Beat is delighted to announce that Kilkenny-native Jayde Maher has joined the station’s experienced on air and digital news team on a full-time basis as a news & sports journalist.
Hailing from the picturesque village of Inistioge, Jayde attended Dublin City University (DCU) where she completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism in 2022.
Jayde’s first foray into radio came earlier in the same year when she initially joined local radio station WLR FM as part of her university degree’s integrated training programme. Immediately following her placement, Jayde joined WLR FM as a full-time on air journalist where she quickly became an integral part of their IMRO award-winning news team.
Away from the Déise, Jayde has contributed to kilkennynow.ie as well as curating content for the news outlet’s social media channels.
Commenting on the announcement, an ecstatic Jayde said: “Beat’s younger audience demographic and fresh take on social media has long resonated with me, so I had to take the plunge and go for the position – I’m just delighted it all worked out for me!”
She continued: “I look forward to progressing my career in a new environment. While here, I hope that I can thrive and achieve personal goals while delivering the high-quality content that Beat is known for in the South East and beyond. I also hope to get more young people interested and engaged in news and current affairs. It's important for people of all ages to know and understand what's happening around them.”
Beat CEO and Programme Director Gabrielle Cummins is eager to see the changes Jayde will bring, especially when it comes to curating content for the younger end of Beat’s highly-engaged audience: “While working for our sister station WLR FM, Jayde demonstrated a passion for radio along with showcasing her skills around amplifying radio content on key social platforms for our demographic such as Tik Tok and Instagram. Beat has the largest following on Tik Tok of any radio station in Ireland so it’s important we continue to engage with that willing audience. I’m confident Jayde will have a key role to play within Beat’s online strategy. I look forward to seeing what ideas Jayde will bring to the table over the coming months.”
