New schedules add up to a tricky equation

RADIO REVIEW:DURING THIS week of Leaving Certificate results we were once again reminded of our bad record in mathematics. There needs to be a rethink of the way the subject is taught, perhaps with bonus points to incentivise students to take the subject.

Our business leaders and Government need to stop getting their sums wrong, too. We had two budgets last year, remember. The Central Bank of Ireland, the Financial Regulator, the Fianna Fáil-led Government and a string of former banking chief executives have all had to open a new copy book. It’s not only the 4,300 Leaving Certificate mathematics students who failed.

It was appropriate that Gavin Jennings's interview with the Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, on News at One(RTÉ Radio One, weekdays) moved from the Leaving Cert to the bank bailout. Young people learn by example, after all.

“Education is for life,” the Tánaiste said, “it is not for a job. It does help you obtain a career, as you know, but it is an education for life. We believe, and I very much believe, in pathways to progression . . .” There’s a catchphrase that won’t catch on.

On the subject of the international road trip of the governor of the Central Bank, Patrick Honohan, Jennings asked, “Does the Government at this stage have a rough idea of how much the bank bailout is going to cost?” Coughlan replied: “The governor did indicate when he was abroad that the matter would be costly but manageable.” That answer gets an E for lack of clarity. But let’s leave the last word on the Leaving Certificate with the Tánaiste, who told this newspaper in June: “The Leaving Certificate was no joke. Especially history and geography . . . And, as for English, well, it’s not as handy as everybody thinks.”

In other news, RTÉ launched its new radio schedule. John Murray will take over Ryan Tubridy’s Radio 1 slot, as previously announced, and, in what was billed as a “dramatic twist” to the 2FM schedule, Hector

Ó hEochagáin will take over the breakfast show live from Galway from 7am. But something else happened in the world of radio this week: yesterday, Tubridy made a surprise start with his 9am-11am slot. Kapow!

Tubridy is back where he belongs, on 2FM, thanks be to God. Ó hEochagáin will get to act the maggot and get paid for it. Again. He might wear thin on some nerves, but there is a market for high-octane malarkey in the mornings. Turns out it takes a lot of feet to fill Gerry Ryan’s shoes.

The main competition to Tubridy is The Ray D'Arcy Show(Today FM, weekdays), which I appear on regularly, and Tom Dunne(Newstalk 106-108, weekdays) – though the latter is less established and may have most to lose. D'Arcy will soon celebrate the 10th year of his show, while Dunne has been on air since 2008.

So Tubridy(2FM, weekdays) started yesterday. The early start helped avoid a big, emotional official relaunch, took pressure off Tubridy on his first day, and took advantage of the fact that everyone is in a better mood on Fridays. It seems unfair to pass judgment on his first show, especially under the circumstances, but nobody likes a critic, so here we go. First, let us remind ourselves what he told Evelyn O'Rourke during the tribute show to Gerry Ryan: "I was always much more able to be myself here . . ."

On Radio 1 he did not sound authentic, his show lacked texture and the middle-class zeitgeist round-table panels were frequently cringeworthy. This is a new beginning, however. Tubridy hit the ground running, and he seems happy and relaxed to be home. (One caveat: the sound of cameras flashing was a bit much.)

“We were preparing the show all week,” Tubridy told his listeners. “We got excited and said let’s just do it and get a feel for this beast.” And he spoke about his late friend: “The reason I’m here is because we lost one of the great people on this island as far as I’m concerned . . . On occasion I’ll be walking down the street and see someone who looks like him and do a double take. It’s not good for the soul, and it’s certainly not good for the heart.”

Bono came on the phone – yawning from his bed in Helsinki – and said he was “very fit” after his recent back problems. He gave Tubridy the best advice: enjoy it and be yourself. “Gerry appeared to me last night in a dream,” Bono said, “and he said that fella used to work for me, and make me coffee and I always knew he had his eye on my gig.”

That was smart and kind: being respectful of the absence of Gerry Ryan but avoiding sentiment.

Let’s consider RTÉ Radio 1 to have been Tubridy’s wilderness years. Now he’s back. Let the JNLR games begin. Speaking of which, Ray D’Arcy might want to get back from his summer holidays too.