Weeshie Fogarty - Broadcaster

My award winning programmes Radio Kerry’s Terrace Talk and In Conversation. Two years ago Terrace Talk achieved the highest honour available in this country to a radio programme. It won the much sought after and highly prestigious National PPI award.

Now to achieve national honors such as this demands very high standards and people behind the programmes who are willing to devote a major part of their time to editing, preparing and producing the huge amount of hours that are involved in both shows. And I am very fortunate indeed to have such a person working on all my programmes. That man is David O Donoghue.

I can say without fear of contradiction that with David’s highly professional and polished input into these programmes we certainly would not have achieved the high ratings these two programmes enjoy to day.

I consider my job as presenter of the shows and meeting and interviewing the many and varied personalities each week fairly straight fordward but after this the real professional work remains to be undertaken. And it is here that David excels. I would hand over to my Editor/Producer a series of interviews both long and short which needs a fair amount of editing. This of course might tale hours if the interview is of two hour duration and it often is.

Every single programme both Mondays and Wednesdays which have been edited and prepared by David take a new life of their own and it is this behind the scenes work that I my opinion makes my shows as successful as they have proved to be. He is meticulous in his approach and leaves no stone unturned to assure that Radio Kerry listeners both at home and all over the world tuned in on the internet enjoy only the high’s quality of programme.

His work as desk operator/sound engineer and producer as the shows are broadcast live is of the utmost importance and it is David’s many decisions during the course of the programmes that in many ways decide ultimately success or failure on the night. I am rely fully on him as he guides and directs me quietly through the course of these live shows. If he is “not on the ball” with his calls re time, breaks, interviews ready to roll and guests ready on the phone line to be spoken to then I am at a massive disadvantage. I simply rely on him for everything in this respect.

One of his greatest attributes in my opinion is his 100% willingness to take on any task, and whenever I have asked David O Donoghue to do something behind the scens in relation to my programmes I have received nothing but the utmost cooperation and assistance. And also if give a task on a Monday to be achieved before the Wednesday then be assured that will be done.

This young man has what in my opinion is the most important attribute of all to be the best in radio work and that is a PASSION for what you are doing. If you have not got this in any walk of life you choose then you will not be the best at you chosen profession. I can say with hand on heart that David has all of these and much more. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have him as my producer/editor. My biggest fear is that he will be whisked away to another place and then the problem will be to replace him.

Every time I sit behind a microphone and present a programme on Radio Kerry I do so in the knowledge that I am literally in safe hands. We in Radio Kerry are extremely to have such a talented person as David o Donoghue. His future could not be brighter, he has worked so hard through his long hours of schooling and study and this is very evident. He is professional, obliging, sincere, and highly competent in every aspect of his work both inside radio kerry and just as importantly exemplary in his private life away fro the pressures of live radio.

I wish David the very best where ever life takes him.