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Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Tubridy set for RTE comeback
Ryan Tubridy is 'positioning himself' for a sensational return to the national broadcaster, multiple sources have told In a dramatic turn of events, Tubridy today repaid the 150,000 'secret payment' which was at the heart of his exit from RTE more than two years ago. News websites and were the first to break the news that Tubridy had returned the sum of 150,000 to the public coffers. Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Nick Edwards And in the wake of the news breaking, a number of insider radio sources told that returning the massive sum of money is 'more than just an altruistic gesture.' 'Would you hand back €150,000 if you didn't have to? Sorry for my language but you would in your h**e' 'There has to be a quid pro quo. So Ryan's handed over the quid so what's the pro'. 'There's the hand of god- or in this case the hand of Noel Kelly- behind the returning of the 150k,' said a source very familiar with the backroom wheeling-and-dealing in radioland. Noel Kelly with Ryan Tubridy – Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin 'It's been well-known for quite some time that Kelly has been orchestrating a campaign to get Tubridy back to RTE,' said the source 'That old saying 'a fool and his money are easily parted' springs to mind. And Noel Kelly may be many things, but a fool he is most definitely not.' 'So returning the money, just a day after the JNLR's when RTE listenership figures were pretty poor across the board ,smacks of more than a goodwill gesture.' Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Virgin Radio UK Indeed the mutterings that Tubridy is set for a comeback have been whispered quietly in the Montrose corridors for some time now. But when the news was broken by today that Tubs had handed back the cash, the whispers became somewhat louder. 'Its been kind of whispered- behind closed doors of course – that Tubrdiy may be coming back. Noel Kelly has been spotted, I'm not going to say in RTE but he's been seen around the vicinity,' they laughed. And the timing couldn't be more prescient. Former RTE Director General Dee Forbes with Ryan Tubridy – Pic: Sam Boal/ 'The JNLR's were out yesterday and RTE did not do well. Joe Duffy is gone, so their flagship show Liveline is up for grabs. It was also announced this week that Mark Simpson was coming across from Newstalk. He has no bad blood with Tubridy, so things are slowly slowly adding up for Tubs to make a road to Damascus-esque return.' 'And here's the other thing. Kelly just doesn't come with a presenter, he comes with a package. Much like he negotiated a sponsorship deal for Doireann Garrihy's 2Fm show. So if Tubridy were to be taken back, his show would be bumper listeners for the first few months at least. So what brand, aside from Renault of course- wouldn't want to get on board that train and sponsor the greatest comeback in RTE's history.' Indeed a third source in the upper echelons of RTE Radio towers further confirmed that a return could very well be on the cards. Clare Tubridy and Ryan Tubridy join Elgin Loane, Publisher of The Irish Post, for The King George for a day of hospitality curated by Zafar Rushdie at Ascot Racecourse. Pic: Getty Images 'Whatever media people may think about Ryan, the fact of the matter is there is an enormous amount public goodwill and show of support for him amongst the general public.' He's got a certain kind of a way with people, they just gravitate to Ryan in a way that not many other broadcasters have. And with Mark Simpson coming over from Newstalk, he hasn't made any promises to staff about Tubridy or voiced any opinion on the matter. Mark has come from an independent station and they are focused now on what listeners want. And to be honest a lot of listeners want Tubridy.' Mark Simpson – Pic – RTE Mutterings of the potential return of Tubridy back into the RTE fold began to circulate when he pitched up at Joe Duffy's leaving bash in July. One source told that when they saw Tubridy mingling among his former colleagues at RTE, it was a sign that the prodigal son was making inroads back. 'As soon as I saw Ryan there I was like 'hmmm, this is a sign that fences are mending. It's well known that Ryan is a homebird . He can survive in London but he's not exactly thriving' . His show on Virgin isn't setting the world alight but it's a gig. But Tubridy loves Ireland and it's kind of known that he wants to come home. And home for Ryan has and always will be RTE.' Ryan Tubridy and Graham Norton at Evans Store Bantry before going onstage for the last event of this years West Cork Literary Festival. Pic: Darragh Kane And an RTE staffer told that management at Montrose are 'spineless ' and as 'sure as day they would have him back' 'Of course they'll have him back. They're spineless. It doesn't matter what promises were made to staff or how they might feel if Ryan returns. They rather put up with a few disgruntled workers than stand up for their principles. So yeah of course they'll have him back.'
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
RTÉ is winning at weekends, but things are not so rosy at 2FM
RTÉ has had its fair share of controversies in recent years, but the latest radio listenership figures suggest there is much for the broadcaster to be pleased about. It is responsible for 18 of the 20 most popular programmes on air, and many of its Radio 1 programmes, though not all, are doing well. More people than ever are listening to Lyric FM, while Raidio na Gaeltachta listenership is also up. However, the situation at 2FM does not look so rosy. The latest figures from the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) survey span the year from July to June. The book-on-book figures look at the second quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of the year, while year-on-year compares the second quarter of this year with the same period last year. Pic: Kinlan Photography. Weekends are the big winners at Radio 1, and Brendan O'Connor is the standout success with his Saturday morning show gaining 72,000 listeners since the same time last year to reach an audience of 412,000. And his Sunday audience is 409,000, up 63,000 year-on-year. The Business, which airs before O'Connor on Saturdays, has gained 20,000 in the past year, to hit 351,000 listeners. And the earlier Playback is up 14,000 to reach an audience of 351,000. Additionally, Saturdays With Colm Ó Mongáin, which airs after O'Connor, is up 13,000 year-on-year to reach an audience of 229,000. On Sundays, Miriam O'Callaghan's show has gained 8,000 listeners, while This Week is up 17,000 to 200,000, with Sunday Sport also gaining. Pic: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos During the week, Claire Byrne is holding her own, with 10,000 more people tuning in to reach 354,000. Oliver Callan has increased again with his 18,000 extra listeners, meaning his audience matches Byrne's at 354,000. This is more than his predecessor, Ryan Tubridy, was bringing in when he left RTÉ two years ago. Byrne and Callan's gains appear to be at the expense of Newstalk's Pat Kenny, who lost 28,000 listeners, falling from 244,000 last year to 216,000 this year. But it's not all good news at RTÉ. The broadcaster's flagship weekday programme, Morning Ireland, is down 17,000 year-on-year, from 486,000 this time in 2024 to 469,000. And the News At One and Liveline have lost 2,000 and 3,000 listeners respectively. It will be interesting to see how Liveline fares in the next survey, now that Joe Duffy has left the building. Matt Cooper. Pic: Fran Veale The figures also showed that TodayFM is rising in popularity, with the station enjoying a weekly audience of 928,000 listeners from April until the end of June, a rise of 33,000 book-on-book. The Last Word with Matt Cooper netted an impressive 18,000 new daily listeners while The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show gained 10,000 in the same period. Back at RTÉ, the vibes are not good at 2FM. Station head Dan Healy put it down to it being 'early days for the new 2FM schedule'. Former Breakfast Show star Doireann Garrihy rejoined the station in January, just eight months after leaving. She is now presenting the 3pm-6 pm drivetime gig, which has an audience of 125,000, a drop of 32,000 since this time last year, which itself was a decrease from when The 2 Johnnies were in the slot. Laura Fox, in the 9 am-12 pm slot, has an audience of 122,000, a drop of 19,000 from 12 months ago, while 2FM Breakfast has lost 10,000 listeners.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
RTÉ's Liveline listenership dipped by 8,000 before Joe Duffy departed
RTÉ Radio 1's flagship show Liveline has recorded a loss of 8,000 listeners, Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) figures reveal. This brings its audience to an average of 299,000 per show. The data covers the 12 months to last June, with long-time host Joe Duffy's departure coming at the end of that month. RTÉ Radio 1 is the most popular station in the State, reaching 1.4 million listeners a week, JNLR figures show. Its market share of 35 to 54 year-olds has grown to 14 per cent. But RTÉ 2FM suffered a loss of 37,000 since the last survey. It now reaches 677,000 listeners a week. READ MORE Brendan O'Connor's audience grew by 49,000 listeners on Saturdays since the last survey, taking it to 412,000. His Sunday listenership was up by 40,000 to 409,000. Morning Ireland retained its place as the most listened-to programme on Irish radio. On weekdays, the show dropped 2,000 listeners since the last survey to register an audience of 469,000. Today with Claire Byrne has 354,000 listeners, up 6,000 since the last survey, while Louise Duffy's audience of 219,000 dropped 4,000. News at One recorded an audience of 298,000 – up 1,000 since the last survey. Ray D'Arcy dropped 10,000 to reach 182,000, while Drivetime dropped by 4,000 to a listenership of 217,000. Sunday with Miriam saw an increase of 13,000 to 317,000. 'There has been a particularly strong performance at weekends in this book [of JNLR figures] with gains across the board,' Tara Campbell, head of RTÉ Radio 1, said. 'One of the standout performances has been the Brendan O'Connor Show, which now has a listenership of over 400,000 on both Saturdays and Sundays.' Ms Campbell also paid tribute to Arena presenter Seán Rocks , who died last week following a brief illness . 'It's important today to think of our wonderful colleague, the late Seán Rocks. Seán and his colleagues worked tirelessly to make Arena such an important programme in the schedule, and Seán's family, friends and team remain in our thoughts,' she said. Bauer Media Audio's Today FM has 928,000 weekly listeners, with the station recording a daily reach of 499,000 and a market share of 8.4 per cent. The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show's audience of 213,000 is up 10,000 since the last survey; Dave Moore is up 5,000 to 198,000; while Ray Foley's audience is recorded at 159,000, an increase of 6,000. Louise Cantillon's listenership also rose by 12,000, bringing her listeners to 119,000. The Last Word with Matt Cooper went up significantly with an 18,000 increase since the last JNLR quarterly report, bringing the show to 181,000. Pat Kenny's show on Newstalk remains the most popular programme on commercial radio, with 216,000 listeners, down 8,000 from the last survey. Andrea Gilligan's Lunchtime Live audience is down 10,000 to 124,000; and Seán Moncrieff's listenership remains stable at 108,000. At the weekend, market share increased for The Anton Savage Show, whose Saturday figures are up 6,000 to 139,000. Off the Ball is up 1,000 to 158,000 on Saturday. A boost of 9,000 since the last survey brings its Sunday audience to 155,000. The JNLR survey, compiled on behalf of the radio industry by research firm Ipsos, shows 3.97 million people listened to the radio every week over the past 12 months.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
More people listening to the radio on weekends, but fewer tune in to RTÉ's weekday shows
Weekend radio shows have received a boost in listener figures, but weekday shows at RTÉ have taken a hit, according to the latest figures. The quarterly Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) figures showed Brendan O'Connor leading the charge with his weekend slot on Radio 1 with similar boosts for Miriam O'Callaghan and This Week on RTÉ, along with Anton Savage on Newstalk and Alison Curtis on Today FM. On the other hand, Liveline was among the RTÉ shows to lose figures as Joe Duffy's long tenure as presenter came to an end in June. When compared with the last quarter, RTÉ's Morning Ireland has shed 2,000 listeners but is still Ireland's most listened to radio programme at 469,000 listeners. The next highest is the Brendan O'Connor Show at weekends which has increased its audience numbers significantly, from 363,000 on Saturdays in the last survey to 412,000 listeners. Similarly, on Sundays, it has boosted numbers from 369,000 to 409,000. While Oliver Callan and the Louise Duffy Show on Radio 1 are down on the previous survey, Today with Claire Byrne has added listeners at 354,000 (up 6,000). News at One is up slightly to 298,000 while Drivetime is down to 217,000. Ray D'Arcy, meanwhile, has shed listeners from 192,000 to 182,000. Liveline, for which a permanent successor to Joe Duffy has yet to be announced, fell from 307,000 to 299,000 listeners. Continuing the positive weekend theme, RTÉ's Sunday with Miriam [O'Callaghan] now enjoys 317,000 listeners, up from 304,000. This Week, on Sundays, has risen from 184,000 listeners to 200,000 in the latest figures. 'RTÉ Radio 1 has consolidated its position as the biggest radio station in the country and continues to be the number one destination for listeners in the competitive age 35 to 54 demographic,' head of RTÉ Radio 1 Tara Campbell said. Commercial radio For Today FM, Alison Curtis has an audience of 186,000 for her Saturday show, which is a rise of 8,000. The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show added 10,000 listeners to reach 213,000. Dave Moore added 5,000 listeners to reach 198,000 for his 9am-midday show. The Last Word with Matt Cooper had a significant jump of 18,000 listeners to 181,000 since the last JNLR survey. On Newstalk, the Pat Kenny Show dropped from 224,000 since April-May to 216,000 but remains the most popular programme on commercial radio. Kieran Cuddihy on the Hard Shoulder , however, added 12,000 new listeners to reach 165,000. Anton Savage, meanwhile, has increased his listenership by 6,000 since the spring to enjoy an audience of 139,000 for his Saturday show on Newstalk. There was also good news for Off The Ball, up 8,000 to 59,000 listeners. Both Newstalk and Today FM are owned by Bauer Media Audio Ireland, whose CEO Chris Doyle said: 'These results are a reflection of the appeal, diversity and engagement of our programming across our national and regional network. 'While today is an important benchmark, it's one that we're going to build on, entertaining and informing current audiences while also attracting new listeners looking for the type of radio and audio that they can't find elsewhere.' More generally, the JNLR/Ipsos report showed 3.49 million listeners tuning into radio every day, covering some 79.3% of adults. Among 15-34s, two thirds (67.5%) listen every day.
The Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Liveline audience was down 8,000 in June when Joe Duffy signed off the airwaves
JOE DUFFY SIGNED off the airwaves with an audience drop of 8,000. In May, Duffy announced his retirement from RTÉ Radio One , after 37 years at the broadcaster and 27 years at the helm of Liveline. His final edition of Liveline was on 27 June and he said it was a 'privilege' to host the show. Today, the JNLR listenership figures were released for the 12 months to the end of June, around the time Duffy bid farewell to Liveline. The JNLR survey is conducted among an annual sample of around 16,800 people aged 15 and over. It uses the 'one-day-aided' recall methodology, whereby the respondent recalls all their listening activity for the day prior. According to the latest survey, roughly 3.83 million adults are listening to Irish radio every day. That's a drop from the first quarter of the year, when this figure stood at 3.97 million. Dublin Fire Brigade with pictured with Joe Duffy as he presents his final farewell show in Studio 1 in RTÉ Radio Centre. Andres Poveda Andres Poveda In the 12 months to March , Liveline with Joe Duffy had an audience of 307,000. In the most recent figures in the year to June, this audience dropped by 8,000 to 299,000 listeners. Elsewhere, both Oliver Callan and RTÉ's flagship Morning Ireland saw slight decreases in listenership, down 1,000 to 354,000 for Callan and down 2,000 to 469,000 for Morning Ireland, which remains Ireland's most-listened-to radio show. File image of Oliver Callan Meanwhile, it's good news for Brendan O'Connor who sees a sharp increase in his audience. When compared to the first quarter of the year, the audience for his Saturday show is up 49,000 to 412,000 while his Sunday audience is up 40,000 to 409,000. Today with Claire Byrne meanwhile is up 6,000 to 354,000. Advertisement ile image of Claire Byrne RTÉ Radio One has also increased its weekly reach by 25,000 to hit 1.403 million. Over on RTÉ 2FM, the Breakfast show is down 9,000 listeners to 139,000, Laura Fox has lost 5,000 listeners and has an audience of 122,000, while Drive with Doireann Garrihy is down 8,000 to 125,000. File image of Doireann Garrihy It was announced in January that Garrihy would return to the station after a brief hiatus . Bauer network It's been good news for the Bauer Media Audio Ireland, which includes Today FM and Newstalk, as well as 98FM, SPIN1038, Cork's Red FM, iRadio and Beat. This radio network has a weekly reach of 2.28 million and a daily reach of 1.56 million. On Today FM, the Ian Dempsey Show continues to add listeners, up 9,000 to reach a morning audience of 213,000. Dave Moore has also seen a rise in listeners, up 5,000 when compared to March to an audience of 198,000. Matt Cooper meanwhile has seen a sharp increase since figures from the first quarter of the year – his audience is up 17,000 to hit 181,000. Meanwhile, the station as a whole has a weekly audience of 928,000, up 14,000, while its daily reach is 499,000, up 33,000. Over on Newstalk, The Pat Kenny Show remains the most popular programme on commercial radio, though it is down 8,000 listeners to 216,000. Newstalk's Pat Kenny Kieran Cuddihy has added 12,000 listeners to the Hard Shoulder, with an audience of 165,000, while Off The Ball has seen its audience rise by 8,000 to 59,000. On Off The Ball's weekend offerings, record audiences have been reached, with 158,000 tuning in on Saturday's, an increase of 1,000, while 155,000 listen in on Sunday's, up 9,000. The Anton Savage Show on Saturday's meanwhile is up 6,000 to an audience of 139,000. Elsewhere on the Bauer network, 98FM's weekly reach is down slightly to a figure of 195,000, a drop of 2,000, while Cork's Red FM has a weekly reach of 174,000. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
