Miriam is the perfect bearer of bad news
THERE can be no better illustration of star power at RTE than the fact that Radio 1’s flagship morning talk show is currently being broadcast under the title Today with Miriam O’Callaghan. Normally when its eponymous host heads off on a break, and a guest presenter such as Cormac O hEadhra slips into the hot seat for a while, Today with Sean O’Rourke retains its usual name.
Of course, O’Rourke has announced his intention to take an extended sabbatical from the show this year and won’t be returning to the airwaves until the autumn, but even so, would they have done this for O hEadhra or Philip Boucher-Hayes? Even Dave Fanning doesn’t get his name in lights when he guest presents Tubridy.
Anyway, what has Miriam O’Callaghan been like? Well, she’s Miriam. Listeners know the score by now. She rarely puts a foot wrong. From water shortages to pilot strikes at Ryanair, nothing seems too disagreeable when the renowned RTE woman’s at the helm. If World War III ever breaks out, MN i rig ia em llasLhaowuslo d nd He if ci nie int ed lay eb rec ia th me one to announdce est i rt. uTmh re em neiwns es wt,oinl’ mt soedeiam half so bad comquiantgu rf raoumtf huegrit. aturnnkkl
Miraculously, she even managed the rare feat last Monday of getting a straight answer to a straight question from a politician, when minister Regina Doherty, asked if she was willing to enter coalition with Sinn Fein after the next election, replied bluntly: “Not on your life.”
But while it’s never a bad thing to hear more female voices on air, is it heresy to wish nonetheless that a less obvious candidate might have been given a chance?
Sunday’s Mooney Goes Wild reminded listeners of the problems faced by birds during the heatwave. As puddles dry up and streams become, in the words of Niall Hatch of Birdwatch Ireland, “quite grotty and stagnant”, it’s essential to provide a regular supply of clean water for birds to drink and in which to clean their feathers.
Mooney is probably preaching to the converted, but the message was welcome all the same. Otherwise it would just be The Ray D’Arcy Show warning everyone that nice weather leads to a sharp increase in sexually transmitted infections. Talk about ruining the summer holiday buzz.
On a happier note, RTE recently enjoyed a good night at the New York Festivals Radio Awards, bringing home medals in dozens of categories, including 24 for programmes on RTE Radio 1 and Lyric FM. What the press release issued by RTE failed to io In iNsa huge number of those aw Ha arrdsy aB cut cuk as lilsy own etnhe tR to TE br Po lay dec ra usnttsil made by Diencdeempbeen rd3e0n;trtp er. io ed/ pulcaey re sr.
SO ixn Ne aotifotnh so Rsuegbwy in is no inng3P pl ar yoe gr ruanmtilmes, The BaDnescheem eb a en rd16t; ht ev3T.iieg/e pr la, ya er compelling pro Sfimilep ly of NUig Sell caoim so pnoBs eB rC Hi P el any rey rC-couw r-ell, wars en rt elyp en ao te ad va oil na bT le hteoLvyierw ice rF se ian tIurerleanodn. Sunday. It was made by Northerner Claire Cunningham, whose Dublinbased company, Rockfinch Ltd, is single-handedly responsible for some of the best arts documentaries on Irish radio in recent years. International recognition is richly deserved.