How does Irish music get airplay in a market where records that sell get on the radio and airtime gets record sales?
Since RTÉ Radio 2 launched in 1979 with a non stop chart music format, it has gained a radio listeners audience. Getting on the RTÉ Radio 2 playlist is an almost certain guarantee of success for a record.
RTÉ producer Philip King considers airplay the most important part of the record industry. It is a vicious circle. Radio airplay gets records into the charts, and the appearance in the charts gets radio airplay.
The RTÉ Authority issued a directive that there should be an hour of Irish produced records on the RTÉ Radio 2 playlist. RTÉ Radio 2 producer Ian Wilson finds it problematic that some of the RTÉ Authority members are leading players in the music business who,
In a very partisan way, basically demand the playing of records by a particular section of the Irish music industry which they felt were not getting adequate play.
Producer Julian Vignoles thinks the RTÉ Authority directive came in response to lobbying by influential people from a certain end of the Irish music industry,
So there’s a new playlist drawn up which has satisfied the authority’s wishes.
The playlist ensures acts like Paddy Reilly, The Fureys and The Wolfe Tones will be played on RTÉ Radio 2. This is welcomed by Foster and Allen’s manager Donie Cassidy who thinks it is important for the public to hear Irish acts on the radio.
Ian Wilson is disappointed that RTÉ management accepted the authority directive instead of refusing to bow down to the external pressure.
You cannot interfere to this extent in the way in which playlists or programme content is dictated.
RTÉ Head of Music Cathal MacCabe explains that a group of producers meets every week to decide which Irish music goes on the playlist. They work to a brief,
I wanted the Irish playlist to be representative of all the types of Irish music that is popular.
Ian Wilson questions whether RTÉ Radio 2 is public service broadcasting when people interested in selling records have a say in the playlist.
According to Philip King RTÉ Radio 2 must make money, so it cannot be called a public service broadcasting station. The station must answer to the RTÉ Authority and please advertisers so,
It’s constrained by two very strong lobbying powers.
On the other hand, Cathal MacCabe believes RTÉ Radio 2 plays its part in public service broadcasting alongside RTÉ 1 and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. To win and keep listeners, RTÉ Radio 2 must work out a clear music policy. Cathal MacCabe thinks RTÉ Radio 2 charts a middle course, offering folk and ballads in the mix alongside top 40 chart hits.
RTÉ Radio 2 is under severe pressure to win audiences from the pirate radio stations. Despite the availability of more radio stations on the east coast of Ireland, Julian Vignoles believes listeners are being offered a narrower choice of the same type of music.
'Slants’ broadcast on 28 May 1985. The presenter is Fintan O’Toole.
'Slants' was a series made by the media about the media and was presented by Richard Kearney and Fintan O'Toole.
