RYAN TUBRIDY’S UPCOMING return to the airwaves has set minds wondering what the impact will have not just on his old employer in Donnybrook, but also for the wider radio industry.

The former RTÉ broadcaster’s new employer and his agent NK Management announced he would be taking over the 10am-1pm slot on the station in London.

Along with this announcement, it was revealed that this new show would be simultaneously broadcasted on local Dublin radio station, Q102, as well as a weekend compilations show on Cork’s 96FM, Live 95 in Limerick and LMFM in Louth and Meath.

It means Tubridy will take precedent over local hosts on those stations every Saturday.

The stations are owned under one network, Wireless Media, which is an Irish subsidiary to News Corp – one of the largest media companies in the world – who also own Virgin Radio UK.

Tubridy’s new three-hour slot, which begins in January 2024, is scheduled to broadcast during a large majority of Dublin broadcaster Andy Preston’s ‘Feel-Good Workday’ show, which broadcasts daily from 10am to 3pm.

At present it is unclear what impact will Tubridy’s programme filling the airwaves of the local stations have on those stations themselves, including on jobs in each.

Saturdays are typically quieter periods in local radio, at least until the afternoon sports programming kicks in as it does on a raft of Irish stations.

The Journal found a range of opinion from figureheads in the Irish radio industry on what impact Tubridy will have.

While there are concerns it could harm radio output on local and commercial stations, as the same programme is broadcast across Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Louth, one media commentator believes the industry should withstand the impact of move.

“The clue for the success of local radio is in the title. Its success is being local and that’s what advertisers and local people want,” said Willie O’Reilly, a former group commercial director at RTÉ and ex-chief executive of Today FM.

O’Reilly said that if you’re in Waterford, loyal listeners to local station WLR are likely “people steeped in Waterford traditions” – making it less likely they’ll switch the dial.

However, the presenter of WLR’s weekday current affairs programme does believe Tubridy’s move will have an impact.

Damien Tiernan believes there is a danger that it could lead to less “diversity” of programming if the simulcast proves a success.

“What has happened in parts of Britain is that news and main current affair programmes have remained local but other areas of schedules have been turned into simulcasts. So if this is replicated in Ireland, in time, you will see a diminution of diversity. 

“At the moment Irish radio is in a very healthy state, albeit under the same pressures that other traditional media face, such as in advertising.”

John Purcell, chairman of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, believes the “conversation would be vert different” if Tubridy’s shows were replacing news and current affairs programming.

Radio station licenses are guided by the need to serve up a certain percentage of current affairs, entertainment and music programming.

The broadcasting regulator Coimisiún na Meán confirmed on Friday evening that it had approved the move as it would not impact on Q102′s license or that of the other local stations in the Wireless group.

In a statement, the regulator said:

“The Wireless Group have confirmed that the separate pre-recorded show to be shared across Dublin’s Q102, Cork’s 96FM, LMFM, and Limerick’s Live 95FM will be music-driven and that there will be no impact to any of the programming commitments, including news, information, and current affairs, for any of the stations involved.”

In its statement on Tubridy’s recruitment, Wireless Ireland managing director Sean Barry said that they had hired the “biggest broadcaster in Ireland”, a man who is a “peerless professional and much-loved” by his fans.

“He will be the perfect mid-morning companion on Q102,” Barry said, “He will be an enormous hit with Wireless Ireland’s audiences.”

Purcell added that he was glad to “see the conversation shift away from RTÉ and towards the independent radio sector”, which he said needs to be guarded against “consolidation and the diminution of local news” across the industry.

He noted too that syndication isn’t unprecedented, as the likes of Bruce Springsteen and UK pop singer Kim Wilde have previously had shows broadcast on Irish stations.

Tiernan said he is optimisic that those “in charge of the industry will make the right decisions” in navigating its future, but said the “bigger picture has to be discussed” amid Tubridy’s move.

‘Novelty period’

Another local radio station boss thinks the decision to host Tubridy won’t last long.

Seán Óg Mac Braoin, Managing Director of Media Ireland who own a number of local radio stations in Northern Ireland and the UK, said:

“I think wireless will trial this but I don’t think a weekday show, directed at a British audience, will work beyond a novelty period on Irish radio.”

Mac Braoin told The Journal that he thinks Tubridy’s new show “will ultimately lose a market share after an initial boost”.

As stations in Ireland, both national and local, begin to join networks, Mac Braoin suggested that more and more programming could be “centralised and networked” on local stations in the coming years, similar to the United Kingdom.

He added that the seven stations that his company manage have locally based content, with a focus on local stories and output, something Mac Braoin claims they’ve benefitted from as their local competitors have begun to network their programming.

O’Reilly does believe it is too early to predict what will happen.

“Maybe they won’t continue the simulcast in Ireland and Ryan will focus on the UK instead,” he said.

As for whether Tubridy’s move will be a success with the UK market, O’Reilly believes nothing can be ruled out.

“Tubridy has an awful lot of talent You have to ask yourself what are the possibilities, he’s moved into tv, he’s commandeered the most successful talk show in Ireland, he’s brilliantly headed the Toy Show. All of this says he’s a horse worth backing.”

O’Reilly pointed to how Tubridy had celebrities such as Russell Crowe cheering him on after the move was announced on Thursday.

Big news for my man Ryan Tubridy. In a genius move ⁦@VirginRadioUK⁩ have signed him to follow Chris Evans show from January. Two of the best broadcasters ever. A massive 1-2 combination. I love how radio in the UK is so potent. pic.twitter.com/k405HgPEiZ

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) November 16, 2023

“The challenge is to win the hearts and minds of people in the UK but Ryan is surrounded by people who want him to succeed.

“You can’t underestimate how he has endeared himself to a lot of people internationally, from Russell Crowe to then having Chris Evans clearly wanting him to succeed.

“Never forget, I spent all my life in rooms having conversations before we did anything, like when we took Ray Darcy out of RTÉ and onto Today FM.

“These are not unknown challenges, you think about how to make it work. He’s off to a really good start. The future will write itself.”

Additional reporting by Muiris O Cearbhaill