2fm Article

This was a very interesting article in the weekend's Irish Independent!

I'm inclined to agree with it to be honest because in my personal opinion they're some presenters on the new 2fm schedule that not only are they terrible at the job but they also are stopping genuine radio talent coming through!

Sour grapes much? haha :P read on...
---------------------------

In RTÉ, it looks like video is still killing the radio stars (Irish Independent)

'Come Together', it says above pictures of the well-known faces. But a new promotional campaign for 2fm has resulted in anything other than togetherness at the national music station.

Shot five weeks ago in Ardmore Studios in Bray, the promo features RTÉ's management's favourite stars standing heroically behind new 2fm kingpin Ryan Tubridy.

These include Lucy Kennedy and Baz Ashmawy as Indiana Jones-style adventurers, Colm Hayes as Phileas Fogg and Hector Ó hEochagáin with painted face, it's claimed, "being himself".

Positioned furthest out in the line-up, station legends Larry Gogan and Dave Fanning appear as pilots with Zig & Zag around their mid-riffs.

But questions have been asked as to why Lucy Kennedy and Baz Ashmawy, both weekend co-presenters on 2fm, feature so prominently in the new campaign.

And why Larry Gogan and Dave Fanning, arguably two of the most popular weekday presenters, not just on 2fm, but on Irish radio, are so pushed out to the sides?

The pair appear only fleetingly in the accompanying TV ad and don't feature at all in small posters for the campaign.

However, Larry and Dave should consider themselves lucky.

Five other 2fm presenters, who between them are on air for 12 hours each weekday -- precisely half 2fm's daily output -- don't feature in the campaign at all.

Just what is going on?

The answer it seems is TV. The best way to get ahead on RTÉ Radio these days, is to be on TV.

"2fm are desperate to attract new listeners to the station and believe that well-known voices from TV like Hector, Lucy and Baz are the best way of getting people to tune in," said an RTÉ source.

So desperate is the broadcaster that in recent days the station has been buying spots for the 2fm promo on rival station TV3 during shows such as The X Factor. Commenting, an RTÉ spokesman said the focus of the new 2fm TV ad was on the station's new presenters.

"Future executions will have different emphasis and goals and use different presenters. RTÉ fully recognise the popularity and legendary status of Larry Gogan and Dave Fanning, that's why they are on the ads. Dave and Larry have featured prominently in previous campaigns. RTÉ have had a hugely positive response to the new ad."

Music on the 2fm 'Come Together' promo is by Irish band Bi-Polar Empire.