RedFM presenter to continue broadcasting from Cork and Dublin for now, High Court hears

A local radio presenter is to continue to present his show from studios in Dublin and Cork for the time being, the High Court has heard.

Late last week, David “Dave” Macardle who presents the “Dave Mac’s Drive” programme on Cork radio station RedFM secured a temporary High Court injunction against his employer Siteridge Limited, which trades as RedFM.

The dispute centres over an alleged demand by the station that Mr Macardle cease his current arrangement of presenting the show from Dublin three days a week, and instead host it from its Cork studio on all five weekdays.

The injunction, granted on an ex-parte basis, allowed Mr Macardle to present his show under those arrangements on Thursday and Friday of last week.

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Mr Macardle has presented the show for many years, which is broadcast between 4pm and 7pm, Monday to Friday, the court heard.

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When the matter returned before Monday’s vacation sitting of the court, barrister Brian Conroy, for Siteridge Ltd, said his client would be fully contesting the injunction application and the claims made against it by Mr Macardle.

Counsel said that the temporary order could be replaced by various undertakings from his client, including that the plaintiff could continue to present the show two days a week from Cork and three days a week from Dublin.

It was also agreed that the defendant would not get anyone else to present the programme, and that no steps would be taken by it to terminate Mr Macardle from his position at the station.

The undertakings are to remain in place pending the outcome of the court action.

The matter was adjourned by Mr Justice Michael Ó Higgins to June 15th.

Previously the court heard that the plaintiff claims that, as part of his contract of employment, it had been agreed he could present his show from its Cork-based studio for two days a week, and from a Dublin studio three days a week.

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He claims that this arrangement was in place over the last 21 months and was agreed with the station’s management.

However, he claims in recent months the station has come under different management.

The new management, he claims, has informed him that he must broadcast the programme five days a week from the Cork studio.

He has also claimed that management informed him that if he did not broadcast all of the shows from the Cork studio, then another unnamed colleague would host the programme in his place.

Mr Macardle, who the court heard is not the subject of any disciplinary hearing or anything of that nature by his employer, claimed that his reputation would be damaged if he were prevented from hosting the programme.

He claims that his employer’s purported refusal to allow him to host the show from the Dublin studio amounts to a breach of his contract of employment.