Today FM

The original Independent National Radio franchise holder in the Republic of Ireland was 100-102 Century Radio, which launched in 1989 and closed down abruptly in November 1991 amid heavy financial losses. The Independent Radio and Television Commission did not re-advertise the contract until 1996.

Radio Ireland Limited, originally owned by John McColgan and Moya Doherty (and because of their involvement, dubbed "Radio Riverdance"), won the contract when it was advertised.

In 2002, Scottish Radio Holdings plc acquired Radio Ireland Limited from its shareholders. In June 2005, an agreed takeover offer for that company was made by Emap. Denis O'Brien's Communicorp was the highest bidder for Emap's Irish operations when that company decided to sell its radio stations, buying FM104, Highland Radio and Today FM on 14 July 2007.[4][5][6] In October 2007, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) approved Communicorp's proposed takeover of Today FM and Highland Radio, but not FM104.[7][8] The deal was completed by January 2008.[9] Due to a Competition Authority decision, Communicorp was required to sell-on FM104, which it did (to UTV Media) immediately upon its acquisition. The takeover closed in April 2008.

In 2008, Today FM moved their studios from their original base at 112 Upper Abbey Street, Dublin, across the Liffey to Marconi House in Digges Lane, Dublin 2, where it shares the building with its Communicorp sister station, Newstalk. The building also housed another Communicorp station, Phantom (later TXFM), until it ceased broadcasting in October 2016. In June 2017 it was announced that the group's other Dublin-based stations, 98FM and Spin 1038, would also be moving into the same premises.[10]

The experienced broadcaster and radio programmer Tom Hardy served as the station's Director of Programming from 1998 until January 2013, when he was replaced by Martin McGuire. The position was later taken up by the station's former evening presenter Colm O'Sullivan, now of Cork's Red FM, and is now held by Adelle Nolan.

The station went on air, originally known as Radio Ireland, on St. Patrick's Day, 17 March 1997. At first, the station was a mixed network, airing much talk programming and various types of music. However, following six months of disastrous ratings, and with a listenership of just 1%, the station was revamped, and on 1 January 1998 became 100-102 Today FM.[11] The station axed almost all of its programming and changed its music policy entirely.[11] Eamon Dunphy's co-host (Anne-Marie Hourihan) was axed, with him being heavily promoted as a solo act and Ian Dempsey and Ray D'Arcy were poached from arch-rivals RTÉ.[11] The IRTC went along with the schedule changes, though in a statement soon after the relaunch said it was not entirely satisfied with the new schedule. However, within three months, the station's listenership had almost doubled.

Today FM reshuffled its daytime schedule in 2004, reducing The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show to add an extra hour to The Ray D'Arcy Show so that it could compete directly with rival, The Gerry Ryan Show.[12] Philip Cawley's afternoon show was reduced and Tony Fenton was given a lunchtime show.[12]

In April 2006, Ray D'Arcy conducted an interview with comedian Des Bishop. Bishop joked about being gay. D'Arcy asked Bishop to provide an "exclusive". Bishop said, "I'm gay... I'm not, but hey!"[13] D'Arcy said, "You're very comfortable with your sexuality?"[13] Bishop said, "Me and Derek Mooney are doing a show".[13] The audience laughed.[13] D'Arcy moved to a commercial break before, he said, Bishop "outs anyone else".[13] The incident provoked much commentary in the media, with the Sunday Independent observing "Instantly, the Irish-American comedian was the villain of the piece and Derek was all over the front page", while Ray D'Arcy was also criticised for his choice of words.[13][14][15]

On 29 February 2008, Matt Cooper's The Last Word was the final show to be presented from the old studios. The first show to be presented from the new Digges Lane studio was Friday Night 80s with Phil Cawley from 19:00. The first song played was "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Today FM had a crucial role in the Brian Cowen nude portraits controversy of March 2009, specifically Will Hanafin and The Ray D'Arcy Show.

On 15 October 2011, Today FM confirmed Sam Smyth's Sunday radio show was being dropped. He had been presenting it for 14 years. Smyth had previously offended his bosses by commenting in a newspaper and on television about the Moriarty Tribunal which criticised Today FM owner Denis O'Brien. Smyth said on air the next morning that he had been told not to talk about the end of his show and stopped one of his guests from talking about it too "before someone comes downstairs and pulls a wire we better move onto something else."[16] The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said it was concerned at the development.[17] The Irish Independent, of which Denis O'Brien is a leading shareholder, reported that Anton Savage was being lined up to replace Sam Smyth.[18] Eamon Dunphy subsequently resigned from Today FM's sister station Newstalk, in solidarity with Smyth and because, he said, the radio station's management wanted "dissenting voices" such as Constantin Gurdgiev off the airwaves.[19]

Today FM airs a mixture of popular music and news and current affairs programming. Its breakfast show is The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, followed by Dermot & Dave. Mairead Ronan presents the lunchtime show. Its afternoon host is Fergal D'Arcy. The early evening current affairs programme is The Last Word, currently presented by Matt Cooper. Ed Smith then presents "Ed's National Anthems", which has a more diverse playlist than the daytime shows. This is followed by the Paul McLoone Show, which broadcasts until midnight. Weekend shows include Saturday and Sunday Breakfast with Alison Curtis, a Saturday afternoon music, sports and magazine programme with Declan Pierce and Anna Geary, the Phil Cawley Show, Claire Beck, and Ed's Songs of Praise, an alternative indie, rock and eclectic music show presented by Ed Smith.

Of note is the station's satirical slot, Gift Grub,[20] a feature broadcast during The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, which is performed by Mario Rosenstock and includes popular caricatures of former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, former Tánaiste Joan Burton, and singers Daniel O'Donnell and Keith Duffy. Rosenstock also presents his own show on Sunday mornings.

Other occasional presenters at the station include Shelly Gray and Tara Harrison.

Former presenters of Radio Ireland/Today FM include Philip Boucher-Hayes, Mark Byrne, Mark Cagney, Enda Caldwell, Breffni Clack, Bob Conway, Tom Dunne (Pet Sounds), Eamon Dunphy (original presenter of The Last Word), Tony Fenton, Derek Flood, Bob Gallico, Nadine O'Regan, Tommy Greene, Anne-Marie Hourihan (originally Eamon Dunphy's co-host), Bill Hughes, Robbie Irwin (weekend sports programs presenter), Mark Kavanagh (dance show), Ann Marie Kelly, John Kelly, Tim Kelly, Stephen Keogh, Tracey Lee, Nails Mahoney (briefly), Marty Miller (now of Radio Nova 100FM), the late Dermot Morgan, Paddy Murray and Liam Mackey (Murray and Mackey), Ian Noctor (newsreader who also for a period presented Dad Rock), Ed Myers, Jim O'Neill, Paul Power, Ita Ryan (The Celtic Reel), John Ryan (original presenter of The Sunday Supplement), Donal Scannell, Jon Troy (Between The Sheets - love songs), Ray Foley, Karl Tsigdinos (The River of Soul), Dave Couse, Anton Savage, Ray D'Arcy, Al Porter, and Kelly-Anne Byrne.

The current Today FM schedule and list of shows can be found here.

The weekend schedule is regularly changed at particular times of year to accommodate extra sports programming, such as during the GAA hurling and football championships, when Championship Sunday, hosted by Paul Collins, airs. Similarly, Ross Lindsay's Scrum Saturday during the Six Nations Championship and other periods when the Irish national side is in action.

Outside of the Premier League season, or on weekends without league games, the Saturday afternoon slot is, in the case of 2017, hosted by Muireann O'Connell.

On 26 March 2018, Today FM launched sister streaming stations that focus on music from the 1980s, 1990s, and alternative indie music, these being Today FM 80s, Today FM 90s and Today XM all three stations are available exclusively through TodayFM.com and app.

• Radio in the Republic of Ireland
• List of companies of Ireland

• Official website