RTE Radio 1 boss Peter Woods has admitted he fears he will lose his top broadcasters Joe Duffy and Ryan Tubridy to rival radio stations someday.
Mr Woods says he worries more about losing Liveline host Joe because he has the ability and connection to go anywhere in radio.
The RTE Radio 1 chief said: “They are all possibilities because Ryan is an independent contractor. Ryan is in radio in RTE for a very long time. It is an absolute possibility and I always look at like Joe Duffy and I always look at that Joe would be the person that I would worry about losing because Joe has that ability and that connection.
“Ryan has that connection as well.”
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But he told us his two top RTE stars wouldn’t get the same production teams at rival stations.
"The difference I’d say between here and anywhere else is the production teams here. You’re not guaranteed that anywhere else and you’re not guaranteed the same degree of thought that would go into it.”
He praised Claire Byrne for continuing to be on his radio station after quitting her Monday night TV show Claire Byrne Live, saying: “she is a particular example to women because she’s a woman presenter, but she is an example to people in here because of her work ethic and her commitment and all of that so I never doubt Claire”.
It comes after the latest Joint National Listenership Ratings revealed all radio stations were down in listeners this quarter – with Tubridy seeing the biggest loss of 25K.
Mr Woods admitted he was confused as the why there was such a sharp dip.
“I think Ryan Tubridy is superb, but I can’t figure it out myself by which I mean he has a connection with the listeners, which very few people manage to have.”
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