RTÉ cancels current affairs show Upfront with Katie Hannon due to budget constraints
RTÉ HAS CONFIRMED that Upfront with Katie Hannon has ended and will not be returning in September after three seasons on air.
The Monday night programme, one of RTÉ's flagship current affairs shows, first aired in January 2023.
Hosted by Katie Hannon, the show featured a live panel and in-studio audience discussion on a different topic each week.
An RTÉ spokesperson said that the decision to wrap production has been made 'due to the prioritising of people and financial resources', as the organisation incurs significant change and becomes smaller.
In a statement, RTÉ said that new strategic priorities highlight the need to 'serve audiences beyond traditional linear TV schedules and meet the needs of younger, underserved and underrepresented audiences'.
Hannon will continue to work on RTÉ's Behind the Story podcast, which is planned to launch daily later this year.
She will also present a new television series in the lead up to the presidential election in October.
In a statement to RTÉ, Hannon said she was 'proud of what we achieved on Upfront'.
Advertisement
'We managed to buck the international trend and actually grew our audience on linear television and our digital footprint,' she said.
The show boasted a significant evening audience – in its most recent series, which aired from 24 September to 25 May, Upfront was watched by an average of 198,000 viewers, a 25.8% audience share, up from an average of 168,000 and 23.7% in series two.
Similarly, the series grew on the RTÉ Player, attracting 269,000 streams in series three, from 209,000 in series two.
The show also hosted a number of debates ahead of the general election last year. The Upfront Leaders Debate in November 2024 attracted an average audience of 474,000 viewers.
RTÉ
RTÉ
'It was a privilege to work with our small team of talented and hardworking colleagues led by our editor Janet Traynor,' Hannon said.
'I also want to thank all of those who came into our studio and trusted us with their stories and contributed to the national conversation on the issues that matter to all of us.
'I'm disappointed that we won't be able to keep that conversation going.'
The surprise announcement has paved the way for Hannon to possibly take the coveted Liveline gig – as Joe Duffy is set to hang up the headphones after his final show this Friday.
Hannon has emerged as one of the front runners to replace Duffy, and has previously hosted the show in his absence.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
5 hours ago
- The Journal
With Upfront the latest axing, how worried should we be about the future of evening news shows?
THE DECISION TO cancel RTÉ's Upfront with Katie Hannon has been met with genuine shock with those who've worked on the show for the past number of years. The audience-led current affairs programme has been running since January 2023 when it effectively took the slot previously played host to Claire Byrne Live. An interim eight-part series Monday Night Live plugged the three-month gap between the two permanent shows but Upfront with Katie Hannon has been there since. This week, an RTÉ spokesperson confirmed the show would not be continuing , a decision it said was taken 'due to the prioritising of people and financial resources'. Interestingly, the statement also hinted that there would not be a like-for-like replacement this time, with RTÉ saying it was looking to 'meet the needs of younger, underserved and underrepresented audiences'. RTÉ also provided a statement from Hannon, with the presenter outlining that she was 'disappointed' that the show would not be continuing and referenced that the show had actually grown its audience from the previous series, a fact acknowledged by RTÉ itself. This is what has surprised people, with those who put the show together feeling that the audience growth might have saved it from the chopping block as the broadcaster seeks to cut costs. Hannon will continue in various roles within RTÉ, including the Behind the Story podcast which she co-hosts with fellow journalists David McCullagh and Fran McNulty. The podcast addressed the axing of Upfront this week, with McNulty saying 'it was a surprise to us' and Hannon suggesting there were 'a few words' beyond disappointed she could use but that she would restrain herself. Hannon praised the 'brilliant team' behind the show and noted that it was a 'fairly challenging slot' in which they nonetheless managed to grow the audience. 'Everyone knows the way linear television is going, we had a fairly challenging slot, we didn't come on air until 10.35pm, but people were staying up to watch us and our audiences, our viewership figures, were on the up. Which, as I say, is completely against what's happening elsewhere in linear television. 'Our social media reach was flying as well,' Hannon added. 'So we were delighted with ourselves, but it wasn't to be.' Giving a touch more detail than what RTÉ had said publicly about financial resources, Hannon said the crew had essentially been told that the broadcaster can't provide the same output with less money. 'What we were told basically is that RTÉ news and Current Affairs can't continue to broadcast the same output with less people and less resources and that unfortunately is where we landed.' she said. Hannon added that suggestions in the media that she is being lined up for Liveline are 'beyond my pay grade'. Advertisement 'It was made clear to me that this has absolutely nothing to do with any other decisions that are going to be taken about programmes, and who might present them elsewhere,' she said. Nightly news shows Even aside from the internal machinations of RTÉ, the axing Upfront comes on the back of similar cutbacks to evening news output both in Ireland and abroad. Virgin Media Television last year halved its weekly output of The Tonight Show, leading to the departures of hosts Claire Brock and Ciara Doherty . In the UK, the BBC's flagship Newsnight programme saw its running time cut in late 2023, changing from 40 minutes to a half hour. More than half of Newsnight's 60 jobs were axed as part of the move, which also saw the programme lean more on 'interview, debate and discussion' instead of the in-depth reporting which was the hallmark of the show. Despite the death knell being rung by commentators after that cut, the revamped Newsnight has proven to be a success for the BBC, with audiences rising by about a third compared to 2020 . TonightVMTV / X (Formerly Twitter) In Ireland, The Tonight Show on Virgin Media One now has a permanent new host in the shape of Kieran Cuddihy and has maintained its format and standard despite the reduction in output. Conor Tiernan, a DCU lecturer and former producer of current affairs programmes, also cites Newsnight as an example of how streamlining output can prove to be effective. 'Newsnight is actually a great example, it was dead in the water two years ago. The BBC pulled a lot of staff, stopped having a lot of correspondents and moved to a simpler format, a presenter talking to guests. A similar thing happened with Vincent Browne many years ago. When Vincent Browne was launched in 2007 or 2008, there were correspondents, there were long reports, it was all very resource-heavy. And then very quickly it moved to just Vincent Browne with guests, much cheaper. The viewing figures actually went up, because people wanted to see more of Vincent Browne. Returning to the axing of Upfront, Tiernan said the relentless shift of advertising revenues from linear TV to digital is the 'broader context' but that the specific slot of that programme was clearly a challenge too. Upfront went out on a Monday night. Monday night is an extremely difficult night to attract an audience. It's a very difficult night to attract guests and it's also difficult because of its position in the news cycle. 'Monday is generally quiet, you're either reviewing something that happened a while ago or previewing something that's about to happen. It's always been a very difficult night, that was a very particular problem for Upfront.' Tiernan also references the Liveline gig and whether that was a factor in this case but adds that, regardless of that question, it's also just a fact that Prime Time exists in the same space on two nights a week. With a third current affairs programme like Upfront it's hard to maintain a high quality threshold. These shows are meant to add value through analysis and original journalism, it's just very hard to do that three nights a week. 'That's what happened with The Tonight Show too, it's so difficult to keep it going all week, so they scaled it back to two, hoping that the quality of those two episodes would be higher. By cutting Upfront, it gives more space for Prime Time to be better.' In its statement confirming the cancellation of Upfront, RTÉ named more than 15 TV programmes across news and current affairs that it produces, adding that details of upcoming programming will be announced as part of the wider season launch in August. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Wexford Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann sets sights on another Guinness World Record
During the massive event, a new entry was made to the Guinness Book of World Records under the largest group of people simultaneously playing tin whistles. A total of 2,516 musicians filled the seats at Wexford Park playing The Dawning of the Day and The Boys of Wexford for five minutes until it was officially deemed a record by the book's independent adjudicator. Hungry for more, the organisers of this year's Fleadh are keen to ensure another record goes to Wexford. This year, they are hoping to break the record for world's largest céilí band. The current record was set live on The Late Late Show on RTÉ on March 15, 2024 and saw 384 musicians form one huge céilí band at Croke Park. So, on Thursday, August 7, the organisers of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be hoping to fill Wexford Park with at least 385 musicians performing in harmony as one, huge céilí band. "Let's come together and celebrate our shared love of trad with this unforgettable gathering,' they said. You can register your interest in taking part at
Extra.ie
7 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Who is Philip Boucher-Hayes? Liveline's temporary replacement
As RTE's iconic broadcaster Joe Duffy bows out after an incredible 27 years hosting Liveline, it seems someone else is ready to jump in the hot seat. Acclaimed broadcaster Philip Boucher‑Hayes is taking over the coveted job, at least for the first week of the post‑Duffy era, as RTÉ begins its search for a permanent successor. Here's an in-depth look at the Irish journalist and why he's the natural choice during this pivotal moment in Irish radio. As RTE's iconic broadcaster Joe Duffy bows out after an incredible 27 years hosting Liveline, it seems someone else is ready to jump in the hot seat. Pic: Ruth Medjber Born in County Kildare in 1971, Philip went on to study History and Politics at UCD. He then launched his journalism career writing for local newspapers in 1987, before joining RTE in 1993 when he began reporting on RTE Radio 1's Five Seven Live and RTE 2FM's The Gerry Ryan Show. Since October 2022, he's been the host of Countrywide on RTE Radio 1, and continues to present documentary series on climate, food, and consumer affairs (Hot Air, Buyer Beware!, What Are You Eating?) Acclaimed broadcaster Philip Boucher‑Hayes is taking over the coveted job, at least for the first week of the post‑Duffy era, as RTÉ begins its search for a permanent successor. Pic: RTE An occasional stand‑in presenter for Liveline long before Duffy's retirement, it's clear Philip brings credibility and a measured approach to the phone‑in format As for his personal life, Philip lives in County Wicklow with his wife, author Suzanne Campbell, and their two daughters. The broadcaster rarely opens up about his private life, having briefly spoken on his family after his wife fell ill after contracting Covid 19. Joe Duffy presenting his final farewell show in Studio 1 at the RTÉ Radio Centre. Pic: Andres Poveda In a piece for RTE, Philip said she was still 'struggling to get back to full health three-and-a-half months later.' 'And to add to the injustice while she ended up in hospital, apart from a loss of smell, the girls and I had a pretty much symptom-free experience of the disease. 'I make light of it now, but it was a scary and disconcerting time. The news from outside was grim. And what was going on behind our front door confirmed that the world had turned bad.'
