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IT’S THE DAY when all the radio stations compete to tell everyone how successful they are.
The latest radio listenership figures - known as the JNLRs – were released this afternoon, and within minutes, employees at every radio station in the country were poring through the vast amount of statistics within its pages.
Because there’s so much information, there are a lot of figures that stations can spin to present themselves in a positive light to advertisers and listeners.
The report covers the 12 months from April 2013 to March 2014, and showed that 83 per cent of all adults listen to the radio every weekday. Just over half (57 per cent) listen to a local or regional station, while just under half (45 per cent) listen to a national station.
Irish people are a radio-lovin’ folk: on average, we listen to almost 4 hours per day between 7am and 7pm on a weekday.
National radio stations are the most popular in Dublin, while local and regional stations do best in the north-west, Cork, and the south-west regions (and particularly among younger people aged 15-34, who listen to them a lot more than they do to national stations).
The JNLR/Ipsos MRBI report notes that in many areas local radio stations reach more than 40 per cent of the local adult population every day, while in Kerry, Mayo and north Donegal, more than half the population tunes in every day
One of the biggest changes in Irish radio in the past year was the shake-up at 2FM which saw many presenters axed or given less-prominent slots to allow new shows to come through. The station’s boss Dan Healy said it was too soon to see any changes in the listenership figures. However, he said, “we have seen progress in the Dublin market compared to this time last year”.
Here’s a quick round-up of some of the big results.
Seán versus Pat:
You know Pat Kenny moved to Newstalk, right? Did we mention that? Well, he’s still not quite there a year, but so far his mid-morning breakfast show is now at 114,000 listeners every day, up by 18,000.
Meanwhile Today with Seán O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio One is down by 15,000 listeners – but he won’t be crying into his microphone just yet. The show still gets 312,000 listeners, putting it comfortably within the top ten most listened to programmes on Irish radio.
The Breakfast Club
Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One continues to hold its position as the big daddy of Irish radio with 440,000 listeners – even though it lost 5,000 listeners – making it the most popular programme in the country yet again.
Further up the dial, Newstalk Breakfast presented by Ivan Yates and Chris Donoghue saw its listenership increase by 16,000 to 137,000.
At the lighter end of things, Ian Dempsey has 189,000 listeners every day on Today FM, compared to 124,000 for 2FM’s Breakfast.
Mid-morning talk kings
Ray D’Arcy saw his figures on Today FM fall to 218,000 listeners, but he remains significantly ahead of Ryan Tubridy on 2FM which has 148,000 listeners, and which also saw a decline.
Evening talk shows
In the battle for commuters on the way home from work, RTE Radio One’s Drivetime with Mary Wilson continues to lead the way with 241,000 listeners, although the figures fell by some 19,000, followed by The Last Word with Matt Cooper on Today FM with 157,000 listeners every day and The Right Hook with 121,000.
The Quiet Man
Ronan Collins has slowly but surely built up his audience to 221,000 listeners every day on what has typically been a weird makeshift slot on RTE Radio One between the Today programme and the News at One. His try-anything approach to music is clearly winning over his audience.
National stations
There was very little change in the overall listenership of the national stations. When respondents were asked which national station they had listened to yesterday, 24 per cent said RTE Radio One (which was no change on the previous figures. Twelve per cent listened to Today FM, a fall of one percentage point. Ten per cent listened to 2FM (also down one), 9 per cent to Newstalk (no change) and 4 per cent to Lyric FM.
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Was there in 94 in Thurles Stadium, camping on that racecourse nearby. Great festival, no scangers. Prodigy and Sounds Crowd Orchestra on stage
@Rear Admiral: 76 pathetic little middle class bigots.. and counting!!
I was excited until I got to ‘vegan food stalls’
Jesus wept …
@Dara O’Brien: a chipper that does just chips.
@John D12: ah they’d find some reason to protest against that too
Feile was just some of the best times of my life! Best of luck to them.
Prosecco bars and vegan food stalls, while sitting down and listening to some orchestral mishmash of brewing up a storm… how can in even be called Féile?
Incidentally their next project is to produce a movie about 3 estranged sisters who make amends during a cross country road trip to attend a great aunts funeral in Nebraska… and call it Jurassic Park 5
@Stephen Boland: Quality comment!
Transvision Vamp in ’91, Wendy James
Happy days
Feile was not the first multi day music festival in Ireland
@Mark Johnson: what?
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: Lisdoonvarna and Macroom?
Castlebar…..”Occasion at the castle” weekend rock festival. Early 1980s.
Back in the days u could build a fire in the campsite and the after concert rave in the stands
Ah Jesus, brings back memories, some poor b&&&ard was always pushed over when in the portaloo.
Any yokes?
Geez sounds brilliant!!!
Great
Thurles music heads tried to revive Feile a few years ago too…..
@Mark Johnson: your comments are making no sense mark. What are you talking about?
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: pretty clear to everyone else…
Adding in the word classical is a great way of dissuading “people referred to as scangers” like the way classical music has been successfully used in subway stations to reduce loitering and crime.
Could be great, but flip-side is this (coupled with nostalgic acts) is going attract more “people referred to as ..ahem.. boring”.
@Jazz Buckler: Dinosaur Dads in Reni hats boring everyone about “the good aul days” and when music wasn’t Shite before slipping off hometown catch an episode of Catastrophe
No offence Tom but you lads are the rest of the bands mentioned had their day. What an awful line-up
Before my time but from all accounts although it may have been a Mecca for Irish bands it was an absolute hell on earth for Irish music fans. A badly organised gathering full of drunken louts with very little by way of proper facilities on the ground.
Anyway, this is the new smooth corporate hipster version by all accounts.
@Gene Dexter: nah, it was brilliant! You weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand.
@Gene Dexter: u can’t help yourself can you, don’t know who u were talking to but feile was great craic
@Gene Dexter: Ridiculous comments on every article. Quite a sad little life you must have, by all accounts.
@Gene Dexter: if anyone wants to know the definition of a “snowflake” they only have to look at your comment. You’re actually complaining about an event you were too young to attend. Despite that I speak for all of us that were there and just want to thank you for taking offence on our behalf.
Can I bring my granny?
Féile mo thoín. Bring back the old line up maybe.
Feile ’93. Had my first experience there in a tent with my best buddy (first love) while his cousin slept beside us.
A few dates wouldn’t have gone astray…
The rave on the stand beside the horse parade pumped with tunes from a ghetoblaster. Followed in the morning with a visit to the Hare Krishna tent to get a wholesome breakfast of beans and rice. Simple delights
The rave on the stand beside the horse parade pumped with tunes from a ghetoblaster. Followed by a visit to the hare krishna tent for a breakfast of beans and rice. Happy days
Rave in the stand beside the horse parade pumped by tunes from a ghetoblaster. Followed by a trip to the hare Krishna tent for a breakfast of beans and rice. Happy days
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