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OKAY, SO STICKING washing machines, bikes and other metal objects to a billboard under the slogan “Radio Ireland – Magnetic Listening” wasn’t the greatest idea of all time, but sitting out in RTÉ it still seemed to me that exciting times were ahead and something special was about to happen on the national radio spectrum in Ireland.
Radio Ireland, which became Today FM began broadcasting 20 years ago this week and celebrated by converting The Jervis Centre into a massive Disco Bar, throwing an awesome party to which even the competition, like me, was invited.
I accepted (the polite thing to do) and had the eye opening hazy night of nights. The next morning wasn’t as pleasant but I did realise that this golden ticket wasn’t the only invitation I would accept from them. Or my last hangover.
At the request of John McColgan, I moved in one year later in 1998 to host the Breakfast Show.
The atmosphere was fearless and addictive
After initially trying to please all of the people all of the time, Radio Ireland changed its name to Today FM, sharpened its tools and got busy.
The atmosphere of trying out new ideas was addictive and the fearless nature of all the staff allowed us to make a complete balls of something and then just move on with enthusiasm to our next attempt. Some would call it naivety but it felt more like a radio crusade to all of us.
Today FM is an enigma to most seasoned radio professionals because, on paper at least, it shouldn’t really work. A mix of my fluffy breakfast show, mid morning banter, music with chat, more music, hard news with a little human interest, more serious music, a business show and a five hour soccer show.
This would give most programmers the ultimate migraine but Today FM has succeeded because of one vital ingredient: the listener. They celebrate, criticise, share and surprise us every hour of every day.
The can do attitude makes it all work
From day one the Today FM listener has felt ownership of the station and their views and opinions were always taken on board. With social media it’s now even easier for them to be heard and none of the shows get away with any slack for too long.
In Today FM there’s a can do attitude in the air where we always say “why not? rather than “let’s not” and through the last 20 years we have always tried to bring the wow factor to our shows.
Memorable highlights include our coverage of several World Cups including Gift Grub predicting Roy’s exit 24 hours before he headed for the airport, The Euros, Shave Or Dye, You Do The Maps, Whole Lotta Live, The Ski Trip, Dare To Care, The Jumbo Jet In Transit to Enniscrone, Blow Me (a rude sounding but innocent cash giveaway), A Minute With A Million and many more.
Work hard play hard approach
There was always a work hard play hard approach in the radio station and our Christmas parties (and summer, Easter, nearly autumn and any excuse parties) were the stuff of legend.
Recently recovered photographs will never be seen by the general public, a decision everybody in Today FM agrees is the right thing to do.
I mean, was I really asleep in that picture? But I was standing up. Did Matt Cooper really say that? What was he thinking? Is that not Louise Duffy? And is that not also illegal?
There are so many great moments from all the shows and many more still to be conjured up in our bizarre little radio heads.
Along with the current line up we have had fine broadcasters like Eamon Dunphy, Ray D’Arcy, Anton Savage and the late Tony Fenton transmitting to the nation. I miss them all personally but Today FM is now fully revved up and ready to take on another 20 years, connecting directly with listeners as only we can and continuing to be a vital part of every day. That means Today.
Ian Dempsey hosts the Breakfast Show on Today FM.
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Only temporarily the Dutch KCT and the Australian SAS are on the ground are securing the area
There is no way the rebels would allow Western special forces into the area
How would they know, special forces aren’t going to announce their arrival in advance, they’re already 1.5 to 2.0 kilometres off the perimeter of the debris field watching and waiting.
It will be pretty obvious who they are when they get to the site and start looking at the debris.
Good man Neil you should have read the post your responding to
Special forces don’t engage, they watch and wait, unseen and unheard, even if you’re standing right on top of them, but you’ll never get that close because at 1500 metres you never hear the shot… and your comrades can’t return fire because they have no idea where it came from.
If you know they’re there, I’m pretty sure anyone who matters knows they’re there. So somebody’s announced it!
Poor Boggy isn’t the sharpest tool on the box. He’s assuring us that the special forces are securing the area but nobody knows about it except himself. Of course one wonders boggy why the whole thing has then been called off. But I forgot boggy doesn’t engage with conspiracy loons like myself so I guess well never know lol Go back to sleep boggy there are more inane threads for you like 20 things I hate about Monday or something lol
Is this some video game your playing because it aint reality
Ah Jaysus, will the whole Ukraine Army invade the site and clear it. It’s not like Russia will invade seen as it’s Ukraine territory
It’s a pity the Kiev gov dramatically increased its assault upon the rebel positions at exactly the same time MH17 came down and hasn’t let up since. Perhaps the Kiev gov could lay off the shelling to allow an investigation? This is the same gov which won’t release the ATC transcripts or tell us why the flight was diverted over a war zone or why one of their fighter jets was tailing the flight.
John. The flight was not diverted. I challenge you to provide proof that it was.
And you still haven’t answered by question in the previous thread.
So I will ask it again here for a third time.
How did a missile fired from behind hit the Front of the fuselage of MH17? An R60 heat seeking missile has only a 3lbs warhead. Enough to take out one engine and not much more. And as a SU25 cannot carry the larger radar guided R77 which even if it was fired by say a MiG 29, how would it have missed the largest radar return coming from that direction the Tail section? Now we know that the crash investigators at the site have confirmed the the Front of the planes fuselage was where the explosion occured. So will you answer the question please.
Excuse me Mick Jordan but can you point out where I claimed MH17 was hit by an air to air missile? I am simply asking why was the fighter jet present tailing the the flight?
So John how did MH17 get shot down?
And How does an SU25 Fly 6km above its maximum unlaiden flight ceiling?
Now you say Russia has produced Satellite photos of an SU25 behind MH17. Now a satellite photo is 2 dimensional. It can tell you how far a plane was behind MH17. But it cannot tell you the altitude unless the plane was sitting on the ground.
So lets say just for arguments sake an SU25 was behind MH25 flying at its maximum unlaiden ceiling 7000 mtrs, 4km below MH17. Now the guy sitting at the Fire Radar in the SA11 would see two blips on his Radar screen at 2 different altitudes and 2 different strengths the larger plane giving the stonger signal. Now the operators in the SA11 launcher would deduce that the smaller return was a Military jet and because they are expecting to see large transport planes like the ones they had previously shot down assume that the larger one was an An 26. So he says to himself what is the bigger prize. The slower less manuverable transporter full of troops or equipment or the agile Fighter.
And John where is the Proof that the plane was diverted that I asked you to produce?
How many times does it have to be said, an Su-25 is NOT a fighter plane.
Sry Jason. I had to use term “Fighter” just to get my point across as the other side seem to be incapable of distinguishing an Air Superiority Fighter and a Close Support Ground Attack Aircraft.
Wasn’t directed at yourself Mick, it was directed at John and indirectly Horgay who want to use sensationalist language rather than facts.
If Putin had a humane bone in his body he would see to it that MH17 crash site was properly cordoned off and thoroughly searched for remaining 98 innocent victims of that atrocity in Eastern Ukraine.
A few week’s cessation of hostilities there would show some degree of humanity and allow air accident investigators carry out their work.
Ukraine has been at this a while now. It’s as if they have something to hide re the awful plane crash.
Ukraine prevented the OSCE monitors from deploying to the crash site for two days definitely and probably three by shelling the area heavily.
Ukraine refuses to say why Ukrainian secret police confiscated air traffic data immediately after the crash.
Ukraine refuses to even admit why one of its military fighters approached the civilian plane immediately prior to the crash.
Ukraine refuses to answer questions as to why it moved it’s buk anti aircraft system out of the area immediately after the crash despite saying they had no such systems in the area.
All these lies. These are fundamental questions that our Western media will not answer never mind debate. It is much worse than what Wells predicted, much worse.
Horgay. Ukraine did not prevent anyone from deploying to the site that is an outright lie. The Terrorists did as shown by video evidence and statements by the OSCE monitors themselves.
There have been 2 confessions by Terrorist leaders that they Shot down MH17. There are also taped phone conversations between Terrorists and their GRU handlers about their shooting down of MH17. There is also the confession of one the Terrorists that they did have 3 SA 11 launchers and got them from Russia. We also have video of the debris immediately after the attack falling from the sky where Locals can be heard in the background saying “Its a good job we got those Missiles”.
“Ukraine refuses to say why Ukrainian secret police confiscated air traffic data immediately after the crash.”
Standard practice to examine ATC tapes as part of the investigation.
“Ukraine refuses to even admit why one of its military fighters approached the civilian plane immediately prior to the crash.”
The aircraft was NOT a fighter jet, nor could it even hope to follow MH17 as it simply could not fly at the same altitude as MH17.
“Ukraine refuses to answer questions as to why it moved it’s buk anti aircraft system out of the area immediately after the crash despite saying they had no such systems in the area.”
Does a sovereign nation need to explain the movements of its military? The pro-Russians were very quick to say that the Russians didn’t have to explain the movements of their military when the Russians held large drills on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Animals the lot of them,bullies with weapons,put down ur guns and bombs and fight ya windy nutter pigs,should be all melted in tar
And your point is?
have your say