Is mainstream radio dead

Claude Burgundy

Following on from a discussion on the Today Fm thread i have to ask the question.

Is mainstream radio in Ireland dead ?

It seems that from 7am to 7pm on the vast majority of regional and national stations that its the same 20 songs on the same playlist. The same type of presenters asking the same questions for the same answers and at weekends the same types of "old school" shows that get excited about playing songs from the 90's and 00's that at this stage get played so often that you can't get excited about them.

The typical show plays the new Coldplay, Gavin James and last summer we all heard Harry Styles "Watermelon Sugar" about 10 times a day.

They'll come up with their bland topic the day that they just "were talking about before the show started" and sure why don't you text in with you experience of "the best lunch" or "the best old school ice cream".

Will we see a time where a programme director or show producer tries something different or is there something out there on daily radio that i'm missing ?

Jenny Greene on 2FM- Home time take over usually has some off the wall music choices. But that's the only example i can think of off the top of my head.

2fm, Today fm, spin, fm 104, 98, iradio. Turn on any of those and you'll find it hard to tell the difference.

Even local radio have their typical, breakfast show, 9 to 12 call in shows, then lunch, the afternoon show and drive time.

Again maybe i'm missing something but its all very beige.

El_Duderino 09

Claude Burgundy wrote: »

Following on from a discussion on the Today Fm thread i have to ask the question.

Is mainstream radio in Ireland dead ?

It seems that from 7am to 7pm on the vast majority of regional and national stations that its the same 20 songs on the same playlist. The same type of presenters asking the same questions for the same answers and at weekends the same types of "old school" shows that get excited about playing songs from the 90's and 00's that at this stage get played so often that you can't get excited about them.

The typical show plays the new Coldplay, Gavin James and last summer we all heard Harry Styles "Watermelon Sugar" about 10 times a day.

They'll come up with their bland topic the day that they just "were talking about before the show started" and sure why don't you text in with you experience of "the best lunch" or "the best old school ice cream".

Will we see a time where a programme director or show producer tries something different or is there something out there on daily radio that i'm missing ?

Jenny Greene on 2FM- Home time take over usually has some off the wall music choices. But that's the only example i can think of off the top of my head.

2fm, Today fm, spin, fm 104, 98, iradio. Turn on any of those and you'll find it hard to tell the difference.

Even local radio have their typical, breakfast show, 9 to 12 call in shows, then lunch, the afternoon show and drive time.

Again maybe i'm missing something but its all very beige.

Radio used to be a good place to get some chat, but podcasts are better. And it used to be a good place to get some music, but Spotify is better. So it has to lean on nostalgia and being light and fluff. Young people today will probably never bother with radio so focusing on the old people and their favourite old school ice cream makes perfect sense.

I think people look at radio from the past through rose tinted windows, back in 1989 2fm, Century, 104 and Atlantic 252 were all playing the same Stock Aitken and Waterman records to death

Claude Burgundy

Johns nephew wrote: »

I think people look at radio from the past through rose tinted windows, back in 1989 2fm, Century, 104 and Atlantic 252 were all playing the same Stock Aitken and Waterman records to death

Atlantic defo agree but that model did have stand up, play the music and shut up. 2fm i don't see the same Garreth O'Callaghan had a cracking afternoon show and Gerry Ryan played when he wanted.

What year did 104 change from "Rock" ?

RINO87

I would agree with the OP, mainstream daytime radio is excruciating to listen to. They only 7-7 show on national radio that stands out in any shape at all for me would be Tracy Clifford, she has a lot more music, less inane "chat", albeit still some, and the music choice is a little different to the usual Today FM daytime playlist of 8 tunes.

Declan A Walsh

Claude Burgundy wrote: »

..............................................

What year did 104 change from "Rock" ?

That was during the first half of 1992 - around late spring I think.

NoviGlitzko

Pat Kenny and Sean Moncrieff on Newstalk are great and the production is excellent, so not from what I hear.

Declan A Walsh

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Radio used to be a good place to get some chat, but podcasts are better. And it used to be a good place to get some music, but Spotify is better. So it has to lean on nostalgia and being light and fluff. Young people today will probably never bother with radio so focusing on the old people and their favourite old school ice cream makes perfect sense.

That does not explain then why the music is largely youth-oriented during the day in the likes of 2FM, Spin, 98FM and FM104, and, to a large degree, Today FM, if the youth are not listening. EDIT: Spin, Spin SW and iRadio are supposed to be youth oriented, to be fair.

duffman13

NoviGlitzko wrote: »

Pat Kenny and Sean Moncrieff on Newstalk are great and the production is excellent, so not from what I hear.

Outside of Pat Kenny who has some great interviews but has wained a bit in recent years, id certainly find myself gravitating more towards podcasts/Spotify for the rest of the day.

Technocentral

For music 100% dead, for talk Newstalk and RTE still relevant.

Hurrache

Depends what you want. It's favourable if you want to listen to talk and current affairs, which is really tedious these days given the pandemic.

If you want to listen to music, or even a bit of light heartedness in between, then it's dead imo. Take Demot and Dave for example, if you wanted a bit of music and something amusing in between, they were decent. Now they're going the way of Ray Darcy giving political and current affair opinions, I don't want to listen to your thoughts on the government or the Britney Spears case ffs.

Now you just go digital for what you want, and that's seldom Irish.

Claude Burgundy

Hurrache wrote: »

Depends what you want. It's favourable if you want to listen to talk and current affairs, which is really tedious these days given the pandemic.

If you want to listen to music, or even a bit of light heartedness in between, then it's dead imo. Take Demot and Dave for example, if you wanted a bit of music and something amusing in between, they were decent. Now they're going the way of Ray Darcy giving political and current affair opinions, I don't want to listen to your thoughts on the government or the Britney Spears case ffs.

Now you just go digital for what you want, and that's seldom Irish.

That's it, but they all seem to be doing the same.

Claude Burgundy

Technocentral wrote: »

For music 100% dead, for talk Newstalk and RTE still relevant.

Yes but when have RTE done something different.

9 to 10 - light hearted
10 to 12 - Serious and political
12 to 1 - music
1 to 1:45 - News
1:45 to 3 - Live line
3 to 4:30 - Derek Mooney to Ray Darcy, music and chat.
4:30 to 7pm - drive time

Same format for as long as i can really remember. I suppose if its not broke but i'd like to see some innovation.

Newstalk very similar since the started schedule wise but Tom Dunne moving and Pat Kenny coming in was really just a switch to be more like RTE.

I don't listen to their breakfast show but the last time i did they were doing the same oh text in if you've ever had a bad holiday:rolleyes:

Even on a Saturday morning i find myself throwing on BBC Radio 2 and leaving it on all day.

El_Duderino 09

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

That does not explain then why the music is largely youth-oriented during the day in the likes of 2FM, Spin, 98FM and FM104, and, to a large degree, Today FM, if the youth are not listening. EDIT: Spin, Spin SW and iRadio are supposed to be youth oriented, to be fair.

I think you're assuming the youth are the only ones who listen to modern music. I don't make that assumption at all. Loads of people just listen to whatever music is on he radio. They lean pretty heavily on the oldies, but the bulk of it is surely the modern hits. They make out like every new track is going to be a classic so the new songs have additional currency.


Also, I'd say the definition of "youth" has changed over time in the radio business. I really doubt iRadio are thinking of teenagers when they talk about youths. I'd say years ago they were marketing to teens and early 20s. But not it's probably millennials in their 30s and early 40s. I doubt radio has a clue what to do with gen Z

Talk radio listenership is growing, even when you adjust for population increase.

But the only music programme in the top-20 programmes across RTE stations is The Ronan Collins Show, and that audience has had its second Covid vaccine, if you get my drift.

I would never tune into a music station, that's what spotify is for.

Kilboor

When I'm driving I do enjoy listening to the radio at times over my own stuff (podcasts, music). Music wise there isn't much out there not playing the same chart songs over and over, I like to hear a mix of new and old stuff.

My favourite show would be Ed's songs of praise on Today FM

padd b1975

For current affairs and big breaking political scandals, traditional radio is still the only show in town and will be for the foreseeable future.

Technocentral

For me now Irish radio is talk radio only, usually Pat Kenny the odd time RTE radio news, I also listen to BBC Radio 4 a lot, its about 20 years or more since any decent music programmes on Irish Radio, I listen to BBC 6 music sometimes but at home for music I mostly listen to my vinyl collection.

Declan A Walsh

Technocentral wrote: »

For me now Irish radio is talk radio only, usually Pat Kenny the odd time RTE radio news, I also listen to BBC Radio 4 a lot, its about 20 years or more since any decent music programmes on Irish Radio, I listen to BBC 6 music sometimes but at home for music I mostly listen to my vinyl collection.

To be fair, that's a sweeping statement. Various radio stations have eclectic or specialist music shows at nighttime and over the weekend. That would include Radio 1 and community stations.

Technocentral

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

To be fair, that's a sweeping statement. Various radio stations have eclectic or specialist music shows at nighttime and over the weekend. That would include Radio 1 and community stations.

Well maybe but you'd have to agree that the masses no longer see radio as a provider of their music needs.

If someone had told me 10 years ago that The Ronan Collins show would still be on in 2021 I would never have believed it, I have absolutely nothing against him or his show, it's just that I saw it as low hanging fruit some suit would get rid of to try and attract the younger listener. One Time John Creedon was doing a middle of the road music show in the slot that Darcy currently does

padd b1975

Johns nephew wrote: »

If someone had told me 10 years ago that The Ronan Collins show would still be on in 2021 I would never have believed it, I have absolutely nothing against him or his show, it's just that I saw it as low hanging fruit some suit would get rid of to try and attract the younger listener. One Time John Creedon was doing a middle of the road music show in the slot that Darcy currently does

So was Ronan.

Claude Burgundy

Out at lunch today for a walk and it will be a Spotify playlist or a podcast

RINO87

padd b1975 wrote: »

So was Ronan.

Ya Ronan was in the 3.3o slot for eons.... Wasn't it Midday that Creedon had?

Losty Dublin

RINO87 wrote: »

Ya Ronan was in the 3.3o slot for eons.... Wasn't it Midday that Creedon had?

He did the afternoons way back but before way back he did a run of holiday fill in's during the mid 90's whenever PK would be off. The afternoons presumably came whenever Ronan went off to do the midday slot.

Hurrache

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I would never tune into a music station, that's what spotify is for.

A good DJ will open up new bands and songs to you, it's how I've found many bands I like, outside of mainstream pop. Since Phantom, I've found most of my favourites via Dan Hegarty on 2FM/2XM, the playlist on 8Radio and some of the BBC radio shows.

Declan A Walsh

Hurrache wrote: »

A good DJ will open up new bands and songs to you, it's how I've found many bands I like, outside of mainstream pop.

That's where Phantom/TXFM came in and that's where 8Radio.com comes in now.

Hurrache

Yip, I said so in my post, you probably saw it before my edit.

Claude Burgundy

Hurrache wrote: »

A good DJ will open up new bands and songs to you, it's how I've found many bands I like, outside of mainstream pop. Since Phantom, I've found most of my favourites via Dan Hegarty on 2FM/2XM, the playlist on 8Radio and some of the BBC radio shows.

When allowed. Tont Fenton also did it on Today FM.