November 20, 2005
2FM _ Clarke losing the plot?
2FM - what the hell's going on there? I've left it a while to allow for further analysis on the recent schedule changes but I don't get it.... I read somewhere on the net that John Clarke, boss of the station, held a meeting with his presenters recently to remind them of the "target demographic" - 15 to 35 year olds. But the average age of those self same presenters must now be hitting the mid forties!
Marty Whelan, Gerry Ryan, Larry Gogan, Dave Fanning, all over forty, a couple of them massively so.
So where's the young talent you promised us John? Rick&Ruth in the Morning was a disaster, but it wasn't their fault, he's not suited to that timeslot and she hasn't had the experience. Tubridy goes over to Radio 1 to waste an hour of the listener's time with total drivel - a waste of the licence fee. Who else is there?
Well, Dave Redmond's come in on early brekkie, a good move - I know Dave well, he's a former brekkie presenter on South East Radio and was brilliant in the slot. He's got imagination, production skills and a nice personality as well as a great on-air style - move Marty aside now!
Rant time - regional licences
Yes, yes, I know it’s been ages, but (1) I’ve been too busy to update and (2) F*ck all’s been happening in the world of Irish radio. Apart from 2FM aging terribly, more of which anon. As regards number (2) even Ireland’s top (and only, as far as I know) Irish-aimed radio website and bulletin board has been as boring as f*ck.
But suddenly, after pontificating, elucidating and otherwise blathering about for the past six months, the BCI (Broadcasting Commission of Ireland) has announced it wants expressions of interest from parties wanting to set up smaller-than-currently-existing radio stations in certain areas. But only in the west of the country (oh, and one – ONE! – in Dublin). Now, okay, Dublin has several stations (besides the nationals) such as FM104, 98FM, Spin1038, Q102, Dublin’s Country Mix, Newstalk 106 and community stations like Anna Livia, NEAR FM and so on, but there’s still room for more. And the rest of the country also has room for extra services ranging from non-profit community stations to town and city services and specialist stations to augment the current services provided by the (normally) countywide general service stations.
So why, for all that’s holy, does the BCI decide that the least populated part of the country should be first to get the new smaller services? Is it because, due to the current EU rural support scheme where the BMW (Border, Midlands and West) Region gets the bulk of any European investment funding as well as tax breaks, that investors in that region will more readily be able to raise the dosh needed to fund their stations? I can’t think of any other reason why more localised services than those currently available should go there rather than to any other area of the country.
Wexford, for example, has South East Radio whilst the area encompassing South Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim is served by Ocean FM. Yet the BCI says the latter region deserves more radio services covering areas smaller than the incumbent whilst Wexford, which has about twice the population, is left with South East. Not that SER is a bad station, but why an area of roughly the same size and roughly twice as populated isn’t allowed smaller, more localised radio services is a mystery. The same can be said of Louth and Meath, two counties close to Dublin with consequential exploding commuter populations but which served only by LM FM. Surely that franchise area deserves more services to cater for its diversifying and increasing residential base?