What is the Purpose of 2FM?

Stop chasing Influencers and focus on Creators

I’ve debated whether to jump in on the current RTE 2FM crisis for a little while, partly because I was the Programme Manager for 2FM, from 1999 to 2002, and I’ve been observing the current crisis with interest.

I’ve held back from sharing my thoughts on it, because it’s clearly a station that is in the middle of a genuine crisis and that’s a difficult time for staff and presenters who work there, and outside commentary often doesn’t help.

However, we seem to have to come to an existential point now, where the station is genuinely in jeopardy and there are things that need to be said.

Face the Facts

Firstly, a station where 4 presenters, or three shows quit, depending on how you’re spinning it, across your daytime schedule, is a station in trouble.

It’s not a coincidence, it’s not an unhappy accident. It’s a message from presenters to say, we’re not ok with what is happening here and we’re making a statement by exiting from the building.

The fact that 4 senior presenters in daytime have decided to walk away is almost unheard of, and generally in radio, presenters get fired rather than quit of their own accord.

The 2FM dynamic is also unusual, in that all the presenters involved have plenty of career options but are not heading to any other radio station.

So, much as the RTE bosses may want to spin the value of a fresh start, or the exciting potential of a “summer schedule”, that, largely, is bullshit.

No such thing as a Summer Schedule

Radio doesn’t have “Summer Schedules”, the JNLR, or listenership survey is a continual rolling study, which interviews 15,000 people per year, and is one of the largest and most consistent pieces of audience research in the country.

It is focused on long term trends in listening, and if you make changes for a “Summer Schedule”, that’s probably just going to turn up as a drop in listenership for a number of books.

So, even with your best foot forward, and a picnic basket in hand, you’re not going to get away with that one.

Equally, to claim that “it’s great, we’re on the front page of every paper”, doesn’t really wash.

In my experience once a station has “troubled” or “crisis” attached to it, that label becomes very difficult to shift and people generally don’t rush towards a brand that is flailing around and losing its biggest names.

I also listened to the painfully awkward interview with Head of 2FM Dan Healy, on RTE Radio 1 last week, and one thing became immediately clear.

2FM lacks a Purpose

RTE, or at least, Dan, doesn’t appear to have any sense of what 2FM’s purpose is.

When the Head of 2FM is flailing around quoting 15 – 34 Market Share targets – he says they’re planning to reach 14% Market Share in 15 – 34 year olds, but they’re currently at 12.2% with a full line up – then alarm bells start to ring.

Firstly, is there some magical event that unlocks if they hit 14% Market Share in 15 – 34 year olds? Why does that number define anything?

Dan says that 2FM is not competing with Today FM, although Today FM is currently on 13% Market Share for 15 – 34 year olds, so if they were, they’d be losing.

Setting the purpose of the station as a vaguely defined number for Market Share seems insane to me.

He also mentioned that RTE 2FM outperforms BBC Radio 1 on Market Share. This is an absolutely pointless comparison.

The two markets are wildly different, the BBC alone have more stations than there are on the playing field in Ireland, and there are many, many more national brands competing for listenership than we have in the relatively uncrowded Irish market.

So, what then is the point of 2FM? Dan says it’s “nuts” to talk about closing it down, but then he also said that he knew the 2 Johnnies, who he put on Drivetime, were on “a journey” and wouldn’t be with 2FM for long.

Remember, 2FM is part of a public service broadcaster, jointly funded by licence fee and commercial revenue. There’s a lot of money flowing through a station that hasn’t experienced much in the way of success for some considerable time.

And, it’s a station that has considerable marketing support, TV ads (on RTE TV), along with outdoor advertising including billboard campaigns for shows that are now defunct.

Add in a healthy mix of influencers and social media friendly presenters and you have to wonder why they haven’t managed to move the dial. In fact, the last number of books have seen Today FM accelerate away from 2FM, and the Bauer owned commercial station is now very close to hitting a million listeners a week.

So, 2FM is a well-funded, well marketed station, with plenty of budget for talent, and yet no positive impact on audience figures, and in the commercial world, that would mean significant change is coming at senior management level.

RTE doesn’t seem to work like though, so instead we have “Summer Schedules” and a new plan to poach talent or find more influencers to help move the deck chairs on the good ship 2FM.

Here’s what needs to be done.

Define what the purpose of 2FM is. It’s not particularly difficult to sketch some key elements of what it should be.

Public Service Broadcasters need to provide content that entertains and informs, a wide audience, on a wide range of topics. They have an obligation as part of a social framework to platform different voices and opinions that make up society, and they also have a cultural obligation to reflect creativity and talent from their country of origin.

Even with the kindest of ears, you would say that 2FM is under performing against those obligations.

And in a world where younger audiences are spending more time on social media, and subject to misinformation, disinformation and unstructured content, it’s really quite important that there is a trusted source of relevant information.

That should be part of 2FM’s role.

But, to access these elements, you shouldn’t be trying to sign up Influencers.

You should be focussed on Creators.

It’s not about how many Instagram followers someone has, it’s much more about what content they create, whether it’s video, audio, music, or the written word, creative voices should be the first and most important criteria when it comes to picking talent and presenters.

The simplest and most seismic change you could make to 2FM though, is already laid out in RTE’s New Direction Strategy Document.

That lays out a plan to decrease the size of the production base in Dublin and shift more production to Cork.

I would unplug 2FM, pop it in a truck, and drive it to Cork.

Clearly, there are a lot of logistical elements to this, but it’s a bold statement of intent, it would force the station to reassess and rethink its purpose, and it would open up the airwaves to a whole new range of voices, accents and experiences.

Lyric has thrived in Limerick, RnaG is an essential part of Galway, and I think it’s crazy that Ireland’s second largest city, which has a vibrant cultural life, doesn’t have a full time RTE station.

Fundamentally, if RTE 2FM is to find its purpose, don’t measure the ratings, measure the value it has for the community at large.

Use those transmitters for good, not to play the same pop music as Today FM, or for influencers to pump up their Instagram numbers.

And reset the station and the expectation by transplanting it to a new and vibrant location, Cork.  

This has been the 40^th official edition of the RAudio Newsletter.

Apart from writing newsletters, I also consult to radio stations and podcasts, so if you have a question, or a project you need help on, drop me an email – liamathompson@gmail.com

And I specialise in monitoring shows and presenters and providing clear advice and actionable points to help you coach or make strategic decisions.

You can also send feedback, questions or potential topics – you can also get me on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamthompsonconsulting/ or on Twitter @Maxliam