How RTÉ's radio jingles ended up the topic of programmes

"This is the music I listen to in my car, this is the music I listen to having my coffee at the weekend, and I guess some of us don't like change."
This from Sarah, a caller to RTÉ Radio 1 on Tuesday’s Liveline programme.

She was referring to the new station sound that was rolled out across RTÉ Radio 1 the week before last, which has caused [sound] waves from listeners.

The Liveline calls kept coming.

But how did the bits in between the main programme content, on RTÉ Radio 1, itself end up on programme running orders this week?

On Monday, 13 April, RTÉ Radio 1 woke up the nation with, according to its press release, a "new, fully unified audio identity for the station designed to further strengthen its appeal to audiences".

This is the "first time RTÉ Radio 1 will implement a fully unified audio identity across its output", the broadcaster said.

This resulted in the suite of familiar theme tunes and jingles being replaced across the station, from Rising Time to Late Date.

Reaction was swift, with presenters amongst the first to discuss the new sound of the station.

RTÉ Radio 1’s Oliver Callan commented at the start of his Monday show at 11am that "it will take a bit of getting used to … I am now presenting Euronews at three o’clock in the morning, it would appear?"
Reaction continued to build over the following days.

Reviewers turned up their radios too with Ed Power writing in the Irish Times that "Inside Sport, a weeknight sports broadcast ...

now appears to be taking place in the vicinity of an illegal rave circa 1989".

Then this week, on Tuesday, Kieran Cuddihy opened the Liveline and the listeners had their say.

Of all the programme themes, one of the recurring discussion points centred on Sunday Miscellany, in particular.

The piece called "Galliard Battaglia", featuring duelling trumpets was originally composed by Samuel Scheidt, and has been played on the Radio 1 Sunday airwaves since 1968.

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He explained how he thought it was "good what RTÉ has done, in terms of leading the way in designing a sonic system, a sound that is across every single touch point".

However, he also pointed out that the audience needs a connection with music that has been there for years, and clearly this is important too.

"The really interesting thing is that people are often resistant to change"
For its part too, RTE explained that the project was informed by "in-depth qualitative and quantitative research" conducted with IPSOS B&A, exploring "audience attitudes, needs and preferences among listeners and non-listeners."
The sounds were created by audio branding agency WiseBuddah following a competitive public procurement process the broadcaster confirmed.

Patricia Monahan, Director of Audio, described the new sounds as a "landmark moment for RTÉ, this work ensures RTÉ Radio 1 is not only heard but will be instantly recognised and felt".

Feelings were certainly evoked by this new audio development, and while management can take comfort in the view that the discussions demonstrate that the station continues "to be relevant" and part of the national conversation, the strength of feeling for theme tunes including Sunday Miscellany may have been a surprise to some.

Affection for beloved television and radio programmes is patently clear though to musician and presenter, Jessie Grimes, who is the Discover Artist in Residence at the National Concert Hall.

She explained the power of theme tunes as offering something "nostalgic" adding that "theme tunes or sig tunes can go straight from your ears into your body, it bypasses the cognitive part of you."
In her experience, "it doesn’t matter what the tune is, it’s about the effect that it has on you, and that is powerful."
Dr Michael Mary Murphy, lecturer in popular music at IADT, says that he is not surprised at the reaction to the new radio sounds.

"The really interesting thing is that people are often resistant to change," he noted.

"To me as a music lover, it’s fascinating to see how passionate people are about something that might seem trivial … but it is embedded in people’s routines,".

"We are incredibly deeply attached to music and there are neuro-scientific reasons for this.

"We are used to listening to music in patterns," he said, "so any disruption affects us."
He outlined how there are "two outcomes from this - one is that people get used to it, and the other is that they become so attached to the past that they will switch off."
According to Dr Murphy, "during Covid, music streaming numbers went up (no surprise) but it was almost all ‘old’ music."
"Never underestimate people’s nostalgia for the music they love," he said.

"So maybe someday, the RTÉ concert orchestra could do a tour playing all the old theme tunes."
'Different radio programmes are supposed to be individual'
The former RTÉ Radio 1 producer Julian Vignoles, who chose the Stockton's Wing song 'Over the Moon’ as the theme tune for Liveline back in the 1980s, described the decision to implement new theme music across RTÉ Radio 1 as "odd".

In his view "different radio programmes are supposed to be individual, because that’s what draws their audience in."
He recalled the choice of the Stockton’s Wing tune, outlining how pleased he was that musician Mike Hanrahan talked about "the royalties they got from that song and how it mattered to them."
The cost of the new project has not been published as RTÉ has stated that the figures are "commercially sensitive", but some in the music community have been critical.

Ms Monahan had said that she was "particularly pleased to have worked so closely with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra" on this new sound, adding that "key elements of the new themes, including all brass, strings and other elements, were performed and recorded" by them.

However, Screen Composers Guild of Ireland (SCGI), in association with the Irish Association of Independent Music (AIM Ireland), issued a statement expressing disappointment.

The decision to "outsource this work represents a direct loss to the Irish music sector, with a potential value of up to €100,000 per annum in music rights and royalty income," their statement outlined, adding that "these revenues are vital to sustaining Ireland’s composer ecosystem".

In a fracturing media landscape, as broadcasters fight for audiences, RTÉ Radio 1 says this is a "significant step in its ongoing strategic evolution" and is designed to "maintain the station as Ireland’s first choice for radio."
As RTÉ Radio celebrates its 100th birthday this year, will the fuss die down as the new audio identity slowly embeds in listeners ears?

For all the discussions on and off air on the subject, though, RTÉ has confirmed that it has "not received any formal complaints regarding the new sound identity on RTÉ Radio 1".

The broadcaster said that the RTÉ Information Office, has received "approximate 40 emails and calls from the public, expressing dissatisfaction with or criticism of this new sound".

Interestingly, the broadcaster also confirmed that "more than half of these relate to Sunday Miscellany".

Does this week prove that Radio 1 still occupies a unique place in the hearts, minds and ears of its listeners?

If so, that’s something the broadcaster can trumpet.