Sir, – The JNLR Management Committee oversees listenership research for the Irish radio sector. It includes representation from RTÉ, Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland, Radiocentre Ireland, the Association of Advertisers in Ireland, and Ipsos B&A.
The Committee firmly rejects the commentary published in Tuesday’s article (“The JNLRs tell us young people love radio. Seriously?”) by Hugh Linehan, in which he writes: “I don’t know which teens and twentysomethings the researchers are talking to, but they’re not the ones I know. They wouldn’t know what to do with a radio if you handed them one.”
This remark misunderstands how younger audiences consume radio today. While traditional radio sets may be less commonly used among younger demographics, radio content remains widely accessed-via smartphones, smart speakers, PCs, and in-car entertainment systems. Radio has evolved alongside its listeners. It is present as part of commuting and everyday routines. The platform has changed, and so too has the way audiences engage with it.
The article also references the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) survey to suggest that 15-23-year-olds simply don’t have time to listen to radio. This overlooks a key distinction: radio and audio are highly flexible media. Unlike screen-based content, audio is often consumed while multitasking-commuting, exercising, cooking, or relaxing.
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That flexibility is precisely why radio remains such a resilient and relevant format in a busy, multitasking world.
Furthermore, the analysis is based on a flawed premise. Averaging eight hours of daily education assumes an unrealistic year-round academic schedule. It ignores school holidays and the fact that many young people are no longer in full-time education.
Not all young people are students; many are working –often in environments such as shops, construction sites, and hospitality settings, where radio is a constant presence throughout the day.
Radio is also a medium that features many stations generating content, music, entertainment, and news specifically tailored to a 15- to 24-year-old audience
The JNLR survey is carried out by Ipsos, one of the world’s most respected independent research organisations. The methodology is robust, transparent, and long-established. Interviews are conducted face-to-face and in-home, with an annual national sample of 16,850 individuals aged 15 and over.
Fieldwork is conducted across 50 weeks of the year, with strict quota controls to ensure demographic, geographic, and socio-economic representation. It is the second-largest research study in the Republic of Ireland, after the census.
It is also important to emphasise that radio’s popularity in Ireland is not an outlier. Listening trends observed in the JNLR are consistent with international benchmarks. For example, recent UK data shows that 74 per cent of adults aged 18-24 listen to radio weekly.
While radio remains the dominant form of audio consumption, we acknowledge the continued growth of podcasts and streaming services. These are complementary, not competing, developments within the broader audio ecosystem.
Ipsos tracks this evolving space in the annual Irish Audio Report, conducted as part of the JNLR research.
The latest report (October 2024) shows that among 15-24-year-olds, radio accounts for 46 per cent of all audio listening-followed by music streaming (31 per cent ), YouTube Music (12 per cent), and podcasts (3 per cent). People spend more time listening to radio than any other audio format, and that depth of engagement is a key factor in radio’s continued strength in the audio sector.
Digital platforms have shifted media habits, but they have not displaced radio. Instead, radio has adapted-becoming more accessible across devices, platforms, and lifestyles.
As a committee, we are continuously striving to improve and innovate how Irish listenership is measured. Questioning the JNLR is valid-healthy debate is always welcome. But dismissing robust, independently verified data in favour of anecdotal impressions underestimates both the quality of the research and the lived experiences of Irish listeners.
CIARÁN CUNNINGHAM,
CEO, Radiocentre Ireland & Chair, JNLR Committee,
DAMIAN LOSCHER,
President, Ipsos B&A,
Dublin.
Israel and Gaza: not mere rhetoric
Sir, – On October 9th , 2023, Yoav Gallant, Israel’s then minister of defense announced “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
Major General Ghassan Alian, Israeli Head of COGAT declared on October 10th, 2023 “Human animals must be treated as such. There will be no electricity and no water, there will only be destruction. You wanted hell, you will get hell.” “
That was not mere rhetoric. The world has watched how these promises were fulfilled to the letter and the population of Gaza been treated infinitely worse than animals for four months short of two years.
Yet, it is only now that some mealy-mouthed words of alarm are being sounded by world leaders who stood by silently for those 20 months while an apocalypse was being meted out by an ally of the West.
And still there are some who are obfuscating the horror such as the chief executive of The UKLFI (United Kingdom Lawyers for Israel) who suggested this month that a Lancet report from July 2024 claiming that the death-toll is in fact greater than has been reported “ignores factors that may increase life expectancy in Gaza, bearing in mind that one of the biggest health issues in Gaza prior to the current war was obesity.”
There is no ambiguity about what was threatened from the beginning.
But it has taken nearly 600 days for some world leaders to experience sufficient discomfort at the collapse of all fundamental humanitarian principles that they are finding a voice, albeit a whispery and shamefully late one. – Yours, etc,
MARY MORAN,
Shannon,
Co Clare.
Sir, – It is called The Great Famine or The Great Hunger on Wikipedia and elsewhere. There is nothing great about famine or hunger! The Irish were considered the underclass by the British establishment and the famine was convenient in managing the masses. I fear this is a similar sentiment Israel and others share re the Palestinians and the Gaza “situation”, and may explain Irish empathy for the Palestinians’ plight.
Thousands of aid trucks waiting at the border to enter Gaza to are denied entry by the Israeli government. This prompts the question: How do you define who is a hostage in Gaza? Are the Palestinians who are being bombarded, killed, starved, deprived of proper medical care and not allowed freedom of movement out of Gaza not also hostages of a sort?
I urge our Government and elected politicians to address this at the highest levels of diplomatic and political engagement. I want the full force of economic and other sanctions to be enacted against Israel immediately in my name. – Yours, etc,
RUTH LOUGHRAN,
Brittas Bay,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Phillip Lee claims “that even Vladimir Putin has not prohibited access to international aid organisations in the areas impacted by war”. On Monday Russia said it would ban Amnesty International in the Kremlin’s latest crackdown on civil society groups opposing its war in Ukraine.
Other advocacy groups such as Human Rights Watch and the Clooney Foundation for Justice are already banned. In fact Russia’s list of “undesirable organisations” covers 223 entities. In 2024 International Federation of Red Cross found that the Russian Red Cross does not have presence in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
There is no need to rehabilitate Putin in an effort to make Israel look bad – there is simply no need. – Yours, etc
MATTHEW GLOVER,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
Return trip required
Sir, – To Frank McNally’s Irishman’s Diary (May 21st) regarding his Cote d’Azure road trip and detour to locate the geographically elusive E1027 – Eileen Gray’s architectural gem. I write to suggest he book a required tour in advance and high tail it back to Rocbrune Cap Martin to experience the indescribable genius of this sublime design masterpiece.
No movie, image nor text can relay the seamless architectural and interior design details that make this a living/breathing building just as EG intended. He will no doubt feel absolute pride and joy at being an Irishman as he walks through the house among the international design devotees that pay respects to this architectural marvel designed by a Wexford woman some 100yrs ago. Mr McNally should also visit Corbusier’s Cabin next door to E1027 and decide which is the architectural genius…..
I’d imagine he will no longer be “a self professed architectural philistine” having undertaken this journey! – Yours, etc,
GER LAMBERT,
Salthill,
Galway.
Sir, – Reading Frank McNally’s account of not getting to see E.1027, even if he had found it he wouldn’t have got in! One needs to book it well in advance (and it’s very easy to find) through Centre des Monuments Nationaux. He can console himself by going to Collins Barracks Dublin where there is a very minimal tribute to her. – Yours, etc,
BREDA O’ FARRELL,
Killarney,
Co. Kerry.
McDowell and migration policy
Sir, – Regarding Senator McDowell’s article (“Migration policy is the EU’s biggest weakness and Donald Trump is aiming to exploit it”): Suggesting that migration is the single greatest threat to the EU – especially when the Union faces the existential challenge of climate change and the risk of terminal economic decline-is irresponsible hyperbole.
The Draghi report, widely recognised as a seminal analysis of the challenges facing Europe, makes little reference to migration. Notably, it does highlight that the EU is entering an era where economic growth will no longer be supported by rising populations.
By 2040, the European workforce is projected to shrink by nearly 2 million workers annually. If the EU is to maintain economic growth and support an ageing population, it will need immigration.
EU asylum policy, for all its many faults, aimed to create a set of common standards so that a person would have their claim treated in the same way regardless of which member state they are in.
The Senator’s solution of returning asylum policy back to member states would very likely result in a race to the bottom with a domino effect caused by member states rushing to have little or no asylum policies and those that do, shouldering the burden. There are already signs of this happening in Austria, Germany and Poland.
There is also a sad irony that the day before the Senator’s article was published EU asylum policy took a further decline.
The Commission proposed to amend the ‘safe third country’ concept by allowing EU member states to forcibly send people seeking asylum to countries where they have no connection, without the possibility to appeal from the EU.
These proposals have been described by Amnesty International as weakening access to asylum in Europe, downgrading people’s rights, and increasing the risk of refoulement and of widespread arbitrary detention in third countries.
If such measures still fail to satisfy those who oppose refugee protection, one must wonder what would. – Yours, etc,
NICK HENDERSON
Chief Executive
Irish Refugee Council
Dublin
Sandbaggers
Sir, – Sadhbh O’Neill’s excellent piece (”Thinking in a climate emergency”), May 22nd )inclines me to laud the effectiveness of the humble sandbag when it comes to coastal flooding.
The Fairview / Clontarf coast road has not flooded once since the sandbags were left at the side of the road! Quite how they will manage should the water ever rise is maybe another day’s work but at least they provide an eyesore ! – Yours, etc,
EAMONN MAGEE,
Clontarf.
Training places for therapists
Sir, – Norma Foley during her press conference on Tuesday 20th May stated that there would be extra training places for therapists and even “recruit from overseas”.
That is all well and good but perhaps she should ask CORU and her Ministerial colleague in charge of Health why CORU take two years and sometimes longer to approve degrees of Irish students who went outside of Ireland to qualify.
There are probably dozens, if not hundreds of students waiting to become CORU registered and they cannot work without it. I know of allied health professionals ( Speech & Language and Physiotherapy) who have been waiting for at least two years for registration. The process is very frustrating.
These are professionals who have a true vocation, even going abroad to qualify due to the limited college places here in Ireland.
Given the pressure on the current Government to expediate the access to assessments for children who need it, these graduates should not have to wait so long.
Is it another example of “ official Ireland” failing the young of this country? – Yours, etc,
ORLA MAGORRIAN MISCP MSc.
Clontarf,
Dublin.
Lazy boys
Sir, – Given the pedestrian pace of legislative progress to date in the current Dáil Ken Foxe’s piece – outlining the request from Independent Ireland TD Kenneth O’Flynn for a “La-Z-Boy” for his office - would appear to be apt and fitting (“TD Requests La-Z-Boy recliner for office”, News, May 22nd).
Indeed, Mr O’Flynn may wish to peruse the Dáil chamber’s vast array of “La-Z-Boys” – there is an abundant choice on offer! – Yours, etc,
JOHN NAUGHTON,
Leopardstown,
Dublin 18.
Marketing and Irish whiskey
Sir, – Your report on the expected tariff-driven decline in the sales of Irish whiskey in the US (“Irish whiskey is undergoing a market correction, a temporary blip, a ‘little pause‘,” Business, May 16th), suggests an over-reliance on this market.
Since the USA is stated to represent 30 per cent of sales for the sector as a whole (albeit greater for some smaller producers), there should be plenty of scope to pick up the slack in the other 70 per cent.
In that regard it is very noticeable how little space the Irish whiskey section takes up in airport duty-free stores around the world, for instance. Also, I spend a lot of time in Spain and Irish brands can be hard to find in regular retail outlets among the plentiful brands of scotch.
Since this is essentially our home market and scotch is an imported product, the situation points to a serious failure in marketing.
So perhaps the industry should stop its hand-wringing about the US market and put more effort into the free-access market on its own doorstep. – Yours, etc,
DON O’GRADY,
Lucan.
Co. Dublin.
