# Newstalk radio - opinions



## bogwarrior (5 Sep 2006)

Hey Dublin dwellers - is Newstalk any good?  I live outside the Pale and in the evenings usually tune into Matt 'the text messages are flooding in' Cooper on TodayFM but I'm getting tired of his show.  He lets so many of his guests spout their agenda without ever really challenging them - unless they're Israelis when he goes in, studs first.  
Some of the show is decent enough, but I'm looking forward to hearing what Newstalk is like when they start broadcasting nationwide.  Is it more of the same or a decent alternative to TodayFM and RTE?


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## contemporary (5 Sep 2006)

i much prefer george hook to matt "reaallllllllllllllly" cooper, sean moncreiff is good too


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## Sherman (5 Sep 2006)

Yeah, Hooky is good - intelligent questioning, but he can have fun too.

On the odd occassion I've caught Moncrieff during holidays, his show sounds funny - quite mad - pretty much like other shows by Ray d'Arcy etc.

Their breakfast show has improved massively since Dunphy jumped ship.


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## Humpback (5 Sep 2006)

Having been a fan of Matt Cooper originally, I have to say now that I rarely listen to him, or TodayFM, at all any more.

I love the Breakfast Show on Newstalk now that Eamonn Dunphy is gone. Just straightforward news and discussion now rather than crusades and creating/settling of grudges.

George Hook in the evenings is fantastic. Proper questioning of guests, and the "common touch" is welcoming.

As for the sports show from 7pm till 10pm on Newstalk, it's the best radio programme bar none in this country at the moment - though hopefully their irrational Dublin bias (what have Dublin GAA or Leinster rugby won lately) will go once they go national.


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## efm (5 Sep 2006)

I find "Off the Ball" which is on after Hooky to be very good at sports coverage - I never get a chance to listen to the full programme but the 1st half hour where they run through the stories of the day is excellent - if only they weren't so biased in favour of the Dubs  !!

Hooky is good as well even if he waffles on a bit on occassion - Moncrief is excellent, better than Ray Darcy in my opinion but I never get a chance to listen to him.

Ger Gilroy(?) on the breakfast show is ok but he says "..ehhhhh.." a lot which annoys me (it's the little things that niggle the most)


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## Murt10 (5 Sep 2006)

Sherman said:


> Their breakfast show has improved massively since Dunphy jumped ship.




I totally disagree. They need to get someone else in to do the morning show. I didn't always agree with him and sometimes grew quite tired of some of his beligerent rants, but at least he was entertaining. 

Another missing presenter, has anyone any idea where Damien Kiebert is gone. He had a great lunchtime news show but he hasn't been on air for months now. 

The replacements/stand ins for both shows are nowhere near as good as the originals that they are attempting to replace. As long as "Talk to Joe" stays where he is, but I understand that the "interest" that was allegedly being shown in him by Newstalk was all in his own mind and that of his agent when he was renegiotating his contract with RTE 

Agree that Moncrief and Hook are worth listening to. By definition, I suppose that when the station goes nationwide that Newstalk will lose its Dublin bias and start to concentrate on things outside the Pale, as it is after all, at the moment a Dublin station. 

I still havn't texted them since they started charging 30c per text and I think the station has gone downhill since then. I cannot see the logic of this. They are looking to milk the listener. I thought they were suppost to milk advertisers. Why should I as a listener pay a radio station to listen to what I have to say. Anyway, they probably ignore most of the texts.

On the whole IMO the station has gone down the pan in the past year or so and I have started to drift back to RTE and Today FM.


Murt


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## TarfHead (5 Sep 2006)

ronan_d_john said:


> As for the sports show from 7pm till 10pm on Newstalk, it's the best radio programme bar none in this country at the moment - though hopefully their irrational Dublin bias (what have Dublin GAA or Leinster rugby won lately) will go once they go national.


 
I agree - Off the ball is consistently excellent.

As for the bias, they are on record as saying that as long as they are a Dublin station they'll fly the flag for The Dubs and Leinster Rugby. When they go national, that will change.


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## muzaway (5 Sep 2006)

Hey Murt10,  I'm with you on the 30c texting! I think its outrageous that newstalk are charging so much for text messages while constantly requesting their users to text in about any topic they touch on.    As far as I can tell all the other stations have normal prices for texting. I won't be texting them again until they drop the charge as it's a total rip-off, and really, if they are so reliant on listener participation they shouldn't be milking us like this.    Having said that, I do like the station and think that Hooky's show is very good, though at seven each evening I'm off to Tom Dunne on Today fm!


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## Glenbhoy (5 Sep 2006)

Off the ball and Hookie are excellent, never hear any of the rest.  Obviously going to be Dublin biased as it's a Dublin radio station, but I imagine that'll change with the move national.  
The text charges are indeed a joke, but who'd be arsed anyway (i never feel the need to put my 2 cents into the public domain!


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## fobs (5 Sep 2006)

> (i never feel the need to put my 2 cents into the public domain!


 
Or 30 as the case maybe!!!
I am looking forward to getting this station down her in Cork as have felt that 5-7 live has gone downhill and Matt Cooper while often entertaining needs an alternative if the subject is boring as is often the case!


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## liamwoods (7 Sep 2006)

Best station ever!! If you have iTunes you can get the podcasts as a taster. Moncrieff rules. Hidden Dublin with Pat Liddy is very interesting. Dunphy was an  idiot, but Minister McDowell kicking his backside was great entertainment.


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## Mourinho (8 Sep 2006)

I still cant understand why they got rid of McWilliams for Dunphy in the first place for the breakfast show. Bring back Mc Williams to the breakfast show in my opinion. 

Overall a very good station though, Hooky over Cooper in the evenings anyday.


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## Purple (11 Sep 2006)

Don't rate Hook at all. He doesn't have a grasp of what he is talking about a lot of the time. I find I listen to Matt Cooper in the evenings (especially when our own Brendan Burgess is on giving more free advice). 
I like Moncrieff and thought Kiberd was very good. I was tired of Dunphy in the end and Ger Gilroy isn't bad instead, though he was better on the sports show.


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## bearishbull (11 Sep 2006)

Usually switch between newstalk and today fm between 4.30 and 7 or catch the shows on podcasts(this way you can fast forward to the stories you wanna hear about) . I like the breakfast show with dunphy and mcwilliams and have stopped listening since that gilroy fella took over, he's a bit too pompous at times for me among other things. ports show can be hit and miss at times but football show at 9pm is usually very good. Damien Kiebard hasnt been heard from since he was doing the business news in apparent distress around 9months ago and had to be cut off early. The 30cent text thing really annoyed me as they get so much show content from texts(particularly mondrieff as his show is often spontaneous and adlibbed),  cant see people outside of dublin being any more eager to pay 30cents for the chance to get their comments heard, they'll either reduce the charge or offer the chance of winning a prize for every texter.


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## gianni (11 Sep 2006)

Off the Ball's news round up is excellent, great interaction with presenters... irreverent humour... lots of 'in' jokes for the benefit of frequent listeners... good indepth analysis of issues - I believe they were one of the first to break the Keane to Sunderland story...

Moncrieff - tends to drag the ar*e out of every topic (a la Gerry Ryan)

Hook - waffle, waffle, waffle, guffaw, waffle

Newstalk still has a bit to go before it can match the quality of the national broadcaster... IMO...


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## sluice44 (11 Sep 2006)

I thought Damien Kiberd got bumped upstairs into management?  I think he was also the editor of the Sunday Business Post at one time.

I quite like Sean Moncrieff's show in the afternoon's.  The worst show for me is Karen Coleman's 'The wide angle' at the weekend.  She seems to keep interrupting her guests.  Unfortunately, that weather forecaster is the only other option on TodayFM.  Now, he is genuinely useless.


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## Brendan Burgess (13 Sep 2006)

I have deleted all posts which speculated on anyone's health. Such speculation is inappropriate. 

Brendan


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## dodo (13 Sep 2006)

Brendan said:


> I have deleted all posts which speculated on anyone's health. Such speculation is inappropriate.
> 
> Brendan


Brendan what I said about someone's health this is something that I heard on newstalk when a listener texted in and asked where that person was, and the presenter said that he was out on sick leave, so if offence is caused sorry, but dont know how it could be


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## contemporary (29 Sep 2006)

its gone national today, i'd be interested to hear what the rest of the nation thinks (those you didnt listen online that is) to it


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## ClubMan (29 Sep 2006)

Well _Orla Barry_ is still crap if that's any use.

Is _City Edition _gone altogether? Shame if it means the loss of _Hidden Dublin _just because they have to cater for boggers now.


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## Purple (29 Sep 2006)

ClubMan said:


> Well _Orla Barry_ is still crap if that's any use.
> 
> Is _City Edition _gone altogether? Shame if it means the loss of _Hidden Dublin _just because they have to cater for boggers now.



I Agree


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## Ron Burgundy (29 Sep 2006)

ClubMan said:


> Well _Orla Barry_ is still crap if that's any use.
> 
> Is _City Edition _gone altogether? Shame if it means the loss of _Hidden Dublin _just because they have to cater for boggers now.


 

what a pity, no more half hour rubbish on the back streets of phibsboro  

overall its an ok station.

i enjoy off the ball and moncriff and at the weekend the wide angle is one of the best shows on radio.

its great now that i don't lose the signal in laois, i'm off to work in donegal tomorrow night and am looking forward to not having to change the station.

also for an alternative look at world politics listen in for michael graham on hook at 5.30 on a friday, one of the best parts of the week.

oh and i also enjoyed hidden dublin ( even as a bogger )

add to that i'm gonna spend my mornings pretending that claire byrne is doing the show in the nip......oh the thoughts


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## ubiquitous (29 Sep 2006)

Ron Burgundy said:


> i'm off to work in donegal tomorrow night and am looking forward to not having to change the station.




Unfortunately you will... Newstalk has been virtually unlistenable this week in the Midlands/North Leinster/Ulster area as the live broadcasts have been regularly dubbed over for 60-90 second intervals with advertorial pre-recorded stuff featuring George Hook and others. Its a nightmare to listen to, and it happens even during the hourly news bulletins. I presume it is being used for some reason to test transmissions etc.


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## Ron Burgundy (29 Sep 2006)

ubiquitous said:


> Unfortunately you will... Newstalk has been virtually unlistenable this week in the Midlands/North Leinster/Ulster area as the live broadcasts have been regularly dubbed over for 60-90 second intervals with advertorial pre-recorded stuff featuring George Hook and others. Its a nightmare to listen to, and it happens even during the hourly news bulletins. I presume it is being used for some reason to test transmissions etc.


 
it was the radio re tuning to a stronger signal, the test singal on 107.2/4/6 depending on the area, you'll need to re tune your car stereo and you'll have it fine. 

have a look at  for further info.


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## CCOVICH (29 Sep 2006)

Ron Burgundy said:


> also for an alternative look at world politics listen in for michael graham on hook at 5.30 on a friday, one of the best parts of the week.


 
Alternative is the word-caught that right wing loon last Friday for the first time.  All I could do was laugh.


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## ClubMan (29 Sep 2006)

ubiquitous said:


> Unfortunately you will... Newstalk has been virtually unlistenable this week in the Midlands/North Leinster/Ulster area as the live broadcasts have been regularly dubbed over for 60-90 second intervals with advertorial pre-recorded stuff featuring George Hook and others. Its a nightmare to listen to, and it happens even during the hourly news bulletins. I presume it is being used for some reason to test transmissions etc.


I thougth that I (in central _Dublin_) was getting interference during the news the other evening but it turns out to be their new music which the were playing in the background throughout the bulletin. Really irritating. Bring back the _Bentley Rhythm Ace _snippet at the start and stop trying to drown out the newsreader!


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## TarfHead (29 Sep 2006)

CCOVICH said:


> Alternative is the word-caught that right wing loon last Friday for the first time. All I could do was laugh.


 
.. some counterbalance to the left-wing loons that dominate the Irish media landscape


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## CCOVICH (29 Sep 2006)

'Balance'-I think not!


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## ubiquitous (29 Sep 2006)

Michael Graham is always refreshing to listen to. There are two sides to every story and it is  good to hear the viewpoint of the other side, as it were. Whether one agrees with Graham's views is another thing entirely.


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## CCOVICH (29 Sep 2006)

A slap in the face is refreshing as well.

Btw, I am for more right than left.


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## joe sod (30 Sep 2006)

Im also a fan of george hooks show he doesn't take himself too seriously even though you can detect he is a pretty smart guy, also he's funny. Matt cooper is dull although occasionally he has good guests. I thought Dunphy was good but had his pet subjects which i tired of after a while and was not as good as he was on the last word. I thoght Mcwilliams was their best presenter for the morning they made a big mistake getting rid of him. Orla Barry is useless


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## brodiebabe (30 Sep 2006)

Caught a bit of Roisin Inglis this morning.  She is a rubbish presenter.  You think Orla Barry is bad - wait until you hear Ro Ro.  Total drivel.  Had to switch off after she said "Well, I have to say"  for about the 40th time in about 20 mins.


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## TarfHead (1 Oct 2006)

brodiebabe said:


> Caught a bit of Roisin Inglis this morning.  She is a rubbish presenter.



And how was Roisin *Ingle * ?
I listened to Dunphy when he started on Radio Ireland, and Hook when he started on Newstalk and they were pants on Day 1. Over time they got better.

 It is unfair to judge on someone's first day in the job.

When Newstalk had David McWilliams handing over to Daire O'Brien, it was all essential listening. Then again maybe it's a generational thing as the things they were passionate about were also important to me.

More pony than phoney **


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## ClubMan (2 Oct 2006)

That history show last night (Sunday) was a bit like an undergraduate college radio affair. Maybe they'll get better with experience. _Sunday with Norris _(?) forced me to switch off as I could not stomach the luvviness between the presenter and _Brendan Kennelly_.


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## Cahir (3 Oct 2006)

brodiebabe said:


> Caught a bit of Roisin Inglis this morning.  She is a rubbish presenter.  .



Was that the one waffling on about lip plumpers?  Had to switch over.


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## efm (3 Oct 2006)

TarfHead said:


> When Newstalk had David McWilliams handing over to Daire O'Brien, it was all essential listening.


 
I agree 100% - I think that McWilliams was the best they had - he did have his hobby horses of course but overall as a presenter and as someone who engages his audience I think he was the best.

Orla Barry is diabolical and I'm still unsure about Gilroy and "what's her face" in the morning; though their interview with P Rabbitte this morning wasn't bad but could have been a bit more cutting


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## ClubMan (3 Oct 2006)

At least _Gilroy _makes some attempt at conducting balanced and probing interviews with guests and asking decent questions unlike many others (e.g. _Dunphy_, _Morning Ireland _etc.)


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## Ron Burgundy (3 Oct 2006)

gilroy is great, he is comfortable with sports and political journalism whish is rare in ireland.

orla barryis annoying but its fluff radio which a lot of stations need.

brenda power is a good signing and can slot in to most shows they have during holiday time.

moncriff is the star of the station for me, its rare i hear all of his show but when i do its a pleasure to listen to.

one thing, they have stopped announcing the cost of a text is 30 cent since going national, is the cost gone or are they just not informing the new national listeners.

oh drove to donegal from laois on sat and had a great reception the way up and down so its a plus for those of us who can't stand music based radio.


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## ajapale (3 Oct 2006)

I tuned in for the first time in Kerry at the weekend (2pm -2.30pm Sunday) and all I could hear was a cacophony of various match commentaries over the last year. There was no breaks or any explanation. From what I could make out they were highlights of some Dublin GAA matches and Leinster Rugby matches. Perhaps it was a test transmission? Anyway it was truly terrible and I would be slow to tune in again.


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## ClubMan (3 Oct 2006)

Ron Burgundy said:


> gilroy is great, he is comfortable with sports and political journalism whish is rare in ireland.
> 
> orla barryis annoying but its fluff radio which a lot of stations need.
> 
> ...


Have to agree with you on all points above. In spite of myself I find _Moncrieff _very funny! _Off The Ball_ is still my favourite. No matter what sport they cover I generally find the coverage interesting, entertaining and often humourous. I used to find the boys (especially _Ken Early_) a bit too world weary/sarky but I might have been taking them too seriously at the start. And the bit of humour and sometimes inanity that they inject into matters is just the ticket in preparation for switching over to _Vincent Browne _at 22:00 (especially if he has _Dr. Bill Tormey _or _Arthur Morgan _on)! 


> one thing, they have stopped announcing the cost of a text is 30 cent since going national, is the cost gone or are they just not informing the new national listeners.


 I seem to recall them mentioning that one of their numbers had changed with the national rollout so maybe that's significant?


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## Humpback (3 Oct 2006)

ClubMan said:


> I seem to recall them mentioning that one of their numbers had changed with the national rollout so maybe that's significant?


 
I think their phone number has changed. Their text number is still 53106. And as far as I know, 53* is a premium rate text number. It'd have to change to a 50* for it to be normal or free.

Has anyone noticed that the different segments covered on the morning programme are now significantly shorter? And to a certain extent on the Hook show as well?

I'm getting more and more annoyed recently by Ger Gilroy finishing off segments with "I'm sure we'll be back to this again".


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