Idle chatter set to return as 2fm bans all daytime talk

Home News | International | Letters | Editorial & Opinion

News goes down badly with staff as station set to focus on music-only programming

Ken Sweeney Entertainment editor

Nikki Hayes and Rick O'Shea: ordered to drop non-music items from their daytime shows

Michael Cahill: tipped

Nikki Hayes

RTÉ pop station 2fm is to dumb down its afternoon schedule by banning any talk from its shows and ordering its DJs to play music only.

The Sunday Tribune has learned that from this week, DJs Nikki Hayes and Rick O'Shea will drop non-music items from their shows. The move will result in just
one researcher working across three separate shows presented by Hayes, O'Shea and Drivetime presenter
Will Leahy.

"A couple of weeks ago the DJs were brought in by RTÉ management and told there wasn't going to be any more talk in the afternoons on 2fm", an RTÉ source told the Sunday Tribune. "It's going to be all music from now on."

The man overseeing the decision is former 2fm DJ Michael Cahill, who recently took charge of the station's daytime programming, and who is tipped to take
over from John Clarke as head of 2fm.

The news is said to have gone down badly with staff.

"Both Nikki and Rick's shows offered listeners smart intelligent content," according to one source. "Rick in particular had interviews with authors, movie reviews and invited listeners to ring in on certain topics. Nikki and Rick won't be saying anything more now than 'that was a record by such-and-such. Next up is such-and-such,' which is what every other radio station in the country does. It's wrong, especially when you consider RTÉ is supposed to be a public-service broadcaster."

Unconfirmed reports claim that 2fm's sudden focus on music could be related to a new 2fm website being launched this year where listeners will be able to buy music online.

"If you're listening online and 2fm plays, let's say, The Kings of Leon, you'll be
able to click a button which allows you to buy the track through the 2fm website," the source said. "The more music 2fm plays, the more they can sell. In the current climate, everything in RTÉ has to pay its way."

In response to queries, an RTÉ spokeswoman said: "RTÉ 2fm is and has been primarily a music radio
station. This has not changed. Staff levels in 2fm will be as they were in 2008."

She denied that Michael Cahill had been responsible for the decision to opt for the music-only format.

Asked if there were any plans to sell music on the new 2fm website, she said: "The new 2fm website is in development at the moment."

January 4, 2009

Comments

#1 Sinéad commented, on January 5, 2009 at 11:21 a.m.:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

I do not listen to 2FM for the music and I won't be listening to 2FM for the music.

#2 rachel commented, on January 5, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.:

thank god we don't have to listen any more to their rubbish

#3 Darragh commented, on January 5, 2009 at 3:12 p.m.:

Like Sinéad, i don't listen to 2FM for the music, I listened for the banter, the reviews and the occasional mad yokes they had on.

What a remarkably shortsighted decision, especially from a former DJ who you'd think would know better! Where is the benefit in that to the listeners or station at all?

#4 Shark Trager commented, on January 5, 2009 at 3:53 p.m.:

The accompanying photo speaks volumes as to why RTE2 is crap,the inane banter of "whacky"jocks is long past its sell by date,that date was sometime in 1992,good riddance!

#5 leroy commented, on January 5, 2009 at 9:06 p.m.:

Now if only someone would do that for chris moyles on radio1 in england!!

jesus somedays its like 2 songs an hour if your lucky!

#6 Hugo commented, on January 5, 2009 at 10:46 p.m.:

Wow. I can't believe it. I will have to go elsewhere for my fix of inane drivel from now on.

#7 D commented, on January 6, 2009 at 12:56 a.m.:

Thank god. Nikki Hayes needs gagging. Weather or herself is all that she talks about. I'm delighted. And no more '51552 or rick@rte.ie' every 5 minutes. PRAISE THE LORD

#8 Bill commented, on January 6, 2009 at 1:14 a.m.:

Will they still be allowed to talk over the intro of every song? And cut every song off with about a minute left?

2fm is everything that is wrong with radio. I liked Rick's show, I generally thought that the topics he covered were interesting (put it this way, I never tuned in to his show for the music).

#9 Niall commented, on January 6, 2009 at 12:48 p.m.:

I wouldn't call it "dumbing down" by getting rid of both these DJ's inane drivel. If anything, it means upscaling their shows. How do talentless individuals with huge egos get on radio anyway. Pity Phantom went the other way with their Pure Morning show when they replaced Sinsiter Pete with some guy and a girl going over the usual bog standard morning crew type drivel. I now listen to 2XM in the morning. Music only!

#10 donna m commented, on January 6, 2009 at 5:06 p.m.:

I get up at 6am just to listen to Rick with my breakfast (I live in Canada and listen online). without the banter, its just another internet radio station and surely not worth getting up early for. One of the most successful local stations here in Vancouver, has both its morning slot and afternoon drive slot doing similar - much banter and info and interviews with music interspersed... people want the human touch while they sit in rush hour traffic going nowhere. Bad move on RTE's part I say!

#11 D commented, on January 7, 2009 at 9:23 a.m.:

If they were Dumbing things down surely they'd just give Nikki Hayes the entire afternoon?

#12 jackie commented, on January 7, 2009 at 11:12 a.m.:

yippeeee, the constant useless info about their lives drove me mad, bring on the music people..........

#13 jackie commented, on January 7, 2009 at 11:31 a.m.:

we have Colm & Jim doing the Breakfast Show from 6am to 9am then Gerry Ryan 9-12 it's enough chat and banter; Rick and Nikki's shows are on in the afternoon in Ireland. I think its a good move on the station's behalf.

#14 Gerry Ryan commented, on January 7, 2009 at 7:06 p.m.:

That picture is hilarious.

#15 May Fayne commented, on January 7, 2009 at 10:40 p.m.:

jackie - you mean Jim-Jim, not Jim. More than enough reason not to listen.

#16 Maxi Cane commented, on January 9, 2009 at 6:37 p.m.:

Every other station has music on, the shows by Nikki and Rick were different in their own rights.

I used to switch over to Moncrief when music came on 2fm, now I won't bother switching back.

#17 farrell commented, on January 11, 2009 at 8:07 a.m.:

A source said everyone in RTE has to pay their way. No they don't. WE do

#18 Frank commented, on January 14, 2009 at 10:35 a.m.:

Can this please happen for morning radio next please? Why is breakfast radio a choice between depressing news or wacky/silly/childish behaviour and/or bad impressions of Daniel O'Donnelll? Please someone, give us another choice in the mornings!