Ireland’s Classic Hits has announced a swap in breakfast line-ups with sister station Radio Nova.
From April 1st, PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe will take over breakfast on Nova, while Colm Hayes and Lucy Kennedy will move to Classic Hits. Colm has also recently taken over as Content Director of Classic Hits.
The scheduling changes have incited backlash towards Classic Hits. Listeners have shared their outrage at the decision online, posting that they will no longer be tuning into the station.
I mean, This is all I listen to and I love the voice of PJ and Jim, for this to go for me. I'm so sad.
RIP CLASSIC HITS 4FM
— Patrick Walsh (@lowfareTweets) March 8, 2021
Classic hits will lose an awful of loyal listeners. Bad decision by management.
— Linda Davy (@LindaDavy9) March 8, 2021
Classic hits breakfast show won’t be the same without the lads. Ye need to keep them there as they are the medicine that the whole country need. Everyone loves waking up to Pj & Jim.
— james boylan (@boylanjp1) March 9, 2021
The announcement was originally teased across both stations social media accounts on Saturday, March 5th.
Both shows announced the change on-air on March 8th. Classic Hits also posted a video of PJ and Jim making the announcement on Facebook but it has since been removed.
Only one post acknowledging the change from both stations remains online. This comes in the form of Classic Hits retweeting producer Mike Hogan who has said he will remain as the station’s breakfast show producer.
So @pjgallagher & @JimMcCabeFM are heading to Radio Nova & will start on April 1st. I’ll be staying with @ClassicHitsRdio to produce the brand new breakfast show. It’s bittersweet. I’ll miss the lads after 5 years of brilliant craic but also very excited for a new challenge!
— Mike Hogan (@mikehoganmedia) March 8, 2021
Speaking on-air about the move, PJ Gallagher said, “We’ve had such a great time here at Classic Hits. It’s been six and a half years of coming in, having fun, winning awards and hanging out with [Jim]”
The pair urged their listeners to follow them to Nova using the station app and smart speaker devices at home.
“I love the music in Classic Hits,” Lucy Kennedy said on Nova. “We have loved Radio Nova, and personally what I’ve loved more than the music is the listeners… We’ve had a laugh.”
Both shows will finish with their current stations this week and recommence on their new stations from April 1st.
If you liked this story, we can email you more radio news from Ireland and the UK each weekday afternoon direct to your inbox. Just add your details below for "24 Hours in Radio - UK and Ireland":
Yeah from April first….. April fools Day, they got ye there!!!! I don’t listen to it anymore anyway thanks to its repetitive nature and boylan
I love listening to PJ and Jim in the morning will not be tuning in any more so disappointed
Yeah…The 7 listeners to Classic Hits are outraged…C’mon…Give it a week & people won’t even remember who was on that breakfast show. ??
That’s exactly what I thought also. Good April fools joke.
I’m so gutted I love Pj and Jim in the morning. Won’t tune in anymore ?
The only reason I listen to 4fm is because of pj and Jim, won’t be listening to 4fm anymore. And I don’t like radio novas music. Bad move by the stations management.
Very disappointed that Jim and PJ are moving, why change
when it is working so well, what a shame
I will not listen to 4fm ever again. Pj and Jim kept me going this past year coming off night duty. They make me smile after a hard night’s work.
No way will I listen to Lucy Kennedy loved PJ and Jim I am not listening any more gone to a different station.