DJs axed despite increase in listenership
Saturday August 23 2008
BOTH Brenda Power and Orla Barry made listenership gains of almost 30pc before they were axed to make room for DJ Tom Dunne in the Newstalk schedule.
The two female broadcasters have been scrapped from the radio station's morning schedule despite the listenership figures that rose substantially since the station went national in September 2006.
Almost 50,000 people were tuning in to the Brenda Power's show from 9am to 11am according to JNLR figures for July 07 to June 08. The broadcaster's Your Call show increased its listener numbers by 29pc this year compared to the seven months directly after the station went national.
Life with Orla Barry was getting an average of 45,000 listeners daily which was up 28pc on the 35,000 listeners for October 2006 and June 2007.
Competition
Despite these gains, the two programmes were cut to make way for a magazine show hosted by Herald columnist Dunne who will be in direct competition with former Today FM colleague Ray D'Arcy and radio big guns Gerry Ryan and Ryan Tubridy. The shake-up clears the Newstalk schedule of their female presenter talent with the exception of Claire Byrne who co-hosts The Breakfast Show with Ger Gilroy.
The listener figures for Life and Your Call pale in comparison to shows on other stations at the same time but they are respectable when compared to other shows on Newstalk which is still establishing its national audience. It currently holds a 3.7pc share of listeners nationally.
- Sarah Neville
