Beat 102-103

Jason Todd

I'm not a fan of Beat by any means, but I'll be defending it with this post strangely enough. I don't like the 'zany' ads/links, I think that girl who read the news this morning (the Ann & Barry style reading) is horrendous, 'Andy Mac' sounds like he just got thawed out Austin Powers style from the seventies and a lot of it is just regurgitated shyte, ie Beat Tweet, self-promotion, same songs on rotation etc, but...

what they do well, they do very very well. They appeal to their market / target audience, they use social media extremely well, the Beat fleet, the relationship between say The Beat Breakfast Crew is excellent as is the interest in them from listeners, Old School Sunday is good, Mary's Breakfast Grill on a Sunday morning is very good.

I'm a Today FM listener personally, but the missus likes Beat on at home and in all fairness they're far from the worst station in Ireland, just not everyone's cup of tea is all.

Jason Todd

abouttobebanned wrote: »

I just don't get why it needs to be so formulaic. Where has all the originality gone? I know they are somewhat shackled by the need to appease advertisers and "those upstairs", but that's no excuse for the sheer mind numbing nature of most of the shows.

Also, I'm presuming (and hoping) that the girl reading the news today was new so I don't want to be too hard on her. I'm sure she'll grow into the role.

Yeah, she does seem to be new.

Marchandire wrote: »

Aren't you one of the DJ's oldest friends? Let's have some impartiality here, shall we? :rolleyes:


Btw: If nobody seems to like Beat FM, who exactly is their audience?

I'm pretty sure Beat's audience is on Facebook right now, not Boards.ie

Max Powers

abouttobebanned wrote: »

Doesn't mean he can't have an opinion.

The thing about Irish Beats, in my opinion, is that it contradicts the "target audience" that you're talking about for beat. The general beat audience love David Guetta and Rhianna, and whatever drivel they're collaborating on next. I can't imagine they'd have the attention span for new music. In the same way that bars don't showcase original bands - cause people get bored when they don't know the songs.

abouttobebanned,
Im guessing you are over the age of 25? I listen to BEAT a very small amount, its aimed at people in the 16-25 age group i reckon, hence rubbish like rihanna, charts stuff etc etc you pointed out is what you can expect to hear in the main. Irish radio is poor in general, 2FM sucks more than BEAT, newstalk has moncreiff (usually decent light listening) 'off the ball' is simply the best radio out there for anybody with any interest in sport.

Bears and Vodka

Marchandire wrote: »

Btw: If nobody seems to like Beat FM, who exactly is their audience?

Boards.ie Waterford City forum users are not an adequate population sample.

I don't approve of their policy of repeating every chart song ten times daily but some things like the Beat Breakfast and Irish music are decent. Of course they would concentrate on the Kardashians than say Mick Wallace and would discuss music festivals rather than the Household charge. Secondary School/College population whom the station is aimed for caters for things teenagers would have an interest in and they are doing that well enough.

Mugser

Best thread on here in quite some time!!

The odd time it's on in work and I've no access to the radio:mad::mad:

What the hell does "6 in the mix" mean, I'd love to know:eek: Numptys!!

Jason Todd

Mugser wrote: »

Best thread on here in quite some time!!

The odd time it's on in work and I've no access to the radio:mad::mad:

What the hell does "6 in the mix" mean, I'd love to know:eek: Numptys!!

It means six songs mixed together, unbroken by ads or banal chat? Who's a numpty?

Mugser

Jason Todd wrote: »

It means six songs mixed together, unbroken by ads or banal chat? Who's a numpty?

I know what they think it means, but in terms of proper English, it makes absolutely no sense!!

Bears and Vodka

Mugser wrote: »

I know what they think it means, but in terms of proper English, it makes absolutely no sense!!

It's 'colloquial'/slang etc.

brian plank

i'd rather listen to bieber every 10 minutes on beat than ray d'arcy and 'hilarious' ray foley. they all play the same sh1te.

Mugser

subz3r0 wrote: »

It's 'colloquial'/slang etc.

I never heard it used anywhere else:rolleyes:

brian plank wrote: »

i'd rather listen to bieber every 10 minutes on beat than ray d'arcy and 'hilarious' ray foley. they all play the same sh1te.

What are you saying about yourself?

That station should come with a health warning and a free pack of pain-killers.

Off to take a few deep breaths!!

Jason Todd

brian plank wrote: »

i'd rather listen to bieber every 10 minutes on beat than ray d'arcy and 'hilarious' ray foley. they all play the same sh1te.

You're dead to me.









:pac:

nkay1985

I absolutely hate Beat but I guess I'm not supposed to like it. It's for a certain type of person and I'm not, and never had been, it! They play pop practically 24/7, they concentrate on tabloid-style and celebrity "news". It really is lowest common denominator stuff but there's a market for it so why blame them, I suppose.

ComfyKnickers

What's the problem here? So some people don't like Beat. Doesn't make it crap. Just means it's not to your taste. I don't listen to Radio 1 or Lyric FM, doesn't mean they're a heap of trash, it's just not what Im into! Beat is specifically geared towards a relatively young audience. Personally I listen to Beat Breakfast in the morning, then at 9 I turn on Ray D'Arcy and coming home I put on 2fm. Three stations there, wow, big deal!!! Certain programmes and dj's probably annoy all of us but to brand a whole station crap because you're not into its content it a bit ridiculous!

abouttobebanned

Not really. It's crap..from the management, down to the advertising, news and programming department. Not a bit ridiculous to label something exactly what it is.

But of course that's just my opinion. Of which I'm entitled, and have many. Want some more? The news and star is a rag of a paper. The munster express is run be people who are too old to know what sells papers nowadays. I could go on an on...but you know what? These are just my opinions. Your opinion is that everything is great. Fair play to ya. Can't beat a pair of comfy knickers.

ComfyKnickers

abouttobebanned wrote: »

Not really. It's crap..from the management, down to the advertising, news and programming department. Not a bit ridiculous to label something exactly what it is.

But of course that's just my opinion. Of which I'm entitled, and have many. Want some more? The news and star is a rag of a paper. The munster express is run be people who are too old to know what sells papers nowadays. I could go on an on...but you know what? These are just my opinions. Your opinion is that everything is great. Fair play to ya. Can't beat a pair of comfy knickers.

Everything is great? Where exactly did I say that?

strangepaddy

abouttobebanned wrote: »

The TV3 of local radio. With the exception of the old skool show on a sunday afternoon, this is without doubt the biggest mess of a station I've ever encountered.

The news readers (at least the one I've just heard) sound like they're in 1st Class reading Ann & Barry aloud to the class.

The music is horrible, the ads are constant and in your face.

(The great idea was to sell advertising to companies at a discount as long as they paid for a full year. This means that we get to hear the same ads, from the same businesses, constantly, all year long)

Crap like the Beat Tweet is cringe worthy as we get to listen to whatever crap celebrity has waffled about next.

Like TV3, it is a fountain of unoriginality, drowning the region in mediocrity.

i couldnt agree more. well said!!!!

abouttobebanned

I've upset a few people though, which is always fun. Hi membersonly!

Jason Todd

abouttobebanned wrote: »

I've upset a few people though, which is always fun. Hi membersonly!

abouttobebanned, I more often than not enjoy/agree with your posts, but imo you're waaaay off the mark with this thread. The station might seem like a big steaming pile of **** to you and I, but it's not crap to the many many people who frequently listen and if we didn't have Beat we'd be saying how a place of our size should have something alternative to WLR FM.

Like I say, I'm not a regular listener but I appreciate the fact they do what they do well and they also give businesses in the South East an extra platform to advertise that they might not be able to afford on a national station.

abouttobebanned

I don't agree with you, but I'll fight to the death your right to say it!

They do what they do, but they do not do it well. There are a lot of people on this thread who are either involved with the station or are friends with people that are. I actually know quite a few people who work there too, and I'm sure they've read this thread but don't particularly care either way.

There are some DJs working there that have managed to build up fairly big, unsubstantiated egos, and there are other guys there that do excellent jobs, and just go about their business week to week.

This is just a personal opinion of mine - I think they could do a lot more to maintain the young audience but also appeal to the late 20s and 30s market too.

paul-2008

This thread is completely pointless.. go find out what the age of the people that use the Waterford City forum are and then go check what age group Beat Fm is aimed at.. I'm pretty sure you'll soon see why this thread is so one sided.

abouttobebanned

I dont think it's one sided at all. And it can't be thy pointless if it's four pages long and you have replied to it.

Marchandire

brian plank wrote: »

i'd rather listen to bieber every 10 minutes on beat than ray d'arcy and 'hilarious' ray foley. they all play the same sh1te.

It's like choosing between a kick in the head and a kick in the bollicks. :eek:

nkay1985

paul-2008 wrote: »

This thread is completely pointless.. go find out what the age of the people that use the Waterford City forum are and then go check what age group Beat Fm is aimed at.. I'm pretty sure you'll soon see why this thread is so one sided.

I think you're a bit wrong there to be honest. From memory, the average age here was in and early- to mid- twenties. That means that they either are, or have recently been, in the target age group. The difference is that they're not in the target demographic.

spankmemunkey

Its all a matter of personal taste and opinion and thats that.

Not my cup of tea but some people do like it im sure.

In other news RTE radio won an International Award in New York for best international radio station, Im sure the award was more specific but its great to see none the less.

S28382

Beat is terrible but hey thank god we still have the democratic right to change to a different station..until the germans take us over completely that is:pac:

Hoffmans

listen to the work show which is ok, and the saturday selection is a good show along with irish beats, however the adds lately seem to be making it a press office adds station for yfg , pay your tv licence, pay your household tax,, and non stop last month, dont forget to vote in the fiscal treaty...

ratedR

nkay1985 wrote: »

I absolutely hate Beat but I guess I'm not supposed to like it. It's for a certain type of person and I'm not, and never had been, it! They play pop practically 24/7, they concentrate on tabloid-style and celebrity "news". It really is lowest common denominator stuff but there's a market for it so why blame them, I suppose.

This post hits the nail on the head really. I remember when Beat first started up, I think it'll be 9 years old this summer actaully, and having it on in work. It sort of emerged from the ashes of the old pirate station ABC Power 104, which at the time everyone of a certain age group loved. Different times I guess.
But within weeks of Beat being lauched you could tell it was just complete tripe. The top 20 being repeated in a loop all day, most of it being whatever was in at the time - hip hop and pop stuff, and any old stuff seemed to be dance stuff. I never really remembered hearing much, if any rock or alternative stuff - even mainstream stuff. So that turned me off, and at that time I was in my late teens.

I honestly havent listened to it in years, but from reading this post I can't believe that they're still doing that "6 in da mix". Cringe. And stale.

Was there ever any attempt to do some sort of show like Dave Fannings or what Zane Lowe does on Radio 1 in the UK ? You may not like either presenter, but theres surely a gap for that sort of show/music ? Even if it's only for an hour every week. Not every 14-25 year old is into Rihanna and DJ Fresh, or whatever is "hot" this week. But it appears that that's the audience they've set their sites on.

Trick of the Tail

MitchKoobski wrote: »

Thats the thing, not every radio station has to answer to the BAI. .

Incorrect I'm afraid - EVERY radio and TV station in this land (which broadcast over the air rather than the internet) DOES have to answer to the BAI.

A.

nkay1985

ratedR wrote: »

This post hits the nail on the head really. I remember when Beat first started up, I think it'll be 9 years old this summer actaully, and having it on in work. It sort of emerged from the ashes of the old pirate station ABC Power 104, which at the time everyone of a certain age group loved. Different times I guess.
But within weeks of Beat being lauched you could tell it was just complete tripe. The top 20 being repeated in a loop all day, most of it being whatever was in at the time - hip hop and pop stuff, and any old stuff seemed to be dance stuff. I never really remembered hearing much, if any rock or alternative stuff - even mainstream stuff. So that turned me off, and at that time I was in my late teens.

I honestly havent listened to it in years, but from reading this post I can't believe that they're still doing that "6 in da mix". Cringe. And stale.

Was there ever any attempt to do some sort of show like Dave Fannings or what Zane Lowe does on Radio 1 in the UK ? You may not like either presenter, but theres surely a gap for that sort of show/music ? Even if it's only for an hour every week. Not every 14-25 year old is into Rihanna and DJ Fresh, or whatever is "hot" this week. But it appears that that's the audience they've set their sites on.

Yeah I had a friend working with WLR when we were 15 or 16 and remember him telling me when Beat was first being discussed. He spoke to Des Whelan about it a few times and I remember being really excited at this station that was going to be for young people. The feeling was that it was going to be a bit alternative.

The planning went on for a couple of years and then it was ready to go. Within weeks of it launching, it was very clear what this new station was and it's been that way ever since.

kryogen

ratedR wrote: »

I honestly havent listened to it in years, but from reading this post I can't believe that they're still doing that "6 in da mix". Cringe. And stale.

Was there ever any attempt to do some sort of show like Dave Fannings or what Zane Lowe does on Radio 1 in the UK ? You may not like either presenter, but theres surely a gap for that sort of show/music ? Even if it's only for an hour every week. Not every 14-25 year old is into Rihanna and DJ Fresh, or whatever is "hot" this week. But it appears that that's the audience they've set their sites on.

Kind of, Rob O Connors Irish Beats show is in a similar vein to those shows, it is the opposite of the teeny poppy regular music played anwyay, focuses on relatively unknown Irish acts.

Wouldn't know the popularity of the show myself, must be doing well though, still going, I would leave it on if I came across it by accident, wouldn't remember to go looking for it though