'The next U2 could be out there right now but won't make it if they don't get radio airplay'
Country star Nathan Carter had 'cut his teeth' on local radio — so said former RTÉ Radio One producer and MEAI committee member Aidan Butler at the Oireachtas media committee. File picture: Andres Poveda
The Oireachtas has heard that a national strategy for increasing the airplay of Irish artists on TV and radio stations would mean that "no one could fail here".
Members of the Oireachtas media committee heard from representatives of the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland (MEAI) and independent artist Rebecca Cappuccini about the struggles facing up-and-coming musicians when it comes to getting their music promoted.
While many stations indicate that they will hit a 20% quota for playing Irish music — one in every five tracks — the association believes that many are not following through.
MEAI co-founder Jackie Conboy said: "I've spoken to a number of local radio stations in recent weeks, and the one thing that comes back is that they give the people what they want.
"They’re playing what people are requesting," he said. "That’s lost on some stations. They want to look like a national station similar.
"The stations who are looking after their county or area, those listeners are remaining loyal.”
Mr Conboy pointed to similarities between British radio stations and those in Ireland.
In response to a question about plans by Irish stations to simulcast Ryan Tubridy's new show on Virgin Radio in Britain, he said: "There seems to be a thing now where [producers] are looking at what’s being played in the UK and [are using] a lot of the same playlists, very much so.
"That has to change to a degree. Our market is different.
"At the moment, what happens in Dublin City and what happens outside the M50 are two different things.
"If you said that to people in Dublin that you could get Mike Denver into a venue and get 600, 700 people, they’d think your mad, but you can."
Aidan Butler, a member of the MEAI committee and former producer for RTÉ Radio One, added: "There is a big [east-west] divide. Some radio stations — and even RTÉ and the Dublin based ones are included — they have to, as a commercial organisation, they have to look at having 1.5m listeners in one area.
"Do they put on something that they know that listeners will hit the button to switch after five seconds of a song?”
Mr Butler noted how late country music star Charley Pride once remarked to him that he "could sell out three nights in Cork, Galway, and Limerick but couldn't even get arrested in Dublin".
The likes of Nathan Carter had "cut his teeth" on local radio, he said.
He added that radio stations were always looking for the next Beatles or U2 — but were being hamstrung by not "broadening their horizons" by going to concerts themselves to find new musicians.
iRadio was singled out and highlighted for praise by both Mr Butler and Mr Conboy for their work in promoting Irish artists.
Social Democrats TD Ciarán Cannon suggested that the Irish music industry could mirror that of Korea — noting that, in 1997, during poor economic times, the Korean government poured funding into its culture and music, resulting in the K-Pop phenomenon of the 2010s and present day. He said:
"Sitting in someone’s bedroom right now could be the next U2 or Cranberries.
"They aren’t getting recordings, they aren’t getting airplay. It would be a horrendous shame if all of that talent doesn’t have the support mechanisms in place."
Ms Cappuccini said: "We have such strong artists in this country, we don’t need to look outside of it.
"Most younger people, they all listen to playlists that they make for each other.
“I’ve been working in the music industry for two decades — as a manager, a fixer, a venue manager, an artist liaison, a tour manager. It’s not just me coming as a person who didn’t make it with a track three months ago, it’s coming as a person who has seen many people just like me not making it.”
When asked if a national strategy would be beneficial, she agreed, noting: "There is no one who can fail here."
The committee agreed to write to Justice Minister Helen McEntee after concerns were raised by the speakers about the safety of performers, particularly in Dublin City.
Ms Cappuccini said: "The issues are primarily gig-goers who are scared to go out after dark, buskers and people going in to venues with expensive equipment which was being stolen."
The committee was told that if all the relevant stakeholders were brought together to discuss the national plan, it would be "majorly beneficial".
