Melanie Finn: RTÉ Radio 1 slump reveals the presenter may well be bigger than the show | Irish Independent
Flor Lynch
While some changes were forced on national broadcaster, it's clear that listeners are reluctant to break their habits
Gerry Ryan carved out a unique place in Irish radio history
Claire Byrne pictured in the intercontinental Hotel, Dublin. Picture; Gerry Mooney
Claire Byrne has gone from strength to strength on her Newstalk show. Photo: Gerry Mooney
RTÉ Radio 1 presenter David McCullagh
Gerry Ryan carved out a unique place in Irish radio history
Claire Byrne pictured in the intercontinental Hotel, Dublin. Picture; Gerry Mooney
Two national stations, two schedule shake-ups, two contrasting results.
RTÉ Radio 1 launched its biggest schedule change in years on November 10 after a raft of big names exited the station over the past year. Newstalk followed suit shortly after with its own revamp on February 3.
But while the commercial station appears to have hit the ground running, can the same be said of RTÉ’s Radio 1?
The latest batch of Joint National Listenership Research (JNLRs) would suggest otherwise. The survey, which covers January, February and March 2026, revealed slumps in listenership for all of Radio 1’s shows. The one exception is Richard Curran’s business show on Saturday.
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While an RTÉ spokesperson said the changes were “fully expected”, a larger problem could be looming for the station.
Irish radio listeners are inherently sensitive to change, whether it’s down to a radio presenter, a format or even changing a jingle.
Just look at the uproar over the decision to ditch Liveline’s long-running theme tune in favour of something that could have been AI-generated.
Knowing you’re going to turn on the radio and hear the same voice at the same time of the day brings a warm familiarity. As the legendary Terry Wogan said, the radio is akin to “having a friendly stranger in your kitchen”.
ts of people structure their day around radio shows and its long-running items, whether that’s doing the school run or commuting to work. Radio listenership is habitual, far more than newer media such as podcasts.
RTÉ Radio 1 presenter David McCullagh
Predictability is the key to building audience trust and creating a relationship that, in many cases, lasts years and even decades.
My formative years were spent listening to radio stars such as the late, great Gerry Ryan. Yes, he had his flaws, and his outlandish remarks frequently landed him in trouble – and Irish radio land was all the better for it.
His
death in April 2010 left a void that 2FM, and indeed
RTÉ, has always struggled to fill.
Now, RTÉ Radio 1 is facing into a future without big
names such as Joe Duffy, Ronan Collins, Ray D’Arcy,
Ryan Tubridy and, most recently, Claire Byrne.
Filling the gaps in the schedule was always going to
be problematic for RTE’s director of audio Patricia
Monahan. Left with no choice but to reshuffle
the entire schedule, the new time slots were unveiled
amid much fanfare and glossy headshots last November.
It was a radical change for listeners and one that
will take a while to settle in. An RTÉ spokesperson
said they were expecting a change and “fully believe
in the schedule”.
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The downward trend continues to the weekend with
Brendan O’Connor and Miriam O’Callaghan shedding
listeners
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But right now, there is little that offers a sense of
cosy familiarity on Radio 1. At a time of huge
uncertainty and change globally, that presents a
challenge.
Its juggernaut show, Morning Ireland, which lost the formidable duo of Mary Wilson and Áine Lawlor last September, is down 15,000. It still remains Ireland’s most popular show with 452,000 listeners.
Byrne's replacement, David McCullagh, is down 17,000, while Oliver Callan is down 12,000. Liveline, which was 307,000 this time last year under Joe Duffy, is now at 268,000. The downward trend continues to the weekend with Brendan O’Connor and Miriam O’Callaghan shedding listeners.
Compare and contrast this with Newstalk, which seems to have had a seamless revamp. Both Claire Byrne and Anton Savage have retained the audience figures for the morning slots they inherited. They have an average listenership of 206,000 and 158,000, respectively.
Both offer a refreshing alternative to their competitors. Savage is an accomplished broadcaster with a quick wit and a proven track-record in building audiences, while Byrne is really coming into her own.
Gerry Ryan carved out a unique place in Irish radio history
Her show is tightly-produced, informative without being preachy and, unleashed from RTÉ’s restrictive operating shackles, Byrne is clearly relishing showing off a bit of her personality.
her intake of vegetables, it feels as if this is her time to shine.
Just look at the podcast show figures for proof. Byrne set a new record for Bauer Media by clocking up one million listens in just three months. This is a show that is really going to become a serious contender on the mid-morning slot.
Nor can you ignore the “phenomenal” performance of Newstalk’s sister station, Today FM.
Two of its longest-running shows, The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show and The Last Word with Matt Cooper, have just reached new audience highs.
At 65, the retirement age in RTÉ, Dempsey is up to 232,000 for his show, which started in 1998.
Cooper is up to 192,000, adding 9,000 more listeners, having taken over from Eamon Dunphy in 2002.
It's proof that continuity is key for radio listeners and that sometimes, the show simply isn’t bigger than its presenter.