RTE Gold discussion thread

Elmo

ford fiesta wrote: »

lots of listeners are using smart speakers.
Even if the RTE dab network closed, the station would cost very little to run.
apart from presenters who are already permenant

Really the DAB Network is what RTÉ were intending to close, they assumed that because their Digital Radio station were originally intended for DAB they would not need permission to close an of the Digital Stations. Since they are all on Saorview RTÉ have to pay for that transmission also, and even then the those cost would be then passed to the other broadcasters on Saorview once closed.

alzer100

As far as I am aware the only additions to the weekend Gold schedule is "Living in the 70s" with Mickey Mac - Saturday 8:00 - 9:00 AM and "The Gold Lounge" with Rick 'OShea - Sunday 8:00 - 9:00 AM.

Anyone know if there are any more presenters or shows to be phased in?

channelsurfer2

alzer100 wrote: »

As far as I am aware the only additions to the weekend Gold schedule is "Living in the 70s" with Mickey Mac - Saturday 8:00 - 9:00 AM and "The Gold Lounge" with Rick 'OShea - Sunday 8:00 - 9:00 AM.

Anyone know if there are any more presenters or shows to be phased in?

I would hazard a guess that both shows will be pre-recorded...

Declan A Walsh

alzer100 wrote: »

As far as I am aware the only additions to the weekend Gold schedule is "Living in the 70s" with Mickey Mac - Saturday 8:00 - 9:00 AM and "The Gold Lounge" with Rick 'OShea - Sunday 8:00 - 9:00 AM.

Anyone know if there are any more presenters or shows to be phased in?

Mike Maloney used to present that very show on RTE Gold!

twinklerunner

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Mike Maloney used to present that very show on RTE Gold!

He used to present a 70s show on Sunday afternoons (in the mid-80s) on 2FM.

ford fiesta

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Mike Maloney used to present that very show on RTE Gold!

Lorcan Murray was the original.presenter of that RTE Gold show

Mickey Mike

Any news on Declan Meehan, Ken Stewart, Jimmy Greeley, Jim O'Neill, Brendan Balfe and God knows how many more, all these would be great DJs, if they can be on for an hour just like the fantastic Larry Gogan, it would spice up and make the channel more interesting.

Declan A Walsh

twinklerunner wrote: »

He used to present a 70s show on Sunday afternoons (in the mid-80s) on 2FM.

I think you are talking about Michael McNamara, aka Mickey Mac.

Declan A Walsh

Mickey Mike wrote: »

Any news on Declan Meehan, Ken Stewart, Jimmy Greeley, Jim O'Neill, Brendan Balfe and God knows how many more, all these would be great DJs, if they can be on for an hour just like the fantastic Larry Gogan, it would spice up and make the channel more interesting.

I think Declan Meehan is happy enough with this three-hour mid-morning show Monday to Friday on Wicklow's East Coast FM.

twinklerunner

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I think you are talking about Michael McNamara, aka Mickey Mac.

Definitely not. It was the first show he presented when he joined 2FM. Mickey Mac was on Saturday afternoons.

Declan A Walsh

twinklerunner wrote: »

Definitely not. It was the first show he presented when he joined 2FM. Mickey Mac was on Saturday afternoons.

I stand corrected. I did not realize that Mike Maloney did a stint on a weekend afternoon. Incidentally, Michael McNamara did used to be on Sunday afternoons as well, probably from the late '70s up until about the early/mid '80s, and he played oldies!

twinklerunner

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I stand corrected. I did not realize that Mike Maloney did a stint on a weekend afternoon. Incidentally, Michael McNamara did used to be on Sunday afternoons as well, probably from the late '70s up until about the early/mid '80s, and he played oldies!

I don’t remember Michael McNamara having a show on Sunday afternoons. He presented Solid Gold on Saturday afternoons. I was a keen listener to Radio 2 from 1979-1987. Sunday afternoon programmes during this period included Sunday Album (Pat Kenny), Vincent Hanley, Grooving on a Sunday Afternoon, (Gerry Ryan at first, then Ian Dempsey).

ford fiesta

Michael McNamara did weekend afternoons consistently from 1979 to 1993 on 2FM.
He then got into the Dance music scene and took over from Simon Young Saturday nights.
Moved to Lyric FM when it started in 1999, the Lyric CD chart on Saturday lunchtimes and finished there in 2003, when George Hamilton took over weekends lunchtime.

alzer100

Rick 'OShea announced today that the Gold weekend schedule is to be updated.

Shows from Amanda Fennelly, Al Dunne, and "Golden Years" being added from March 6th.

I know the shows will be pre-recorded but I suppose this can only be good news for the station for now anyway.

Brian CivilEng

Will Leahy just announced that the DAB network will be shut at the end of this month, but RTÉ Gold and the other digital stations will not be closed, and remain online and on saorview etc.

Good news, RTÉ Gold is definitely my most listened to station. Shame about DAB closing though, I will have a few redundant radios in the house now. Any word on Dusty Rhodes' planned DAB network?

odyssey06

Brian CivilEng wrote: »

Will Leahy just announced that the DAB network will be shut at the end of this month, but RTÉ Gold and the other digital stations will not be closed, and remain online and on saorview etc.

Thanks for the update.
Just want to double check, the Virgin Media radio feed I am guessing is digital so won't be affected?

Brian CivilEng

odyssey06 wrote: »

Thanks for the update.
Just want to double check, the Virgin Media radio feed I am guessing is digital so won't be affected?

No that will still work.

ford fiesta

Rick has also just announced that all of the RTE Digital radio stations are to remain

Maz2016

Heard Will announce it this
Morning. Absolutely delighted.

channelsurfer2

Rick saying the same now.good news

ford fiesta

I notice that they dont mention that RTE Gold (and all RTE digital stations) are available on the Eir TV service...they seem to emphasise Saorview and Virgin Media TV services

Jpmarn

Will Leahy has announced that Gold would be expanding its programming over weekends. Bring back The Classic Album please. It would be nice if it gets a slot on the FM band but that may be too costly.

odyssey06

ford fiesta wrote: »

I notice that they dont mention that RTE Gold (and all RTE digital stations) are available on the Eir TV service...they seem to emphasise Saorview and Virgin Media TV services

It is noted here on the link from the RTE news article, "how to keep listening":
All of RTÉ's radio stations, including the digital stations RTÉ Gold, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉjr Radio and RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, are available on digital television services, including Saorview, Saorsat, Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone TV and eir TV. To listen, select the radio station from the radio station list in the programme guide.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0302/1200334-rte-dab-network/

doc22

Could this in large part be that the DJs are on rte on staff contracts and have nowhere else to go, the listenership must be tiny for the stations

StreetLight

odyssey06 wrote: »

It is noted here on the link from the RTE news article, "how to keep listening":
All of RTÉ's radio stations, including the digital stations RTÉ Gold, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉjr Radio and RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, are available on digital television services, including Saorview, Saorsat, Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone TV and eir TV. To listen, select the radio station from the radio station list in the programme guide.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0302/1200334-rte-dab-network/

None of the "digital" stations are available through Sky.

E mac

I’m delighted! Sunday’s with Gold on in the background is bliss. Whenever bad news comes on the radio now someone here shouts “Alexa ! Radio Gold! “

channelsurfer2

doc22 wrote: »

Could this in large part be that the DJs are on rte on staff contracts and have now where else to go, the listenership must be tiny for the stations

yeah they are rte staff with pensions etc. so the savings would not transfer over if they shut the stations down. rte gold i would hesitate has about 20 to 30k listeners for those two programmes with Dj's.. the other digital stations havent a clue... maybe a few hundred or so but they are all autoplay so no big expense.

Elmo

doc22 wrote: »

Could this in large part be that the DJs are on rte on staff contracts and have now where else to go, the listenership must be tiny for the stations

No its largely down to the fact that they are not allowed unilateral to vary their sound and television services under the Broadcasting Act 2009 section 103. They never approached either Department to close any of their digital Radio stations.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/18/section/103/enacted/en/html

103.— (1) A corporation may, with the consent of the Minister, pursue the objects in paragraphs (g) and (h) of section 114 (1) or paragraphs (g) and (h) of section 118 (1), as the case may be.

(2) A corporation may, with the consent of the Minister, vary the number of television or sound broadcasting channels it operates.

(3) A corporation may, with the consent of the Minister, undertake ancillary services.

(4) Where the Minister proposes to give his or her consent under this section, the Minister shall—

(a) consult with the corporation concerned and such other persons as he or she considers appropriate,

(b) consult with the Authority as to the sectoral impact of a proposal under this section,

(c) consider the public value of such proposal, and

(d) publish in such manner as he or she considers appropriate a statement outlining the consultations that have been carried out under paragraphs (a) and (b) and indicate a place at which any document given to the Minister by a person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) in the course of consultations under those paragraphs may be inspected.

doc22

Elmo wrote: »

No its largely down to the fact that they are not allowed unilateral to vary their sound and television services under the Broadcasting Act 2009 section 103. They never approached either Department to close any of their digital Radio stations.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/18/section/103/enacted/en/html

Well they if shut down DAB I'm sure they could of approached the Department to close the stations too as RTE GOLD etc would be well down priorities.

I don't think taxpayers should be funding Rick and Will Leahys etc hobby.....

Mickey Mike

This is a massive U turn by RTE, they could never keep their word, but believe me this is only the start, over the years to come RTE will be reducing more and more of its channel output if they going to save €60,000000 over the next 3 years and I can't see Long Wave lasting the course either.