‘No fear’ for future of 2FM despite three high-profile exits in recent weeks, station boss says

“To go from people leaving the station to closing it down is nuts,” Mr Healy said told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne.

When asked if the station should be closed down, Mr Healy replied: “Absolutely not.”

Mr Healy, who has been head of the station since 2013, added that he has “no fear” for 2FM and that the station is going to be “central” to RTÉ’s transformation.

He referenced BBC Radio 1 in the UK, stating that it has a smaller listener share than 2FM, which he said has 12.2pc of 15-34 year olds, stressing that 2FM is very successful in generating revenue in younger audiences.

When asked about three previous occasions when he denied that Jennifer Zamparelli was leaving while she was “on leave” from her radio slot, Mr Healy said: “At the time, I believed that to be true.”

“Jen is moving on after 10 years. It is her decision. I respect that decision,” Mr Healy said.

On whether presenters are really restricted when it comes to RTÉ and “external activities” which may have a role to play in the departures, Mr Healy conceded that it played a role but “it is not the reason”.

The 2FM Head, who is the co-founder of iRadio and KCLR 96FM, said the station is now going to be looking for “expressions of interest” from potential presenters to replace those who have departed.

“We are going to create a long list, it will be shortlisted and piloted,” he said.

Potential presenters who join the station will be subject to a salary cap, will have to seek permission for all of their external activities, inform the broadcaster of how much they are getting paid for said activities and sign a register of interest stating all of their external activities.

“In the contracts, we always sought the information on external activities…take someone like Doireann, everything she did externally, she sought and got permission,” he said.

He added that 2FM on all of the front pages of this morning’s newspapers will be “good for” the JNLR, which tallies the radio’s listenership figures.

He said the intention is to get the share of 15-34 year olds listening up from 12.2pc to 14pc by 2025.

“The 2 Johnnies added 34pc at 3pm. So it would be naive of me to think something wouldn’t come back,” he said adding that 2FM is competing with iRadio, Spins SW and Beat FM.

On the reaction of Director General Kevin Bakhurst to the departures and whether Mr Healy is being blamed for them, the 2FM head said “God no”.

“I have seen more of Kevin than any other DG. He comes through 2FM continually for conversations about the direction of the station.

“He is saying ‘you are in charge. I want the station to stay 15-34 year olds, get on with it Dan’,” he said.

Adding: “We have the most challenging job here in 2FM.”

Former 2FM host Jennifer Zamparelli has said “I still want to work with RTÉ” with futures projects as she becomes the latest high-profile host to depart the station.

Zamparelli, who announced that she was leaving 2FM on Thursday, follows Doireann Garrihy and the 2 Johnnies’ departure this week, in what has been a swift and unexpected exodus from the station.

Speaking on RTÉ 2FM this morning, Zamparelli was asked if the exit spells the end between her and RTÉ.

“No. I am just going to do projects that fit in with my family life and I am in a position to do that, which is very exciting. If certain shows come back, I will be back for that,” she said.

“I have other ideas I would love to work with RTÉ on because it has given me a lot of joy over the last 10 years,” the 44-year-old radio and TV personality told her successor Laura Fox on her old slot.

Zamparelli has presented her own show from 9am-12pm weekdays on RTÉ 2FM since May 2019, which she was “on leave” from in recent weeks. She joined the station in February 2014 on Breakfast Republic.

In total during her 10-year tenure with the station, the former host presented 1,103 shows.

“It has been a real pleasure to work in one of the coolest stations,” Zamparelli said this morning.

The former Breakfast Republic co-host also “thanked everyone who had my back down the years”.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 24th May 2024

She spoke of a consoling phone call she received from former RTÉ broadcaster Sean O’Rourke following one of her first trial runs with the national broadcaster, in which she received poor reviews, which she said, “knocked the wind out of me”.

She recalled how he said “don’t let that get you down, they did the same to me years ago, you are amazing, keep going,” she said, adding that she will “never forget that phone call.”

She thanked her colleagues and producers for allowing her to sign off adding that after the story appeared on the news yesterday “my son saw and hugged me”.

The mother-of-one added: “I know I’ve made the right decision… I haven’t left RTÉ, I’ve left 2FM.”