BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND AFTERNOONS – IT’S ALL HAPPENING AT TODAY FM!
Today FM has announced a number of major changes to its daytime schedule including Ray Foley as the new voice of afternoons while Pamela Joyce is set to host her own lunchtime show. The refreshed schedule will also see popular Early Breakfast presenter Paula MacSweeney take up a new slot in the evenings and king of breakfast radio Ian Dempsey add an extra hour to his morning show.
Ray Foley is no stranger to Today FM listeners, having presented a multi-award-winning show on the station for many years. One of Ireland’s biggest radio personalities, Ray will bring a conversational fun and cheekiness to weekday afternoons. Ray will play the music you love and deliver a show that has everything audiences are hungry for from weekday afternoon radio.
Commenting on his big move to afternoons on Today FM, Ray Foley said:
“You just can’t imagine how excited I am to start afternoons on Today FM, I’m so buzzing to get started with a brand-new show. Every day for the last nine years, my key card for the building hasn’t worked, so we might need to get that looked at. Our last song in 2012 was Example – We’ll Be Coming Back For You One Day and now we are!”
Ray Foley
Pamela Joyce has been revealed as the new lunchtime host on Today FM and will make the move from her current evening slot. Pamela is no stranger to the audience since joining the station three years ago. She has been a regular voice on programmes across Today FM and has gained a social following for her Cardi P musical skits on Dermot & Dave.
On her move to lunchtime, Pamela said:
“I am beyond and excited and honoured to have my name above the door at lunchtimes on Today FM. This is a huge step for me personally and professionally and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the show. You can expect all the best tunes, loads of craic and plenty of divilment. I can’t wait to keep the listeners company through their lunchtime.”
Pamela Joyce
Paula MacSweeney, who Today FM listeners will know and love from Early Breakfast and her daily showbiz reports on the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show will become the new voice of evenings on the station. Paula will present a three-hour music show Monday to Thursday from 7-10pm. Paula commented:
“After ten years of early starts, I’m switching over to the dark side – literally! I am so excited to bring all the fun we have on Early Breakfast to evenings… and I’m also excited to knock that 3.30am alarm clock off!”
Paula MacSweeney
Completing the schedule changes is news that the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show will now broadcast for an extra hour each morning with a new start time of 6am. Well used to setting the alarm clock for the middle of the night, Ian is thrilled to wake up the nation that bit earlier
“I’m going to try and still get up at the same time (5am) but just do things quicker at home! There will be days that I may have forgotten to brush my hair (nobody will notice that!) but I hope we can bring our famed music, entertainment, information and positivity to our legendary listeners whenever they wake up!”
Ian Dempsey
Ian and Mario Rosenstock enjoyed another recent viral hit with a Gift Grub sketch ‘the Covid Christmas Hurdle’ which first aired on Today FM going on to be viewed millions of times around the world with Piers Morgan even sharing the sketch to his 7million strong twitter followers.
The new schedule comes on the back of a hugely successful JNLR book for Today FM, which marked a 7 year high for the station surpassing 900,000 listeners weekly (911,000) reinforcing Today FM’s position as the biggest independent radio station in the country.
Last year, Today FM launched a huge TV advertising campaign featuring several well-known presenters to the soundtrack of Niall Horan’s ‘Nice to Meet Ya’. The campaign was rolled out to promote Today FM’s new position of ‘It All Happens Here’ referencing the breadth of the stations offering from music to listener moments and comedy to current affairs.
Commenting on Today FM’s big schedule news, James Brownlow, Managing Editor, Music & Entertainment, Bauer Media Audio Ireland said:
“Today FM has previously, and now will once again, be the home of the best music and entertainment talent in radio. With one of Ireland’s hottest radio talents in Ray Foley joining the team, alongside Paula MacSweeney & Pamela Joyce moving into our larger prime time shows, Irish radio’s favourite breakfast show with Ian Dempsey getting even bigger with 3 hours in the morning, never has a radio station in Ireland made a move to bring such high industry standard programmes and listener experiences.
This is a hugely exciting time for Today FM, we have a stellar line-up that includes radio royalty in Ian Dempsey, heavy hitters Dermot and Dave who now have the biggest mid-morning audience on commercial radio and The Last Word with Matt Cooper serving up cutting-edge drive time radio. Today FM is providing the nation with the best trailblazing entertainment radio”
James Brownlow, Managing Editor, Music & Entertainment, Bauer Media Audio Ireland
As a result of the refreshed schedule, Today FM has confirmed that Fergal D’Arcy will depart the station. Fergal will continue to present his afternoon show in the coming weeks.
Acknowledging Fergal’s time with Today FM, James Brownlow commented: “I’d like to sincerely thank Fergal for the huge contribution he’s made since he joined Today FM. Fergal is very passionate about radio and about music and we wish him continued success in both.”
The revamped schedule on Today FM will come into effect in early February.
- Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show 0600-0900
- Dermot & Dave 0900-1200
- Pamela Joyce 1200-1400
- Ray Foley 1400-1630
- The Last Word 1630-1900
- Paula MacSweeney 1900-2200
- Ed Smith 2200-0000