It will obviously be more than a little embarrassing for Ryan Tubridy that his departure from RTÉ hasn’t really hit that broadcaster’s bottom line, in terms of listenership or advertising revenue. The new JNLR figures, released yesterday morning, show that since he left his morning show on Radio One, the station has actually gained 13,000 listeners in that time slot. More listeners equals more revenue from advertising, which, combined with the replacement of Tubridy with a panoply of guest hosts on substantially lower pay, all means that RTÉ have likely improved the financial performance of Radio One as a direct result of his departure.
In a way though, that’s all academic: Tubridy is gone, and he’s very unlikely to be coming back. Nor, as yet, has any of the much-touted demand for his services in the United Kingdom materialised into anything solid. For the moment, he’s yesterday’s man. That these figures are a kick in the goolies for Tubridy is obvious, but somewhat academic.
This article is premium content
Get unlimited access to Gript
Support Gript and get exclusive content, full archives and an ad-free experience
Subscribe
Already a member? Sign in here