Patricia ‘humbled’ with Hall of Fame award

A familiar voice across the airwaves, broadcaster Patricia Messenger, was recently inducted into the Irish Radio Hall of Fame.

Having presented the Cork Today Show on C103 for the last thirty years, the award will see Patricia recognised and celebrated along with well-known broadcasters that make Irish radio great and an integral part of our daily lives.

Speaking with C103, Patricia said she was ‘thrilled’ to be inducted into the IMRO BAI Hall of Fame.

“When I look back on previous winners, I see the names of people I grew up listening to on radio and people in radio that I aspire to be. So to be included on a wall with some of the great broadcasting giants of Irish radio is truly humbling and I really, really do appreciate this award,” she said.

A small, Covid-compliant ceremony was held in Dublin last week for the event in which four broadcasters were inducted, including RTÉ

Lyric FM’s George Hamilton, East Coast FM’s Declan Meehan and BBC Radio Ulster and Q Radio’s Stephen Clements RIP.

‘SIGNIFICANT’

For Patricia Messenger, the award is a testament to her talent and commitment to the listeners of C103 and Cork.

Kieran McGeary, Group Station Director, acknowledged the achievement and Patricia’s contribution to Irish radio.

“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a significant achievement and is due recognition of Patricia’s contribution presenting in the same timeslot on the same radio station over three decades. It is something that Patricia and her family can rightly be very proud of,” he said.

“All of us who know and work with Patricia, can also be proud as the distinction reflects very well on C103 and also Cork’s 96FM,” he said.

Patricia has built up an extremely loyal audience with the most recent JNLR figures showing that 43,000 adults tune in each day, while a decade ago, 29,000 people were listening to the show.

Over the years, both Patricia and the show have been nominated for numerous PPI and IMRO Radio Awards.

In 2015, she proudly picked up gold at the then PPI Radio Awards, when Cork Today won Best Current Affairs Programme.

Patricia’s portrait will now hang on the Hall of Fame at the BAI offices in Dublin alongside previous recipients including Gay Byrne, Gerry Ryan, Larry Gogan, Mario Rosenstock, Ian Dempsey, Henry Owens and Wireless’s own Margaret Nelson.