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Updated 2.20pm
VETERAN BROADCASTER PAT Kenny is leaving RTÉ to join Newstalk, both stations have confirmed this afternoon.
In a blow to the national broadcaster, Newstalk has confirmed the news in a tweet this afternoon saying that Kenny will be joining the independent radio station to host a mid-morning show that will run from 10am to 12.30pm from 2 September.
RTÉ said that Kenny’s contract with the State broadcaster expired earlier this year and said it had “been aware for some time that he had an offer from commercial radio”.
Director-General Noel Curran said: “Through lengthy negotiations every effort was made to retain Pat’s services but unfortunately we could not come to an agreement.”
A Newstalk spokesperson has confirmed that Tom Dunne will remain at the station despite his current 10am to 12pm slot being replaced, saying the former ‘Something Happens’ frontman “absolutely remains a key member of the Newstalk team”.
Kenny is currently on a five-week break from his regular mid-morning slot on RTÉ Radio One which is currently being hosted by Myles Dungan.
He has hosted the programme for 25 years, having previously worked as a continuity announcer when he joined the station in the mid-70s.
Kenny also regularly hosted the flagship current affairs programme Prime Time having previously fronted the Late Late Show, The Frontline, Today Tonight, and Kenny Live as well as RTÉ’s general election, referenda and other special events programmes.
He is widely regarded as one of the best current affairs broadcasters in the country.
In a statement this afternoon, Kenny said he was “delighted” to join Newstalk and is “relishing” the challenge.
“Like many of my colleagues, I have always regarded Newstalk as a valuable source of news and comment. I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the growth of Newstalk and to be part of a new team where, hopefully, my experience will also add value,” he said.
“I am relishing the challenge ahead and looking forward to a new chapter in my career, with the world of independent broadcasting, helping to develop Newstalk into the talk radio of choice for listeners countrywide.”
Newstalk station editor Garrett Harte said: “Pat is one of Ireland’s most respected broadcasters with an outstanding pedigree in quality journalism.”
RTÉ would not comment when initially contacted this afternoon but later confirmed the news in a tweet, saying Kenny “will take up employment with Newstalk”. A statement was released a short time later.
Curran added: “I would like to wish Pat the very best for the future and I would like to thank him, both personally and as Director General for his contribution to broadcasting on RTÉ.”
Newstalk has also announced that Gerard Whelan is the station’s new chief executive replacing Frank Cronin, who resigned from the role in February.
A spokesperson for Newstalk added that further schedule changes will be announced in September when we can also expect more details on Kenny’s new show.
First published 1.53pm
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‘You’ll be at their graveside with your hand out’ ne’er a truer word spoken, but what joe forgot to mention is that the system is also pushing some of them into their graves. Sad, desolate times.
Bank shares are up this week. Just about says it all…
Pure pantomime.
Peter Mathews “rant” was great. He’s one of the few who are sticking it to these bastards. And fu#k the chairman for his snide remark, it simply shows his ignorance. Mathews simplified much of this crisis in that statement and people should hear that.
I’d like to grill a few bankers, face down in a fire pit!
Not those nice staff who do their best at work every day like you or I but these high 5 slapping gangsta rudeboys in disguise as bob dobolinas! Hardest part would be waiting for the coals to turn fully white before dunking them d!cks.
This “we sent letters out” child like answer to meeting targets should be rubbished by noonan next week and they should be back in next month to answer again about what real work they have done. No ?
The real truth here is they won’t write debts down because they are waiting for the market to rebound a bit. No chief exec wants to accept that debt on his shift. It will affect his job, his bonus, and as important the shares they privately own which are up since the collapse.
Sadly the fact that these banks are state owned would appear to mean sweet f**k all….,
So after the “grilling” what happens? Do the committee make any recommendations on maybe those in the banking sector not performing loosing their jobs or is that the end of the pantomime until next time they are called? Otherwise it is a waste of time and money.
What? No Little Stevie Donnelly? The master of populist rhetoric must be losing his touch. The Fan Club will be very disappointed.
I don’t agree with that comment about Steven Donnelly. He’s not my local Td but anytime I hear him speak he comes accross as a decent hardworking Td with good morals and values. If half of the people in government were like him we might not be in this mess.
Yup, Little Stevie is on the radio now using his favourite words “horrendous” and “horrific” and saying things like “There’s something wrong with the country …….”, then he pauses like he’s waiting for applause.
But he has no solutions. He’s just a waffler.
Surely the soloution is everyone that bought a house between 2003-2008 gets there mortgage reduced by 20% Thus making people’s mortgages affordable again and for those who are paying there mortgage they will have money to put into the local and national economy.
Boucher and Co will continue to treat law makers with disdain and arrogance as long as law makers continue to permit these bankers to receive salaries that are multiples of the salary of the highest ranked law maker in the state. These bankers must, understandably, feel superior and invincible and it must be undignifying for them to have to be accountable to a committee, where the aggregate salaries of any 7 or 8 members would only approximate to that of the highest paid banker. Cut their salaries to sensible levels and observe how cooperative they will suddenly become. Not a problem if they don’t want to work for less, others can be hired.
Political hypocrisy! This state, yet again, faces an existential crisis and the politicians expect bankers (no less) to get them off the hook and to make the decisions that they themselves will not. Bankers will do their job, which in this case is to get as much of the money they imprudently lent out back. To expect otherwise is extremely naive. Politicians are once again ducking the hard decisions. Why? Because to fix this problem we need money and that is already being shipped back to Frankfurt by the tonne. If politicians want the mortgage issue fixed then they need to fix it, not hope for others to fix it for them.
This was a show for the proles. The TDs knew it, the bankers knew it and the proles knew it.
Grilling,hardly
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