Aslan singer Christy Dignam has hit out at RTE for constantly playing the same two songs from the band over the years.
The Dublin rocker said his fans around the world are “baffled” at the lack of Irish bands being played on Irish radio stations.
The 62-year-old – who was diagnosed with rare blood disorder, amyloidosis, in 2013 - fumed that only two Aslan songs ever get played on Irish radio stations - but he praised Ryan Tubridy and the Late Late Show for supporting Irish music down through the years.
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He told us: “Like the only two songs that are ever played by RTE is 'This Is' and 'Crazy World'.
"And Crazy World was 1993 so for us to sustain our success in this country with zero airplay for RTE, I think is astonishing, and the only thing outside of that is the Late Late Show – that is the only thing that supports Irish music in this country and that is more down to Ryan Tubridy than down to RTE.”
Christy - who recently fronted a new Virgin Media documentary 'This Is For Ukraine' - said he had many conversations with radio DJs about why they wouldn’t play songs from his solo album, The Man Who Stayed Alive, which he released last year.
“They won’t play it. I was talking to a DJ in RTE and I was after releasing my solo album. I asked if they would play my single and I was told it wouldn’t be their demographic.”
He said he asked the same question in another radio station and got the same answer.
“I said the same question and he said the same thing, he loved it but it is too different.
“But that’s the whole point,” he added.
He said Irish radio stations don’t pay enough of Irish music and said Ryan Tubridy and the Late Late show has been the only media outlet who has supported the Irish music industry.
“What TV work is in this country? People are always giving out saying ‘you’re always on the Late Late Show’ but there is no other outlet. You know what people don’t realise about us, RTE don’t play a lot of Irish music as you know.
“I was having a conversation with a DJ the other day and I said why don’t they do what they do in France or Canada. In Ireland, in RTE, say the percentage is 12% but if you have a programme that speaks Irish, that goes down as Irish content so that brings the thing down to 8% so by the time they play U2 and Westlife, then that’s it.
“We go all over the world and people are just baffled.”
It comes just months after Dave Fanning said the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland should force radio stations to play more music by Irish artists.
His comments came in the wake of Louis Walsh claiming radio stations “need to support their own more”, saying “Irish radio will not play enough Irish records and I just don’t understand it.”
Speaking to us, Dave said he agreed with the Westlife manager, saying rules in Canada and France forces stations to promote their own – and reckons the same should be done here.
He said at the time: “He’s (Louis Walsh) completely right. The thing about it is is I think if you play Irish acts all day long all the time, that would be absolutely stupid. No question about it. It wouldn’t be a good thing.
"But having said that they do have a rule in France and in Canada that I think that of every one out of every three or one of every fours tracks on French or Canadian radio, has to be a French or Canadian band. I think that’s a good idea.”
Under French law, 40% of all music played on national radio must be performed in the French language. The law was introduced two decades ago to stop an invasion of English language songs and to protect the national music industry.
For broadcast stations, the CRTC presently requires that 60% yearly, and at least 50% of programming aired daily from 6pm to midnight must be of Canadian origin. In May 2011 the CanCon requirement for private television broadcasters was lowered to 55% yearly.
Walsh previously questioned how we can break a new act if we don’t support our own artists.
“How can we break a new act if our own radio stations won’t play our own acts? That’s the problem I find.
“They always play UK music – all the Irish stations are guilty of this. Why don’t we stand up to this, why don’t record companies do something? They just get away with it, it’s crazy.
“There’s so many young talented people here and the only way we’re going to hear them grow is on the radio.”
A rep for RTE has been contacted for comment.
