THE later, 11 a.m. start time for the Gay Byrne Show has not attracted as many listeners as RTE radio management had hoped when it introduced the new schedule last year, according to internal figures.
It is believed, however, that Radio One has increased its audience by about 55,000 listeners.
There is still a month before the official listenership figures are published by the market survey company, MRBI. However, RTE's own figures, released in part to producers last week, show the Gay Byrne Show with nine points - with each point representing 27,500 listeners - when the programme begins at 11 a.m. That drops to six points by the end of the programme at 12.30 p.m.
Today with Pat Kenny, which replaced the Gay Byrne Show in the slot following the 9 a.m. news, is said to be doing only "margin ally well", according to one RTE source.
Marian Finucane's afternoon show at 1.45 p.m., Liveline, is attracting more than 350,000 listeners, with 13 points, while The Arts Show is vying with Gay Byrne at seven points.
The analysis of Radio One's performance was given to the station's producers recently and is the first glimpse of how the new schedule is doing.
It was introduced in September to change the age profile of Radio One's listeners and arrest the decline within the younger age group.
It was also designed to give the station a boost before the new national commercial station Radio Ireland, goes on air on March 17th.
The morning diet of current affairs was changed dramatically with Pat Kenny and Gay Byrne changing slots and Gareth O'Callaghan taking on two days instead of Gay Byrne.
Morning Ireland, which is holding its own at 8 a.m. despite losing its earlier start time of 7.30 a.m., offers news and current affairs.
Daily Record, at 4:30 p.m., which replaced Today At Five as the main evening drive time programme, is considered less successful than hoped.
It was to be much lighter than Today At Five, reflecting the new policy, and was to include music. However, sometimes it includes no music.
There has been a bad audience reaction to the change in the time of the evening news from 6.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. There has been talk of extending Daily Record until 6.30 p.m., incorporating business and farm news.
Radio management has been pleased with the reaction to both Fandango, the early evening magazine programme, and Sportscall with Des Cahill.
There is great satisfaction with The Arts Show, presented by Mike Murphy, which has been in the afternoon slot for a year.
The decision to move the programme from evening to afternoon had been criticised, but those who said a more popular arts coverage would attract listeners in the afternoon have been proved correct.
. Radio Ireland has signed up two producers from Britain. Mr Declan McGovern goes to the new station from the highly successful Classic FM, the British national classical music radio station.
Ms Ann Marie O'Callaghan has been working with BBC Radio 4's prestigious arts programme, Kaleidoscope.
The Northern Ireland broadcaster and writer, Mr John Kelly, has also joined Radio Ireland. Mr Kelly, whose novel was named by the poet, Tom Paulin, as one of the top five books of last ear is currently presenting a history of Northern Ireland on Channel 4 and producing an archive series for Teilifis na Gaeilge.