Radio host Ian Dempsey admits he was ‘terrified’ after he left RTE for rival Today FM, as the job almost fell through at the last minute.
The well known presenter quit his job at national broadcaster in 1998 after 19 years, to take on a job at competing station Today FM.
While 23 years have passed, the breakfast radio star says he still remembers the shock it caused, and revealed he was left second guessing the huge decision briefly when the new gig nearly fell through.
Ian was saying goodbye to his RTE colleagues at Montrose when the then CEO of Today FM rang him and broke the news: "There was a board meeting - they just voted against it."
‘Terrified’, the broadcaster rang John McColgan, chair of Today FM, who he recalled went "ballistic" at the change of plan - and flew home from a trip in Boston to rectify the situation.
“To be fair, he got on a plane that day, came home and called an EGM,” Ian told the Sunday Independent.
“But there was a 24-hour period where I was like, ‘Seriously… what the hell have I done?”
Since his departure, Ian says RTÉ “threw out the feelers” to ask him back.
“I still go out to Montrose from time to time and every time I do I see the same people that I saw when I was working there back in 1998 and they are still kinda walking the same track. I say to myself, ‘That could’ve been me — I could’ve just been doing the same thing’.”
Looking back with no regrets, the 60-year-old sees it as the best decision of his career, and has just signed another three-year deal at Today FM.
“Pretty good for an oul fella,” he quipped.
