History
The station commenced broadcasting in 1979 and has undergone numerous name changes and line-up switches throughout its history. During the 2000s, Ian Dempsey and Tony Fenton opted for moves to rival radio station Today FM, whilst 2FM has in turn raided Phantom FM for Cormac Battle, Jenny Huston and Dan Hegarty, with recent additions Colm & Jim-Jim being poached from FM104. Old stalwarts such as Dave Fanning and Larry Gogan were moved to the weekend to make way for the likes of Rick O'Shea and Nikki Hayes, though Hayes was eventually moved off to the weekend herself and Gogan back to weekdays. As part of the expansion of RTÉ's young people's music radio output, an all-music (mostly of the rock genre) sister station of 2FM, RTÉ 2XM, designed for students and young adults, now operates on the RTÉ DAB Multiplex.
The station is recognised as being the first in the world to play any new single released by U2, due to the band's long-term friendship with Dave Fanning. They celebrated their thirty-year association with each other in September 2009 with the airing of a special weekend of programmes, including U2's Top 30 Moments.
In 2008, the station captured 17% of the national audience, the second most popular station in Ireland after RTÉ Radio 1 (23%). According to The Irish Times, the 09:00 AM - 12:00 midday slot is "the most critical in the 2fm schedule both in terms of audience figures and advertising revenue". This was presented by Gerry Ryan from 1988 until his sudden death on 30 April 2010. The Gerry Ryan Show was the longest running show in the station's history.
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