Tom Dunne

Early life

Dunne graduated from University College, Dublin, with a degree in engineering, before becoming lead singer and songwriter for the band Something Happens from the 1980s until the mid-1990s.

Radio career

Dunne became involved in radio, initially presenting a show on 98FM, before moving to Today FM in 1999, where he presented his show, Pet Sounds from 7.00pm to 10.00pm every Monday to Thursday. The show quickly became known and well-regarded among various music fans in Ireland for playing a mix of alternative, indie rock and new music and frequently aired songs before they received mainstream radio airplay.

Dunne also filled in on The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show and The Ray D'Arcy Show whenever both Ian Dempsey and Ray D'Arcy were on holidays with former A-House frontman Dave Couse filling in for Dunne in the event Dunne himself was off on holidays or covering for another Today FM DJ.

In 2006, Dunne contacted Paul McLoone, the current frontman/lead vocalist with the Northern Irish punk group, The Undertones and offered McLoone a position on his show with McLoone accepting. As such, McLoone, having left Today FM previously returned to the station and subsequently became a producer on Dunne's show.

Two years later, on August 2008, it was later announced that Dunne was resigning from Today FM to join rival national station, Newstalk. In the aftermath of Dunne's departure, McLoone, at a loss at what to do in regards to the future of the vacant position ultimately approached the Today FM staff himself, asking to be given the opportunity to take over the position albeit temporarily. Upon the staff agreeing, McLoone subsequently stepped down from his role as a producer and became an official radio DJ with McLoone's tenor originally intended to last for three months but due to the increasing popularity associated with his unnamed show, McLoone later became a permanent presenter in his own right and his show, "The Paul McLoone Show" was created with the show itself later coming to serve as the new and permanent replacement for "Pet Sounds" while McLoone made his official on-air debut during September 2008. These days, McLoone's show airs on Today FM every Monday to Thursday from 9pm to midnight and from September 2015 onwards, Dunne's show began airing from the later time of 10pm which means that from every Monday to Thursday from now on, Dunne and McLoone's shows go head to head from 10pm to midnight.

Dunne moved to Newstalk in September 2008. Newstalk and Today FM are part of the Communicorp Group, owned by Denis O'Brien and at first, presented his show titled "The Tom Dunne Show" on weekday mornings from 10am to midday before being moved to the nighttime slot due to Pat Kenny's arrival.

On Sunday nights, Dunne presents an alternative-leaning music show on Newstalk called "Surf's Up".

Newstalk was obliged to issue an on-air apology to Mary Harney after Nell McCafferty's comments on The Tom Dunne Show in 2010. Nell McCafferty was unapologetic about her remarks.

Television career

Dunne's first foray into TV presenting was on a short-lived youth-orientated music programme on RTE called Popscene. Dunne later took over the reins of Planet Rock Profiles from Dave Fanning, a programme that has aired on RTE, ITV, VH1, and many other TV stations around the world. He presented (along with Jenny Huston) RTE's coverage of the Electric Picnic music festival in 2006. Dunne also presents a mobile TV show called The Hive on the 3 Ireland mobile network. Tom is the unseen presenter of RTE's The Zoo.

Other media work

Dunne occasionally contributes the voice of Bill Cullen to Today FM's Gift Grub. He writes a weekly column in the HQ Magazine City Entertainment supplement of the Evening Herald. He has also published three collections of his favourite songs by Irish artists, or artists associated with Ireland, known as the Tom Dunne Collections. In early 2006, he released The Definitive Tom Dunne Vol. 01: Pet Picks 2000-2006, a compilation of some of the most popular tracks from the Pet Sounds radio show.

Awards

In 2002, Dunne scooped the double of the Best DJ title at the Meteor Music Awards and the same prize from Hot Press magazine. He has five PPI Awards.