JNLR figures: RTÉ radio mainstays take a hit in listeners while Newstalk makes gains 

Both Radio 1 and 2fm underwent major revamps earlier this year, with the first major shake-up of their schedules in years. File picture: Donall Farmer

Several of RTÉ's flagship radio shows continue to experience drops in their listenership, according to the latest radio figures.

While RTÉ Radio 1 remains the most popular station in the country, many shows have also continued to lose listeners, the latest round of the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) figures show.

Both Radio 1 and 2fm underwent major revamps earlier this year, with the first major shake-up of their schedules in years.

Morning Ireland remains the most popular radio show in the country, with a listenership of 457,000 across June 2025 to the end of July. This is an increase of 5,000 listeners when compared to the last round of the JNLRs, published at the end of May.

Liveline, one of the station's flagships presented by Kieran Cuddihy, is down 14,000 listeners in the last three months to 254,000. As Joe Duffy retired from RTÉ last year, he left the station with a Liveline listenership of 299,000. 

The latest figures show Today with David McCullagh has 422,000 listeners, while Oliver Callan has 285,000 listeners each day in his new slot, from 11am to 1pm. This is a drop of 1,000 for Today, down to 422,000, and 11,000 for Oliver Callan, down to 285,000. 

Weekends on RTÉ Radio 1 have also seen decreases, the latest JNLRs show.

Brendan O'Connor's Saturday broadcast lost 14,000 listeners since the last quarter, down from 414,000 listeners to 400,000, while his Sunday show went from 409,000 to 399,000. Sunday with Miriam O'Callaghan also lost 17,000 listeners since the last quarter. 

Meanwhile, Claire Byrne has seen growth of 4,000 in her listenership on Newstalk, rising to an audience of 210,000. Newstalk Breakfast with Anton Savage also saw an increase of 10,000 listeners, to 168,000, according to the latest JNLRs. 

Pat Kenny's weekend show, broadcast Saturday mornings, pulled in an audience of 167,000 listeners, which, according to Newstalk, makes it the most listened-to weekend show in the station’s history. Pat’s Sunday programme also increased to 122,000, an increase of 3,000 when compared to the last round of JNLRs. 

The Hard Shoulder, hosted by Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman, remained steady at 153,000 while Seán Moncrieff also grew his audience to 105,000. Lunchtime Live with Andrea Gilligan now has an audience of 115,000, the latest JNLRs show. 

On Today Fm, the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show recorded its highest-ever listenership in back-to-back JNLRs, with 240,000 listeners tuning in each morning. 

Ray Foley, broadcasting on weekday afternoons between 2pm and 4.30pm, also saw his listenership increase to 179,000.  Alison Curtis' Saturday morning show also saw a rise, with 188,000 listeners, and her Sunday show, with 147,000 listeners. 

RTÉ Lyric FM has continued to grow its audience, attracting 29,000 new listeners. The station now has 358,000 weekly listeners, the latest JNLRs show. Marty in the Morning continues to be the station's most popular show with 85,000 listeners.

On RTÉ's 2fm, the extended 2FM Breakfast with Carl, Roz & Aisling has 175,000 listeners, with the show broadcasting between 6am and 10am weekdays. 

Patricia Monahan, director of audio at RTÉ, described the latest JNLRs as "encouraging". 

"Lyric fm is maintaining the brilliant momentum it has built in recent years, and Raidió na Gaeltachta continues to deliver for Irish Language speakers across the country."