Phil Cawley - Drivetime - South East Radio

Declan A Walsh · 07-04-2021 3:30pm #1

I happened to notice that Today FM's Phil Cawley is doing the weekday drive on Wexford's South East Radio. How long has he been doing that? I know that many years ago he was with South East Radio.

Mr Snow · 07-04-2021 4:05pm

September 11th last year

Declan A Walsh · 07-04-2021 4:08pm

Mr Snow wrote: »

September 11th last year

I think it rings a bell with me - may have seen something about it around that time.

Looking at the daytime schedule, he is the third ex-2FM presenter in the lineup, the other two being Dave Redmond and Alan Corcoran.

Mr Snow · 07-04-2021 4:16pm

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I think it rings a bell with me - may have seen something about it around that time.

Looking at the daytime schedule, he is the third ex-2FM presenter in the lineup, the other two being Dave Redmond and Alan Corcoran.

was Alan Corcan long on 2FM don't remember him on 2FM?

Declan A Walsh · 07-04-2021 4:29pm

Mr Snow wrote: »

was Alan Corcan long on 2FM don't remember him on 2FM?

Extract from Linkedin:
Radio Presenter /TV presenter
Company NameRTE
Dates Employed Jan 1986 – Jun 2000
Employment Duration14 yrs 6 mos
Location Donnybrook Dublin 4
Worked with 2FM and RTE Radio 1 from 1986 to 2000 .. His work on Radio 1 was on the late might magazine programme that dealt with
the Irish diaspora "Ireland Tonight"
and also worked with TG4 ( presenting 3 series of Ceol tire) Nationwide on RTE tv and presented
2 tv series for RTE 1 1993 Country at the Olympia and 1995 Cool Country

I first heard him on 2FM - the late '80s or early '90s. He presented an Irish music show on Saturday evenings, with particular leanings towards country music.

EDIT: At one point, Alan was involved with three stations: South East Radio, Dublin's Country Mix 106.8 and north-west station Ocean FM!

Pelvis Parsley · 07-04-2021 4:41pm

I didn't remember Cawley on 2FM-I do remember him on TodayFM alright.

Declan A Walsh · 07-04-2021 4:45pm

Pelvis Parsley wrote: »

I didn't remember Cawley on 2FM-I do remember him on TodayFM alright.

Phil Cawley (or Philip as he was known then) was a presenter on Saturday evenings on 2FM in the late 1980s. He left for the new fledgling independent stations, starting with LMFM I think. I think Phil is still a weekend presenter on Today FM. He is the only presenter left from the original lineup of Radio Ireland, as it was then.

Declan A Walsh · 07-04-2021 5:04pm

Another interesting thing about Phil Cawley is that, although he managed to present on a number of radio stations along the eastern seaboard prior to Radio Ireland/Today FM, he was never involved with any local licensed Dublin station. He had to wait until a year or two ago when he got a gig with Radio Nova. Although, of course, strictly speaking that's licensed for Dublin and the commuter belt!

ford fiesta · 07-04-2021 8:37pm

From the final Nighttime of Radio 2 schedule in 1988 (Fanning / Ryan / Cagney).
This clip also features Phil Cawley who was part of the new Nighttime schedule.

https://fanningsessions.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/the-last-night-shift-night-train/

shockwave · 08-04-2021 10:29pm

Pelvis Parsley wrote: »

I didn't remember Cawley on 2FM-I do remember him on TodayFM alright.

He still has a show on sunday afternoon on Today FM

Atlantic Dawn · 12-07-2024 7:33pm

Interesting podcast from Phil up on "Wood From The Trees Podcast", particularly how he was eventually dumped by Today FM in a rather poor way given his years of service…

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-idcdj-1648897

His Today FM ending…

https://www.tiktok.com/@captainautumn100/video/7390703781895294240

LloytronN402 · 12-07-2024 8:22pm

With no disrespect to Phil, it would have been completely unsustainable for new bosses/owners to continue him on the RTE style golden goose salary of 80k for 3 weekend shows per-week which Willle O'Reilly had arranged.

Tork · 13-07-2024 5:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122373267#Comment_122373267

That was a sweet deal he was on and he sounds grateful for it. His major beef isn't with his shows being canned - it's the manner in which he was let go.

California Dreamer · 14-07-2024 2:15pm

OT, but there is a story of a certain Dublin station that when the PD deemed your numbers to go down and you were canned that you either didn't do your last show or you were escorted out by security. Not 100% how true that was but it was always the jocks fault and never the PD/MD's fault!

Shan Doras · 15-07-2024 10:40pm

Yerman interviewing Phil is a very hard listen

ford fiesta · 15-07-2024 10:48pm

I believe as well as his South East Radio job, Phil drives for Wexford Bus now as he mentioned on this interview.

Years ago you would never hear of a high profile national radio presenter having to go back or re-train for a normal job outside of the traditional media (TV / Radio / Print).

Were there any examples of this ?

Shan Doras · 16-07-2024 9:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122385631#Comment_122385631

The only other example of a radio presenter retraining as a bus driver that I can think of the top of my head is Simon Dee who was on Radio Caroline and BBC Light service & BBC Radio1 in the 60s, he became a bus driver in 1975.

Shan Doras · 16-07-2024 11:58am

Interestingly as well, the presenters who replaced Phil on his 3 old weekend shifts, Pamela Joyce first and then Jessica Maciel have both since left Today FM suddenly and unexpectedly.