RTÉ launched Liveline in the mid-1980s when making a telephone call into Donnybrook was an exotic act for many listeners. Telephone installation waiting lists were long, and public phone boxes were scarce and often unreliable. The programme developed into a central live-call forum where presenters engaged with callers on personal and social issues. Current presenters are competing to replace the longstanding host Joe Duffy. The growth of social media and alternative communication platforms raises questions about whether a single national live-call programme remains essential for public expression and communal airing of concerns.
Presenters are vying to fill Joe Duffy's shoes. But Frank Coughlan asks if there is still a need for a national confession box in the age of social media
When RTÉ launched Liveline in the mid 1980s, the very idea of ringing up Donnybrook, Dublin 4, must have sounded positively exotic. That is, if you were lucky enough to have a telephone at all. Waiting lists for installation were long. Phone boxes were scarce and, when you found one, seldom worked. Have you tried Focail and Conundrum? Daily word puzzles designed to test your vocabulary and lateral thinking skills.
Collection
[
|
...
]