RTÉ radio has recorded mixed audience results in the latest Joint National Listenership Research figures covering October 2025 to September 2026, with flagship shows like Morning Ireland and Liveline gaining listeners while several weekend and drive-time slots declined, according to rte.ie.
RTÉ Radio 1 Holds Top Rankings Amidst Schedule Shifts
RTÉ Radio 1 remains Ireland’s most-listened-to radio station, commanding a 19.3% market share and reaching 1.365 million weekly listeners, an increase of 11,000 from the previous survey period. Morning Ireland continues to lead national rankings as the country’s most-listened-to radio programme, adding 7,000 listeners to reach 464,000.
Patricia Monahan, Director of Audio at RTÉ, described the results as very encouraging, noting that listeners are engaging with new voices and shows across the day less than a year after the launch of the new schedule.
Among the notable gains on RTÉ Radio 1, Liveline with Kieran Cuddihy increased its audience by 14,000 to reach 268,000 listeners. Cuddihy, who took over the afternoon slot from Joe Duffy in November 2025, credited the production team and listeners for the milestone as he approaches his first full year in the role. Tara Campbell, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, added that the show’s audience increase was mirrored by strong social media engagement growth. Other RTÉ Radio 1 highlights include Today with David McCullagh at 421,000 listeners, and The Oliver Callan Show at 283,000. News at One reached 271,000, while the Louise Duffy Show remained steady at 133,000.
Other programmes experienced downward pressure. Drivetime, presented by Katie Hannon and Colm Ó Mongáin, lost 9,000 listeners to fall to 202,000.
2FM Weekend Losses Contrast with Breakfast Gains
RTÉ 2FM reaches 676,000 listeners weekly with a market share of 4.8%. The station’s daily reach ticked up by 8,000 to 333,000 listeners.
The breakfast lineup provided a clear bright spot for the station. 2FM Breakfast with Carl Mullan, Roz Purcell, and Aisling Bonner added 14,000 listeners to reach 189,000, retaining its position as the most-listened-to radio show nationally among 15 to 34-year-olds. Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, remarked that the trio is seeing the fruits of more than two years on air together. EVOKE reported that Doireann Garrihy’s mid-morning show dropped by 7,000 daily listeners to 79,000 following her return from maternity leave in May. The 2FM Drive show hosted by Laura Fox and Katja Mia, who began their partnership in May, recorded 123,000 listeners, representing a drop of 4,000.
Commercial Competitors Reach New Milestones
Across commercial radio, competitors posted significant gains. Newstalk recorded its highest-ever weekly audience of 882,000 listeners, up 27,000 from the previous JNLR results, pushing its market share to 8.3%. Newstalk’s Managing Editor Eric Moylan attributed the growth to the station’s schedule refresh implemented eight months prior. Many Newstalk shows reached all-time highs, including The Claire Byrne Show, which grew by 12,000 to 222,000 listeners, and Tech Talk with Jess Kelly, which rose by 10,000 to reach 101,000. The Hard Shoulder with Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman also gained 17,000 listeners to reach 170,000, while Newstalk Breakfast with Anton Savage dipped by 1,000 to 167,000.
At the same time, Today FM maintained its standing as Ireland’s most-listened-to commercial radio station, reaching 976,000 weekly listeners.
Disclaimer: The cultural analyses and financial data presented in this article are based on available public records and industry metrics at the time of publication.
