Former 2fm presenter Colm Hayes has joined Dublin's Radio Nova station as programme director.
The radio star left 2fm in July 2016 after 10 years at RTÉ in order to concentrate on other work. He has had a few job offers since then but says that the position at Nova "just feels right".
The broadcaster has signed a three-year deal with the Dublin-based station to act as programme director.
"I had a wonderful 10 years in 2fm but we drifted apart near the end and I knew I needed a new challenge and this is it," he said.
"There were a few offers on the table, [but] Nova just feels right."
Hayes added that although he might "pop up" on the airwaves, his new role will be mainly managerial.
Radio Nova CEO Kevin Branigan told RadioToday: "Colm has a long track record of achievement in programming and we’re delighted to welcome him to Nova".
Nova broadcasts to Dublin City, county and commuter belt and had 135,000 listeners in the most recent JNLR.
Branigan added that hiring Hayes was crucial for their desire to increase their audience. "This is a sign of intent for us", he said.
"Our ambition is to be in the top tier of radio stations in Dublin, along with 98FM and FM104 and the appointment of Colm to the important position of Programme Director is an important one for us."
Hayes initially co-presented 2fm's Colm and Jim Jim's Breakfast Show, alongside Jim Nugent after the pair were poached from Dublin station FM104 where they had made a big impact with its breakfast show, The Strawberry Alarm Clock.
After Nugent's departure, Hayes presented a series of talk and phone-in shows for 2fm as well as the evening drivetime show Drive By which he co-presented with comedian Al Porter.
