After two decades, Pamela Joyce (top) will be replacing Paul McLoone’s alternative music show on Today FM with a top 30 hit-based format

Eugene Connolly writes:

Just thought I’d bring your attention to the issue of Paul McLoone’s abrupt sacking at Today FM. He presented a two hour nightly show of music, indie I guess would be the general category. He was our modern day John Peel or even the Dave Fanning of decades past. Paul is also the long time replacement for Fergal Sharkey in The Undertones.

The new owners choose to go a more bland route.

Paul was there for 18 years as researcher, producer and presenter. Every programme he had a hand in was sure to be good.

Weekend shows were 3 hours long. Essential listening and he always supported new bands.

A big Bowie fan, his all-time favourite song was ‘Ceremony’ by Joy Division. The opening lines seem poignant:

‘This is why events unnerve me
They find it all the same old story’

I suggest there should be an ‘Indie uprising’, take to the streets to march against corporate broadcasting blandness. Who’s with me?

TodayFM/Paul McLoone

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16 thoughts on “Lost A Peel

  1. eoin

    John Peels radio show was limitlessly alternative with everything from The Smiths to Aphex Twin to Extreme Noise Terror. Nothing has touched his range since and I doubt anything ever will.

    1. dhaughton99

      theperfumedgarden.blogspot.com has a huge archive of shows. I love when he plays Melt Banana or death metal. First time I heard Mobys Thousand was on Peels show when i was a childer. Blew me away.

      1. Tarfton Clax

        Yup. as a big fan of metal I used to love that Peel played Napalm Death and Fairport Convention on the same show. The best DJ operating in Ireland to my mind is Pat James who used to work on Radio Dublin back in the day. He was on radio Nova on a Sunday night from 9 pm-1 am until mid 2020 but he was too good/eclectic to be left do that. He is on the Nova App now on a Saturday 9pm-1 am and is really worth tuning into.

        1. The Tec Dr

          Tarfton, I agree with you 100%. Pat James is the best DJ in Ireland and he also champions new Irish music too. His Off The Record show on the Nova Classic Rock stream is the best radio show in Ireland and his shows fan page on Facebook The Motley Crew page is fantastic as Pat interacts with his shows listeners whilst the show is on.

          Another DJ that deserves a shout out is Tony Ainscough who does the Friday Night Rock show between 10-1 on Radio Nova. Tony also promotes new Irish music on his show too.

          After that you get a few others such as The Blues Train which is on between 10-12 on Sunday nights on Dublin City FM. Denis Goodbody with his Roots Musing show on Thursday nights between 11-12 on Dublin City FM. And lastly Seán Brophy who does a couple of great shows on Dublin City FM on Wednesday and Saturday.

    2. goldenbrown

      regularly throw on the various Peel Sessions up on YT

      oh and I have a pile of Michael Jackson vinyl in the library…which I won’t be cancelling anytime soon either, lol

      as for Paul McLoone, doesn’t surprise me, modern radio stinks! bring back TX-FM is wot I say!!

  2. eamonn

    Paul’s show, was in my opinion not quite John Peel, however I will miss him, not an avid listener, but nearly always found something I enjoyed whenever he was on my radio.
    It looks like the bland leading the bland into a world less colourful from here. What the world needs now might not be another playlisted and scripted show in the top 30 hit-based format style.
    It would be churlish not to wish Pamela all the best with her new show, so there you go
    Best of Luck Paul and thanks.

  3. Optimus Grime

    Paul in my view carried the torch from Dave Fanning and now there is no one left. Sad news for Irish music

  4. Micko

    Very sad to see Paul go.

    He did an absolute ton for the Irish music industry over the years.

    I’m sure he’ll do something else and I look forward to it

  5. missred

    It’ll be Ed Smith who takes over the late slot, and Pamela Joyce occupying the 7-10pm that Ed normally does. He’s got varied taste and I’m sure he’ll satisfy the listeners who are used to hearing Paul’s sort of tunes at that hour. I heard his last show last night, very sad to see he was leaving. Didn’t know he’d been abruptly sacked

  6. Daisy Chainsaw

    Thank the deity of your choice Pamela Joyce moves into Ed’s slot while he’s shunted into Paul’s old zone. Two and a half hours of Matt Cooper talking, without the prospect of hearing Olivia Rodrigo, Coldplay or that Dance Monkey song is just too too much!!

  7. Thin White Duck

    Another nail in the coffin of FM radio which probably doesn’t need any more nails as it is. Everything going down on internet radio these days but Christ, it can be hard separating the wheat from the chaff.

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