Colm Hayes

Colm Hayes
Born	Colm Caffrey Santry, Dublin Northside, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Education	Our Lady of Victories BNS, Ballymun
Occupation	Presenter of radio and television
Employer	Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)
Known for	The Strawberry Alarm Clock The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show Colm and Jim-Jim's Home Run The Colm and Lucy Show The Colm Hayes Show
Salary	€213,954 (2009)[1]
Partner	James "Jim-Jim" Nugent (2000 - 2010)

Colm Caffrey (Irish: Colm Ó Cafraigh),^[1] known professionally as Colm Hayes, is an Irish radio broadcaster and sometime television presenter. He currently presents The Colm Hayes Show between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on RTÉ 2fm.

Hayes had a 10-year radio partnership with James "Jim-Jim" Nugent, beginning on the The Strawberry Alarm Clock on FM104 where the pair established themselves as the number one breakfast show in Dublin. The pair moved to national broadcaster RTÉ 2fm to host The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show.^[2] While there they also did Colm and Jim-Jim's Home Run on RTÉ One. When Gerry Ryan died in 2010, Hayes split up with Jim-Jim Nugent and presented The Colm and Lucy Show with Lucy Kennedy for a time before breaking off on his own and moving to his current timeslot.

In 2011, Hayes gained listeners in the JNLRs.^[3] He earned €213,954 from RTÉ in 2009, the organisation's tenth highest earner.^[1] Jim-Jim, paid less than half this figure before he departed RTÉ, was reported to have been "shocked" to learn of this, describing it as a "mystery", a "betrayal" and suggesting that "RTE is run like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory".^[4]

Early life and career

Born in Santry, Hayes began his radio career on the pirate and immensely popular Radio Nova in the early 1980s. Following the stations ultimate closer by regulators he worked at the state broadcaster 2fm on the late night shifts. His real name is Colm Caffrey. He attended Our Lady of Victories BNS in Ballymun, North Dublin, Ireland.

Partnership with Jim-Jim Nugent

In 1996 he joined The Strawberry Alarm Clock. Following the addition of Nugent to the show in 2000, the show would prosper with the pair dominating the timeslot in Dublin and winning several awards.

In 2007, the pair joined RTÉ 2fm to host the breakfast show reportedly at the behest of Gerry Ryan who was worried with the turbulent breakfast slot which preceded his show and had been marred by poor listenership.^[5] It was reported in 2011 that RTÉ paid combined fees of nearly €500,000.^[6] Their departure from FM104 was acrimonious with the pair escorted from the station's building and blocked from using the "Alarm Clock" reference in their new show, instead settling for The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show.^[7]

Whilst initial listenership was healthy, an overall decline in figures for breakfast shows with Ireland's declining economic fortunes (and, as a result, there been less commuters), the pair did not enjoy the same success as previously. The pair did, however, enjoy a television debut with Colm and Jim-Jim's Home Run which was picked up for international distribution.^[8]

The Colm Hayes Show

The 2010 death of Gerry Ryan broke up the pair's 10 year professional relationship. Whilst initially a temporary move, Hayes would host the The Colm and Lucy Show with Lucy Kennedy in Ryan's place until a revamp from RTÉ later in the year. Nugent departed the station before the revamp, declining a new time slot at the station and returned to FM104. Hayes now hosts the 11-1 show following Ryan Tubridy who replaced Ryan.^[9]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Pat Kenny highest paid RTÉ presenter in 2009". RTÉ. 11 November 2011. http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1111/rtepresenters.html. Retrieved 11 November 2011. 
2. ^ "Friends for life". Sunday Tribune. 18 August 2010. http://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2007/mar/04/friends-for-life-colm-hayes-and-jim-jim-nugent/. Retrieved 7 September 2010. 
3. ^ "Morning Ireland tops JNLRs once again". RTÉ. 28 October 2011. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/1028/jnlr.html. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 
4. ^ Campos, Adelina (19 November 2011). "Colm got twice my pay, reveals angry Jim-Jim". Evening Herald. http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/colm-got-twice-my-pay-reveals-angry-jimjim-2939910.html. Retrieved 19 November 2011. 
5. ^ O'Brien, Jason (13 January 2007). "'Alarmed' RTÉ radio axes Marty's show". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/alarmed-rte-radio-axes-martys-show-59201.html. Retrieved 17 October 2008. 
6. ^ Murphy, Claire (14 November 2011). "Did RTE splash out €428k to capture Colm and Jim-Jim?". Evening Herald. http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/did-rte-splash-out-euro428k-to-capture-colm-and-jimjim-2933808.html. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
7. ^ "Don't move the dial . . . you might miss 2fm's next line-up change". Irish Independent. 1 March 2007. http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/dont-move-the-dial----you-might-miss-2fms-next-lineup-change-47471.html. Retrieved 17 October 2008. 
8. ^ "Colm and Jim Him score a horn". Sunday Tribune. 18 August 2010. http://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2009/feb/01/the-diary-ken-sweeney-colm-and-jim-jim-score-a-horn. Retrieved 7 September 2010. 
9. ^ Sweeney, Ken (18 August 2010). "Tubridy and Hector in leap of faith for revamped 2fm". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/tubridy-and-hector-in-leap-of-faith-for-revamped-2fm-2302992.html?start=3. Retrieved 7 September 2010. 

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Name	Hayes, Colm
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