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Radio wars: RTÉ Radio One is still killing its rivals but major shows are now losing listeners

The latest JNLRs have been released.

RTÉ RADIO ONE continues to dominate the national airwaves, producing 18 of the 20 most listened to radio shows in the country.

The latest JNLR figures for April to June show that the national broadcaster now has two shows that are listened to by over 400,000 people.

Despite this, many of RTÉ’s top draws have lost listeners in the second three months of the year.

Today FM and Newstalk both say they are pleased with today’s JNLR results having grown their market shares to 7.7% and 6.3% respectively.

4/3/2015. RTES International Web Player Mixed news for Ryan and Tubridy and Miriam O'Callaghan. Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie

RTÉ Radio One

  • Morning Ireland continues to be comfortably the most listened to radio show in the country with 449,000 listeners. That’s 16,000 more than last year but 11,000 fewer than in April. 
  • At the weekends, Marian Finucane‘s 400,000 listeners on Saturday and 321,000 listeners on Sunday make her shows the second and sixth most listened to radio shows.
  • Liveline continues its popularity as the third most listened to show in the country, with an average of 391,000 listeners a day. That’s 22,000 more than last year and about the same as three months ago.
  • The News at One is the fourth most listened to show with 348,000 daily listeners, down slightly on the previous JNLRs but up on a yearly basis.
  • Today with Seán O’Rourke remains where it is both in terms of position and listeners with 326,000 people tuning in each morning.
  • The Ray D’Arcy Show in the mid-afternoon is down by 6,000 to 211,000 listeners but is also up compared to last year.
  • Drivetime presented by Mary Wilson has a bigger audience than its post-work commuting rivals on Today FM and Newstalk with 236,000 listeners.

image004 Ipsos / RTÉ Ipsos / RTÉ / RTÉ

Two of RTÉ’s biggest stars, Ryan Tubridy and Miriam O’Callaghan both keep their places in the top 10 (7th and 10th), but their shows have lost numbers since the last JNLR release.

The Ryan Tubridy Show commands 319,000 listeners, down 3,000 on the last time out. Sunday with Miriam gets 247,000 listeners every week, 9,000 fewer than in April.

Today FM 

The country’s most listened to private radio station has 100,000 more listeners a week than RTÉ’s 2FM, with the station saying that the results meant “a good day all around for Today FM”.

  • Breakfast radio veteran Ian Dempsey has kept the top spot in the battle of the morning chat shows with 180,000 loyal listeners, the same as his previous figure.
  • The Last Word with Matt Cooper gets 139,000 listeners a night for the early evening news slot, a jump of 7,000 listeners.
  • The Anton Savage Show is the only Today FM show to lose listeners since last time out, shedding 1,000 listeners for an audience of 174,000.

Today FM’s Fergal D’Arcy also added another 3,000 listeners to his evening show, the 7-9pm time slot which Louise Duffy is set to take over from August.

RTÉ 2FM 

In terms of national market share, RTÉ 2FM just pips Newstalk into third place with the station also saying that it has overtaken Today FM in the 15-34 age bracket.

The station’s Breakfast Republic has 151,000 listeners while The Nicky Byrne Show with Jenny Greene has 136,000 listeners, both figures are down on three months ago.

The Tracy Clifford Show has 114,000 listeners and The Eoghan Mc Dermott Show has 112,000 listeners.

28/6/2016. Newstalk Autumn Schedules Newstalk's new breakfast line-up.

Newstalk

There have been loads of changes to Newstalk’s line-up recently, most notably at Newstalk Breakfast and with George Hook’s move to early afternoon. Hook is to be replaced with Chris Donoghue and Sarah McInerny on ‘Newstalk Drive’ from September.

So with that in mind, here are Newstalk’s last JNLRs with those old line ups:

  • Newstalk Breakfast has 163,000 daily listeners, down about 8,000 since the end of January
  • The Pat Kenny Show is up by 5,000 since April with 131,000 listeners a day.
  • George Hook’s time as presenter on his usual slot comes to an end with 132,000 daily listeners on The Right Hook.
  • Newstalk’s most popular radio show continues to be Off The Ball with 194,000 weekend listeners.

Dublin versus the rest of the country

Overall, the figures show that 83% of Irish adults listen to the radio every day.

National radio stations hold the majority share position in Dublin (57.2%) and the greater Dublin commuter belt (57.0%), while regional radio is in the majority in the other regions throughout the country.

Local radio in particular achieves its highest share position in the north west (64.1%), Cork (61.3%) and south west regions (60.3%).

PastedImage-47233 Ipsosmrbi.ie Ipsosmrbi.ie

Read: RTÉ Radio One remains top dog in the radio wars >

Read: How do you replace one of Irish broadcasting’s big beasts? This man has a plan >

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70 Comments
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    Mute Dlow Brown
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:19 PM

    Bus w*nkers

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    Mute Anthony Whelan
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:50 PM

    @Dlow Brown: the picture says it all regarding your comment, putting those 2 words together must’ve gave you a headache

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    Mute L-Plate
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:10 PM

    @Anthony Whelan: same could be said about yours. Boring and no creativity

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    Mute Barra O Brien
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    Jan 29th 2018, 7:46 PM

    @L-Plate: that’s exactly what he’s like in person

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    Mute Anthony Whelan
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:21 PM

    @L-Plate: and your contribution was what again

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    Mute Anthony Whelan
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:25 PM

    @Barra O Brien: sorry if anyone I knew had a name like that I’d remember them. Yours doesn’t ring a bell. Thanks

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:14 PM

    Better post something quickly for the comment section is closed and comments deleted.

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:33 PM

    @Nick Allen:
    ha ha happened to you as well????

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    Mute Presuming Ed
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:33 PM

    @Nick Allen: There was a ‘cool story’ comment deleted earlier. Is that offensive now?!

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:34 PM

    There are to many traffic lights in Dublin!

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    Mute Mr. H
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:06 PM

    @Martin Sinnott: would you rather more crashes??

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    Mute Daragh Cassidy
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:18 PM

    @Mr. H: in fairness there’s some places in Dublin that have traffic lights 20 metres apart. And as for traffic lights on roundabouts!?
    Most of the new lights seem to be pedestrian lights. They’re not there to prevent car crashes. In blackrock there’s 7 sets over 200 meters. It’s ridiculous.

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    Mute The Watcher
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:43 PM

    @Mr. H: Too many and badly synced traffic lights can cause driver frustration and lead to drivers making bad decisions causing accidents. Most city accents are at traffic controlled junctions. Where traffic lights don’t exist, motorists instinctively display more caution and accidents tend to be fewer. Nevertheless, there still is a need for traffic lights on certain roads.

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    Mute The Watcher
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:46 PM

    @Daragh Cassidy: there was an accident last night on the Temple Hill / Monkstown road junction of Blackrock. A taxi and a car. Proves that traffic lights don’t prevent accidents. Although, I have to admit, traffic lights are needed at this junction.

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Jan 29th 2018, 6:12 PM

    @Mr. H: no just better usage of less lights

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    Mute Don Knox
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    Jan 29th 2018, 6:29 PM

    @Martin Sinnott: it’s TOO Martin
    Not TO

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello.
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    Jan 29th 2018, 6:56 PM

    @Martin Sinnott: I would like more of them. A worrying development last time I was in town was that some sets of pedestrian crossing lights have been removed where Talbot Street crosses the southbound track of the new Luas loop.

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    Mute Valthebear
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    Jan 29th 2018, 7:25 PM

    @Daragh Cassidy: Yep. Takes nearly an hour to drive the mile or two between Phibsboro and Drumcondra most evenings. As for traffic lights and roundabouts, try negotiating the Donaghmede roundabout in the morning…

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    Mute Cynical
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:38 PM

    @Daragh Cassidy: A roundabout with traffic lights can actually sustain a higher level of traffic than either a unlit roundabout or lit intersection… so there! ;)

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    Mute Gulliver Foyle
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:22 PM

    Can I just say that dcc’s head of traffic, Brendan O’Brien still had a job in traffic. This is the person the journal described as Dublin’s traffic supremo last year. Probably get this comment deleted by stating the person dcc say is responsible, is actually responsible and is incompetent at his job.

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    Mute Ian McNally
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    Jan 29th 2018, 7:44 PM

    @Gulliver Foyle: we all know its Owen keegan behind every traffic catastrophe that occurs in the city

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    Mute The Dublinist
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:17 PM

    What on earth are they thinking? The buses being diverted will make no difference after they introduce even longer trams through the small streets of Dublin. It’s the people who make decisions about public transport who use it the least out of all of us.

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    Mute The Solipsist
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:22 PM

    Here’s a novel idea – build up in places people actually want to live! Plenty of commuters would be only too delighted to live in a high rise where they could walk to work in a few minutes instead of two hours each way from a house share in suburbia. But even mention anything more than four stories tall and the locals have conniptions about incongruence with the skyline and politicians jump on any bandwagon going about “saving” an “iconic” space.

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    Mute Tom
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:25 PM

    @The Solipsist: It would still be more affordable to live in the suburbs though.
    The city centre rents are stratospheric and its easier to bring down cost by sharing a house with four/five than an apartment with two/three.

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    Mute neuromancer
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:59 PM

    Do we need so many bus stops in the centre of Dublin? Some of the stops for a single bus, are so close you could stand at one and see the next one. Dublin is such a small city, that it’s possible to walk a short distance to each stop.

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    Mute James Patrick Boyle
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:36 PM

    I was changing from a Dublin Bus (got off on Dame St) to Luas (Trinity stop) this morning at about 08:30 and there was definitely a lot less traffic about. Was on a bus last week coming towards College Green from Lord Edward St and it crawled from Christchurch for about 10 minutes without evening getting to the old Central Bank, driver advised us to get off if we wanted to walk faster. No such scene this morning, so cautious approval of this change.

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    Mute James Patrick Boyle
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:37 PM

    @James Patrick Boyle: Without even*

    Best be on my way home with that typo.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jan 29th 2018, 6:28 PM

    @James Patrick Boyle: Good to know. Liking the driver who offered the option to get out and walk. Nothing worse than being trapped in traffic on a bus that can’t let you out!

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    Mute brian mclaughlin
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    Jan 29th 2018, 8:23 PM

    @Fiona Fitzgerald: Hope the kind driver let you off in a safe place and gave you a refund

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    Mute brian mclaughlin
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:59 PM

    To avoid all that stress come to Donegal If your are in no hurry to get there as our train service and motorway is still at the objection stage .If you want an ideal life when the only stress will be trying to get a job seeing your children going off to third level and the expense of and the lack of affordable acc.for them After all the years they will probably emigrate When someone needs what should be care that is taken for granted in Dublin is almost a lifetime away Where the scenery is fantastic when the weather allows you to see it Where we have Poloticians who are all afraid of the party whip When you need a long haul flight to visit children who had to go to far off lands it can be 4 or 6 hours to get to the airport Give me the stress of College Green any day

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    Mute Harry Corry
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:13 PM

    @brian mclaughlin: Puts it in to perspective..

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    Mute brian mclaughlin
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:31 PM

    @Harry Corry: Thank you it does indeed That was an edited version

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:49 PM

    Perfect example of the mess that is Dublin Planning .. There is no joined up thinking, or practical solutions other that a Luas that basically goes 2 directions, ban all the cars and bicycles for all .. The City has been tron up for years with Luas and the extension, soon as done .. oh wait now we have problems .. ok more construction and lets no ban all traffic for other areas .. There needs to be at least a 10 year plan for Dublin and all have to be agreed on it first, plan it properly and then execute .. else we will have chaos .. oh wait now we do ..

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    Mute Annette Curtin
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:06 PM

    @Irish Bob: What?

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Jan 29th 2018, 6:15 PM

    @Irish Bob: there are plans called the national development plan that’s constantly being wheeled out every political cycle… nothing gets done here. Corruption and incompetence combined with parochial mindsets and lack of imagination or willingness… lethal combination

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    Mute brian mclaughlin
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    Jan 29th 2018, 6:26 PM

    @Irish Bob: Dublin planning is a mess because anyone forward thinking is ignored Those who Toe the line are promoted lest they expose those who have gone before them same as POLITICS in dail

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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:09 PM

    All buses should terminate at the edge of city say places like the M1 airport exit or near Clare Hall, put large car parks as well so people could drive to there and from there onwards there be trams and cycle paths. Put all the tram routes back.

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    Mute Damo_Greene
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    Jan 29th 2018, 5:00 PM

    They have also f##ked up both the north and south quays for this.

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    Mute tom McCormack
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:47 PM

    The people in charge of Dublin City transport are just making it up as they go along.

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Jan 29th 2018, 6:11 PM

    Deck chairs on the titanic come to mind

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    Mute brian mclaughlin
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:25 PM

    @Marc Power: Did you think up that comment all on your own?You should get a copyright

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    Mute brian mclaughlin
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    Jan 29th 2018, 9:43 PM

    @brian mclaughlin:

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    Mute David Dickson
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    Jan 29th 2018, 4:19 PM

    Is your head half empty or half full?

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jan 29th 2018, 10:53 PM

    @David Dickson: Good idea for a poll!

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    Mute Tony Gartland
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    Jan 30th 2018, 11:29 AM

    SERIOUSLY I was home recently when I saw a 46A in… Phibsboro… It used to go to the Quays, and you’d use those two items at the end of your legs for a few minutes, and hey presto, you could get the 4, 10 or 14 to the park.. Now, most of the bus numbers are changes (12, 12A 22, 22A gone) etc, and more buses crossing the Liffey, hence jamming up the city centre. Same with getting to Landsdowne…. You’d get above mentioned routes to town, then walk… remember that feeling?… to another bus…. to Landsdowne…or Dun Laoghaire….. Dun Laoghaire to the park….. Really??? As for the stops on O’Connell street…. AND Dublin bus STILL has the problem of one packed bus followed by 2 empty ones….. Sort out the cobwebs and see things clearer before tinkering with something. As for that LUAS… using the old train lines was the best thing…then use existing services.. but no, they had to cross the city……..

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    Mute Tony Gartland
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    Jan 30th 2018, 11:14 AM

    I see Dublin Bus has re-published a book from it’s 80′s and 90′s past.. Aesop’s Fables… sorry, bus timetables and schedules… It wasn’t working too well then, but it wasn’t broken.. they have tried and (it seems) failed…

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