Ryan Tubridy will return to his former weekday morning slot on RTÉ Radio 1 in early September. Tubridy, who left Radio 1 to present a show on 2fm for the past five years, replaces John Murray, whose new role in RTÉ will be in sports programming. Sunday Independent journalist Brendan O’Connor has been filling the slot for the past month.
Dave Fanning will host the Radio 1 morning show in August.
Tubridy said it’s with mixed emotions he says goodbye to 2fm and hello again to Radio 1. “Now, the story continues as I return to the Radio 1 world that I have always enjoyed and admired,” Tubridy added. “It’s an increasingly competitive market, with 9am being the toughest slot. But I’m up for the challenge and look forward to making quality radio.”
The latest JNLR book just out shows Tubridy’s 2fm show was up by 47,000 to 191,000 over the last year. The John Murray Show had an audience of 296,000, down 17,000 year-on-year but up 9,000 compared to three months ago. RTÉ management will hope Tubridy’s all-round popularity can help bring stability to Radio 1’s slot.
The Ryan Tubridy Show will air weekday mornings at 9am on RTÉ Radio 1, followed by Today with Sean O’Rourke. Tubridy’s new show starts on Monday, September 7.
