Tuesday, September 30, 2008

4fm is Ireland's new multi-city easy listening radio station serving Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Clare


Ireland's newest radio station 4FM is ready to launch in January and has begun the process of recruiting for staff.
They're looking to fill 44 full and part-time positions.
Good luck to Al Dunne and Martin Block with this adventure.
The website is http://www.4fm.ie

Here's the recruitment announcement as it appeared on the front page of the website yesterday:
"Job Opportunities
Are you looking for an exciting and stimulating new challenge? Do you want to join a vibrant, fast-moving, audience-focused new radio station? A station with a vision to produce a wide range of entertainment and information that will offer a fresh new choice to radio listeners? Then take a look at the opportunities below.
The closing date for applications is Friday 17th October 2008".


They need:
Full Time Presenters, Music and Talk with 10years+ experience.
Part Time/Weekend Presenters, Music and Talk with 5 years+ experience.
Specialist Music Presenters for Jazz, Irish, Rock, Soul etc.
News Editors, Reporters and Anchors.

Here's the recruitment page:
http://www.4fm.ie/recruitment.html

Absolute Launch.


Virgin will always be remembered...but times change yadda yadda yadda.
First song?
'A Day In The Life' - Beatles. Nice!
What's Absolute all about? Take a lookee here:


Monday, September 29, 2008

K-Earth LA.

Wanna see a little bit of Word Economy in action???
Gary Bryan (now Mornings) as Afternoon host on Oldies legend KRTH Los Angeles.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Sunshine Radio Reunion.



Funny really - when you've been around the scene for a while you start to get invited to reunions. There's an Atlantic 252 reunion in the planning for next year, but last Friday I had the thrill of hooking up with some of my former workmates from Super Pirate Sunshine 101.
Sunshine was THE station back in the mid to late 80's.

Founded by Robbie Robinson and Chris Cary,it dominated the landscape right until the end of it's life and produced some of the best radio heads in the business.
All the from a studio based in a portacabin beside the beach in north County Dublin!
The outside and inside of the 'portacabin'.

In attendance on the night were people like Jim McCabe (Morning host on FM104 Dublin), Tom Hardy (PD at Today FM), Martin King (TV3 Personality), Dusty Rhodes (DAP), Dara O'Beirne (98 Dublin Production) and Ernie Gallagher (Q102 Dublin) and Paul Kavanagh(Riviera Radio MD).
Andy Ruane, Mark Byrne, Roger Lane, Roxy McGuiness, Avril Hoare, David Dennehy and of course, Robbie and Stella Robinson were also there.
It was so good to see Robbie and Stella and they look great.

Robbie is a legend in the radio business going back to his off-shore days with Johnnie Walker and the like on Radio Caroline. His story is amazing and it was a real honour for me, as a young pup, to have learned from him.

Robbie looking 'dapper' back in the 60s (as Robbie Dale).

Times change of course and I wonder how Sunshine would have fared in the current cut-throat climate that is FM radio. Pretty damn well, is my feeling and seeing those talented people who put it all together confirms this in my mind.
Here's to all that worked in Sunshine over the years from Pat Courtenay to Tony Fenton to Declan Meehan to Justin Mckenna to Gerry Stevens to Tony Dixon and on and on.
Like my hair in this late 80's newspaper ad??

Sunshine and Q102 Video.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Capital Re-brand.


Capital London's latest tweak obviously comes hot on the heels of the Absolute Radio launch.
While some other stations and groups are wondering about how the two letters 'F' and 'M' fit into the current media climate, Capital have brought them back with gusto.
This is their fifth re-brand in just under three years and has been done to show their 'iconic status' in London.

When you look at some of Capital's former presenters you get a real feel for how it's been a part of the UK's radio landscape:
Kenny Everett, Michael Aspel, Dave Cash, Alan 'Fluff' Freeman, Chris Tarrant, Neil (Doctor) Fox, Tommy Vance, Pete Tong, Chris Moyles, Gary King, Sandy Beech, Nicky Campbell, Bam Bam, Pat Sharp, Jakki Brambles, David (Kid) Jensen...!!










Not so Clear.


104.9 Clear FM in Vancouver has flipped formats to the 'Greatest Hits of All Time'...in other words - Oldies. "A new beginning with a very familiar sound" - that's how the on air promos put it.
In the past the frequency has tried it's luck as XFM and Star FM among others, so it will be interesting to see how the Oldies flip works out. My gut feeling is that it will see the station increase listenership as it pumps out The Beatles, The Stones, Mamas and Papas and the like.
Who might suffer from this? 650CISL would be the obvious candidate, purely for the fact that they are on AM. Content wise, CISL are still great in my opinion.

Thoughts go out to ex-Clear FM morning show host Charlee Morgan who was let go as part of the change. Charlee is a veteran though and will bounce back easily if she wants to.
Listen to FM Oldies in Vancouver:
No doubt, that URL will change soon.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

FREE e-Book.


Would you like to receive my Radio Presentation e-Book?

It's FREE...just like most of the stuff I hand out.
35 pages of Radio Tips and Thoughts.

Drop me an e-mail and I'd be delighted to hand it over to you.
brian@bmacmedia.com