RTÉ 2fm

Infobox Radio station
name = RTÉ 2fm


slogan = "Livin' the Life, Lovin' the Music"
airdate = May 31, 1979
frequency = 90-92 MHz
Digital terrestrial television
DAB
[http://www.rte.ie/radio/liveplayer_av.html?2,null,200,http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/live/radio/2fm.smil Online]
area = National - IRL
format = Popular music
owner = Radio Telefís Éireann
website = [http://www.rte.ie/2fm/ www.rte.ie/2fm]
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RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is commonly referred to, is RTÉ's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.

RTÉ Radio 2, as it was originally known, began broadcasting on May 31 1979. [ [http://www.rte.ie/2fm/infocentre/history.html RTE: History Of 2FM] ] "Like Clockwork" by the Boomtown Rats was the first song on air, played by Larry Gogan. It was developed as a response by RTÉ to the pirate radio craze sweeping Dublin and the rest of the country. Its original slogan was "Radio 2 Comin'atcha" and, as well as broadcasting popular music, it carried a number of other musical strands as well as news and current affairs. Its original broadcast frequencies were 612 kHz MW (until 2004) and later, 90-92 MHz FM. Original DJs included Larry Gogan, who transferred from RTÉ Radio 1, Mark Cagney, Michael McNamara, Declan Meehan, Vincent Hanley, Ronan Collins, Gerry Ryan and Dave Fanning.

An all-music, mostly rock, sister station of 2FM, "RTÉ 2XM", operates on the RTÉ DAB Multiplex.

History of 2fm

In 1988 after many years presenting a nightly music show called "Lights out" for around 6 years previously "The Gerry Ryan Show", a morning topical radio show, began broadcasts. Not long afterwards, RTÉ began radical changes to Radio 2's format. Most non-pop music programming was dropped. The station was rebranded as "2FM" in 1988. At this stage the basic schedule for the next decade or so was put in place: Ian Dempsey, Gerry Ryan, Larry Gogan, Garreth O'Callaghan, Tony Fenton, and Dave Fanning were staples of this period. Many of these presenters have stayed with 2FM over the years while others have moved to competing stations.

2FM in this era was at its most popular. Its mobile broadcasting unit, the roadcaster, made regular trips nationwide, with 2FM organising live events throughout Ireland, such as the "Beat on the Street" and "Lark in the Park". New bands would often get their "big break" by being featured on the "Dave Fanning Show". Gerry Ryan's radio show became a national institution.

However by 2000, this schedule was looking very stale. In addition, 2FM suffered the high profile departure of Ian Dempsey to independent national radio station, 100-102 Today FM. Both Today FM and the emerging independent local radio sector had eroded 2FM's once unassailable listenership base. Today FM continues to sign up disillusioned 2FM staff, with Tony Fenton being the most recent departure, in September 2004.

In 2000, John Clarke, a new controller of 2FM, was brought in to improve listenership. He rebranded 2FM with a new blue and red logo (as "RTÉ 2fm") and re-arranged the schedule. Ryan Tubridy was poached from RTÉ Radio 1 to present "The Full Irish" breakfast programme; however in 2005 he returned to Radio 1, heralding an era of instability in breakfast broadcasting as first Ruth Scott and Rick O'Shea took charge of "The Rick and Ruth Breakfast Show", before being replaced 5 months later by Marty Whelan in September 2005. Whelan has since been ousted as part of the March 2007 revamp to make way for the "Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show" as 2fm engaged in a spot of poaching for once in persuading Colm Hayes and Jim-Jim Nugent to leave FM104. DJ Mark McCabe arrived to present a dance music show at weekends. Later, more changes saw Larry Gogan being moved from his lunchtime slot to "drive time". A news programme, Newsbeat, was added to the schedules in response to criticisms that RTÉ 2fm was not fulfilling its remit as a public service broadcaster. Newer alternative DJs such as Canadian Jenny Huston, Dan Hegarty and Kerbdog front-man Cormac Battle have also joined the line-up in recent years. Also joining are the aforementioned Colm & Jim-Jim as well as the Irishwoman Jennifer Greene.

On 12 January 2007 RTÉ announced a major revamp of 2fm, with the axing of Marty Whelan's breakfast show and Larry Gogan's move to the weekend two of the main changes. The presenters of FM104's "The Strawberry Alarm Clock" moved to the station; as FM104 continues to broadcast its breakfast show under the latter title, the 2fm version is known as the "Colm and Jim-Jim Breakfast Show" (initially referred to in pre-publicity as the "2fm Alarm Clock", however the name was changed after FM104 threathened legal action). During this 2007 revamp Will Leahy formerly of the "Saturday Show" was promoted to the weekday Drivetime slot, which he broadcasts from his base at the RTÉ Limerick studios. This leaves Gerry Ryan the only original Radio 2 presenter to retain a weekday programme with the station. The new schedule launched on 5 March, 2007.

RTÉ 2fm, like RTÉ Radio 1, technically broadcasts 24 hours a day however programming from 02:00 until 06:00 most days is replays of programmes from the previous day along with live news updates on the hour. The station regularly broadcasts live from large Irish music festivals, such as Oxegen, Electric Picnic and PlanetLove, and latterly has broadcast live music under the title "2fm XtrAlive" (formerly "2fm Live"). The recent series of shows entitled the 2fm 2moro 2our has maintained the station's reputation for live performance promotion as well as offering career boosts to artists such as The Immediate, The Flaws, Ham Sandwich, Concerto For Constantine and David Geraghty.

DJs

References

External links

* [http://www.rte.ie/2fm/ Official site]