

But from Today FM's end, it's win-win: either Foley becomes huge on mornings - ala the old school Strawberries - and comes back to the nationals (already familiar with Today FM's setup) or they have KC & Lenny - who have plenty of morning radio experience under their belt already - ready and waiting.

Btw, I completely agree with your assessment of 98 in the last two paragraphs. But I'd also be optimistic for them: I think they're being pro-active about the problems and not letting the rot sink in. Dermot & Dave are going from strength to strength in their slot (and moving them from 3-7 could be a genius move so that they may kill the other drivetime shows on the nationals as people just stay tuned), Foley is a strong candidate to do well on breakfast. Baz Dunne is as reliable a jock as you can get in that slot and Ryan Seacrest is...well, wait and see. I think they need to freshen up the night-time slot to properly compete with 104, personally, but that's not top priority right now. At least they're not letting the rot seep in like 2FM.

hufpc8w3adnk65

leggo wrote: »

But from Today FM's end, it's win-win: either Foley becomes huge on mornings - ala the old school Strawberries - and comes back to the nationals (already familiar with Today FM's setup) or they have KC & Lenny - who have plenty of morning radio experience under their belt already - ready and waiting.

The reason Lenny left Radio & RedFm in the first place was the 4am starts! KC & Lenny both HATED the early starts and wanted something fresh!So too say they are ready and waiting for dempseys show is a bit off!!

barbaraw19

I sincerely hope that the guys have the power to drop many of the terrible existing features the morning crew had in place. Ie rip off of kids in the car, gossip girl, celebrity stuck for words. I think jim jim and nobby have the personality and style to pull off doing features that other presenters can't. I don't see ray and jp as much as I like them being able to do the same. So I really hope they get freedom to dictate their style of show.

leggo

I wouldn't put Nobby anywhere near Ray or JP's league, personally. His on-air persona is a bit sneery and seeming as if he thinks he's above all the silliness, which hurts the show when the entire show is based around being a bit silly. And then when he plays it nice he seems a bit fake to me. I'm sure he's a great guy, I've never met him personally, that's just how he comes across on-air.

Jim is capable of absolute genius at times: that little gem that'll be stuck in your head for the morning, be it a phrase, a jingle, a parody song, a prank call etc. I can think of so many little moments that Jim has done that have stuck with me over the years. None recently, though, unfortunately. It just sounds like they're doing the same stuff they were 10 years ago, but without Colm adding his commanding presence, his faux arrogance in quizzes, nuggets of gold like Matt Molloy, and the genuine friendship the pair seemed to have on-air.

And that kinda stuff is where local radio breakfast shows live or die, at the moment. I suppose that's the challenge for the lads in a nutshell.

Obrieski

Lots of ads on 98fm this week talking about their new schedule. They have foley starting 6am on Monday. They're really basing their whole day around foley and Dermot and Dave. Both for 4 hours each. They'll be relying on those 2 shows to bump their ratings

hufpc8w3adnk65

Whats Dermot like on Air?

Jason Todd

Was just thinking, is there any need for a new Ray Foley Show thread? I'm not even sure if there was going to be one, but we did talk about it, but thinking about it again, this should just continue, it's still going to be"The Ray Foley Show" after all?! Thoughts?

Skid

Violet Young Birthday wrote: »

Whats Dermot like on Air?

I enjoy Dermot and Dave, they are grand for when you are not in the humour for the newsy Drive Time shows. They work well together. 98FM briefly had them presenting both the Breakfast and Drivetime shows! (Although that was a stunt when they were changing the schedules the last time)

Obrieski wrote: »

Lots of ads on 98fm this week talking about their new schedule. They have foley starting 6am on Monday. They're really basing their whole day around foley and Dermot and Dave. Both for 4 hours each. They'll be relying on those 2 shows to bump their ratings

6-10 am will be a long slog for Ray and JP. Even if it is more music intensive than the Today FM show, four hours seems ambitious.

wnolan1992

Jason Todd wrote: »

Was just thinking, is there any need for a new Ray Foley Show thread? I'm not even sure if there was going to be one, but we did talk about it, but thinking about it again, this should just continue, it's still going to be"The Ray Foley Show" after all?! Thoughts?

IMO, we just carry on here. Maybe add a [98FM 6:00-10:00am] to the title.

Skid wrote: »

6-10 am will be a long slog for Ray and JP. Even if it is more music intensive than the Today FM show, four hours seems ambitious.

Have to admit I'm worried about that too...

Foley often had shows that were VERY light on content, built around one or two features with not much in between.

I think to win over a new audience, a lot more prep-work will have to go in, maybe even a few new features to fill time.

There will be a lot more music in this show I'd imagine, and when you take into account news, weather and travel reports, as well as the entertainment update I heard in the brief time I listened to Brian McColl on Monday there's a lot to build around.

I'm optimistic though. Looking forward to hearing the lads again, and seeing which features make it over.

gnfnrhead

It's likely to be a maximum of 20 minutes to half an hour per hour that they need to fill themselves. I reckon it'll be closer to the 20 myself on 98. The rest is taken up with news, commercials and music. Add in stuff like Foley's Friday Faceoff and even the games like Eh Yeah Ok and they shouldnt be too far off filling the show most days.

hufpc8w3adnk65

gnfnrhead wrote: »

It's likely to be a maximum of 20 minutes to half an hour per hour that they need to fill themselves. I reckon it'll be closer to the 20 myself on 98. The rest is taken up with news, commercials and music. Add in stuff like Foley's Friday Faceoff and even the games like Eh Yeah Ok and they shouldnt be too far off filling the show most days.

How many features will actually make it onto 98 tho?

wnolan1992

Violet Young Birthday wrote: »

How many features will actually make it onto 98 tho?

Lazy Radio is the only one that I know for certain will not be going to 98. Foley confirmed that on his last show.

Feedback will probably make it over there, and maybe Jayo.

Gauntlets is a tricky one... probably not unfortunately.

Nordy Eoin is more than likely going to still do movies, think Foley mentioned that at one point.

FFFO will probably make it across in some form.

stannis

6-10am? Aren't most morning shows about 3 hours, e.g. 6-9am? Four hours is too long.

Skid

One of their new features will be the 'Obligatory kids Bit' :pac:

I like the name, very Foleyesque.

http://www.98fm.com/onair/shows/rayfoleyshow/the-kids-bit/

Does your kid want to take part in The Obligatory Kids Bit on the show?

Just fill out the form below to let us know you’re interested

Busi_Girl08

So....anyone here going to enter themselves for the kid bit? :pac: