RTÉ has refuted allegations that popular hosts Jennifer Zamparelli, the duo known as the 2 Johnnies, and Doireann Garrihy decided to quit 2FM due to the implementation of new regulations requiring transparency about their off-air earnings. Zamparelli and the 2 Johnnies – Johnny McMahon, nicknamed “Smacks”, and Johnny O’Brien, referred to as “B” – recently announced that their shows on 2FM would be concluding soon. This comes two weeks after Garrihy revealed that she would host her last breakfast show at the month’s close.
Laura Fox, who takes to the screen on RTÉ TV’s Ireland’s Fittest Family, has been announced as Zamparelli’s replacement on Friday. Moreover, RTÉ has implemented new guidelines requiring public disclosure of presenters’ side income, along with a fresh register of interests. All of this follows a wave of controversy over RTÉ’s loose regulations following revelations about the earnings of Ryan Tubridy.
However, there’s more than meets the eye here. According to Dan Healy, 2FM’s station chief, these new rules do not hold primary responsibility for the sudden departure of these top stars, stating in an interview that ‘reality is nuanced.’ While the new regime had some bearing on the situation, it wasn’t the core reason for this fluctuation.
Under the new protocol, the national broadcaster will initiate a routine publication of the approved external work of its presenters this summer. RTÉ affirms that this includes sporadic work like participating in panel discussions, endorsing commercial undertakings, and engaging in charity-orientated activities. The register of external activities will disclose payments in clusters up to €1,000 or larger sums ranging from €1,001 to €5,000, €5,001 to €10,000, and sums above €10,000.
RTÉ has announced that a register detailing the earnings of its employees from external activities will be publicly released every quarter, with the first to come out in July. The preliminary release will include all external activities for the first half of 2024.
Some high-profile names, such as Zamparelli, the 2 Johnnies, and Garrihy, will likely feature on the July list for the duration they have been on-air since January. However, the exact earnings they receive from their various owned companies are not clearly seen in the public files.
As one of their steps to improve transparency, RTé has implemented an additional register of interests to record interests not related to the external activities register. Despite its existence, the broadcaster declared it won’t be released publicly due to legal constraints under the Ethics In Public Offices Acts and the General Data Protection Regulation.
According to Mr Healy, RTÉ’s restrictive register of interests will not hinder future recruitment of presenters with sizable social media influence and opportunities for external income. However, he notably declined to comment on whether any presenters left due to the new register.
Nonetheless, Healy expressed optimism for the station 2FM, even after losing four popular presenters in two weeks. Questions doubting the station’s continued existence paralleled to BBC Radio 1 are “nuts”, he said.
Meanwhile, Fox used Instagram to express gratitude towards Zamparelli, crediting her for support “on and off air”. She stated her journey starting eight years ago from Galway to work at 2FM took determination and hard work.
She wanted to express her gratitude to many people, but one individual stood out above the rest – Alan McQuillan, an RTÉ broadcaster who sadly passed away in 2019 at the young age of 37. He had been her champion since her earliest days at RTÉ Pulse, and even facilitated her transition to 2FM. He was known for coincidentally strolling through hallways with her to bump into managers, and wouldn’t hesitate to show up at the ungodly hour of 5am to make sure she was all set for her weekend breakfast cover shifts. More than just a colleague, he was an entertaining character, an exceptional friend, and his absence on this day of celebration was deeply felt. She knew, though, that he would have been absolutely thrilled.