Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

The Breakfast Republic team. RollingNews.ie

RTÉ has been sent to the bold step over 'misleading' listenership figures

The broadcaster had to publish a clarification over a show’s claimed increase in listeners.

RTÉ WAS FOUND to be in breach of guidelines on listenership figures after it said a 2fm show had increased its listenership by more than 70,000.

The state broadcaster trumpeted the success of Breakfast Republic in an article detailing the the latest Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) figures, claiming the show’s listenership had increased from 119,000 to 196,000 in a three-month period.

The show, presented by Keith Walsh, Jennifer Maguire, and Bernard O’Shea, airs weekday mornings between 6am and 9am.

However, Ryan Tubridy had left the station for Radio 1 since the release of July’s figures. Breakfast Republic received 75 minutes of his old timeslot, meaning the show was now on air for longer and had absorbed more listeners.

A similar increase in listeners was claimed for Nicky Byrne’s show, which gained an extra hour.

Today FM branded the RTÉ’s portrayal of these figures as “misleading” and “potentially damaging”.

The Broadcasting Authority’s guidelines on audience growth says these figures must ‘treated carefully’, and any increase on a previous audience figure must be based on the same time slot. The JNLR committee found RTÉ to be in breach of this.

The broadcaster subsequently published a clarification on their website of the figures, while also getting a dig in at Today FM over slight drops in listenership across The Last Word, The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, and The Anton Savage Show.

“It was incorrect to say that this audience has increased as a direct comparison cannot be made,” the article now reads.

Directly comparing 2fm’s morning schedule between 6am to midday with Today FM’s, the commercial rival remains ahead, culminating in a 46,000 listener difference between 8.00am and 8.14am.

2fm share’s of the 15 to 34 age bracket has increased 21% year-on-year, while Today FM grew its entire listenership by 20,000 to 903,000 year-on-year.

Read: RTÉ’s radio have had a STELLAR three months – here’s the latest radio figures >

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.

Close
41 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gabrielle Koussa
    Favourite Gabrielle Koussa
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 3:09 PM

    Terrible.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Kilroy
    Favourite Alan Kilroy
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 2:46 PM

    Weren’t the Lebanese complaining about “Homeland” and the fact that Beirut, “The Paris Of The Middle East” was being portrayed as a bombed out shell of a city and a dangerous place. Heard this on BBC radio yesterday. Something to that effect anyway.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Forkan
    Favourite Kevin Forkan
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 4:08 PM

    There are still quite a few bomb and bullet scarred buildings left in Beirut. There’s also a huge amount of sparkly and sterile norman-forsterized development in the downtown area. It’s an interesting place.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Petr Tarasov
    Favourite Petr Tarasov
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 2:18 PM

    Very sad development.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Noonan
    Favourite Declan Noonan
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 3:13 PM

    Who are these two people? I see that they have twitter accounts. Are they over there tweeting about this? Are they journalists? Are they credible witnesses?

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute toorkeel
    Favourite toorkeel
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 3:54 PM

    I believe Declan they have taken residence in the spare bedroom of the two bed terrace in Coventry already occupied by the the SOHR (Syrian Observatory Human Rights). All mod cons, bills included, close to all amenities….it was a no brainer…

    7
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Noonan
    Favourite Declan Noonan
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 4:12 PM

    Toorkeel, I gave you a green thumb for your comment. :)

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Colin B
    Favourite Colin B
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 7:40 PM

    Spent time there on business last year. Beautiful city and people. Such a shame to see this type of thing again. Horrible no matter where it’s happening.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Darren Swan
    Favourite Darren Swan
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 2:41 PM

    Jasus I didn’t think there was anything left to blow up :)

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McGovern
    Favourite Paul McGovern
    Report
    Oct 19th 2012, 2:59 PM

    Darren, what you don’t know would fill a large encyclopedia.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute padraig
    Favourite padraig
    Report
    Oct 20th 2012, 2:04 PM

    It might have also had the Phalange as a target as these Christian dislike Assad deeply, and not just the victim. I think all Levantine Christians are seeing that they have no friends there only people who use them, or they should be.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds