Tubridy's show still left without sponsor despite cut in asking price
Finding a sponsor for Ryan Tubridy's radio show is the number one priority for 2fm's top brass.
Three years after it first came on air, the high-profile slot has yet to find a backer despite RTE slashing the price of the year-long contract from €500,000 to €200,000.
Now 2fm boss Dan Healy says Tubridy's weekday radio show could be offered in a package of 2fm shows.
"We are very hopeful of getting a sponsor for Ryan's radio show and it may well be as part of a sponsorship deal which includes a number of other 2fm programmes. The market was dead previously," Mr Healy said.
An RTE spokeswoman said also key to the deal was finding "a sponsor who will be appropriate".
Down 1,000 to 159,000 in the latest JNLR figures, the Tubridy show has struggled to find listeners which numbered half a million for the late Gerry Ryan's morning show, which was an hour longer.
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In trying to hook a sponsor, RTE has attached the 9am-11am 2fm Tubridy slot to the RTE flagship chat show presented by the same host.
Their brochure reads: "Now one of Ireland's most popular broadcasters with half a million plus Late Late viewers every Friday night, 175,000 listeners daily on 2fm & 14,690 Tubridy Show Facebook followers this is now an opportune time for a sponsor to tap into Tubridy!
"Over the last year Ryan Tubridy has stepped into the heart of the nation and has been getting very up close and personal with his listeners."
New 2fm boss Healy is the former CEO of Independent Radio Sales and previously worked with The Irish Times, 98FM and Newstalk.
hnews@herald.ie