RTÉ's Joe Duffy plays down rumours of presidential bid before hosting final Liveline show today
He will host the show, which he has fronted since 1998, for the final time this afternoon.
Despite speculation that the veteran broadcaster would be well-placed to enter the race to succeed President Michael D Higgins later this year, Duffy said he has not been asked to run.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, the Liveline host said: "Ah no, I could see the Áras from Claddagh Green [in Ballyfermot], I'd say that's the closest I'll ever get to it.'.
Asked whether he has been approached about mounting a presidential bid, he said: 'Ah no, I haven't. No, I haven't.
"And even if… I'm still a part of RTÉ until Monday, effectively and if I say…if I had... Anyway, no, I will not lose the run of myself. I will not lose the run of myself.
"There's some great, great names that have been mentioned so far.'
The broadcaster reflected on some of the major issues covered on the show while he was at the helm, including how it contributed to the closure of head shops in 2010.
"The head shop campaign was the only time – out of all the things we've done over the years thanks to the listeners – that I was physically threatened,' he said.
Duffy added that he was threatened twice, once in an underground car park and another on the street when he was 'spat at'.
He said it was an issue he was 'very passionate about' and while he couldn't go to the protests, he "painted every single placard" for the Clontarf protest.
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"It's the voices on Liveline. The less I talk the better, I find. The less I talk the better. It's the voices of the callers and it's a privilege.'
He said his career in RTÉ started 'almost accidentally' as he was working as a probation officer with hopes of becoming a producer when he became a reporter for Gay Byrne's programme.
Duffy admitted that he received a number of letters in the early days of being on air for his Ballyfermot accent, but that Byrne was 'such a supporter'.
"He was very private. And we bounced off each other. He used to give out to me when he retired, he used to text me on Liveline, giving out to me.'
He added that Byrne was 'so intense' on the idea that it was the public that 'pay our wages'.
"'People trust us, keep it that way. Stop on the street if people want to chat to you, what's the big deal? Just stop, enjoy.' And I do, I do like meeting people and I do like being on the Luas and talking to people, and being on the 130 and talking to people.'
Duffy said he made a habit of sending cards to those who called into the show to thank them, describing it as 'a joy'.
During yesterday's show, listeners were calling Joe Duffy to say goodbye to him and wish him a good retirement, while Duffy teased today's programme and described it as "special".
"I'm told I know nothing about it. I will be here, and I hope you will join us," he said.
Speaking during the show in May, when he announced he would retire at the end of June, he said: "After 37 wonderful years here in RTÉ, and 27 years presenting Liveline, it has been an incredible honour and privilege to be part of a programme that relied entirely on trust: the trust of our listeners.
"People felt they could pick up the phone, ring Liveline, and share their lives, problems, stories, sad, bad, sometimes mad and funny, their struggles, and their victories.
"I never took that for granted, not for a single minute. RTÉ has been a great place to work. Public service has always been at its heart. And now, after many happy years, I've decided the time has come to move on.
"I would like to thank you the listener for tuning in each and every day, it has been an honour to sit in this seat and hear your stories," he added.
Born in January 1956, in Mountjoy Square, Dublin, and raised in Ballyfermot, Duffy originally pursued social work at Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
He became one of the first from his area to go to TCD and was actively involved in student politics and went on to serve as President of the Union of Students in Ireland.
He led protests on campus, highlighting access to education and spent two weeks in Mountjoy Prison as a result.
After working in the probation service, he joined RTÉ originally as a radio producer in 1989, and came to prominence as a reporter on the legendary Gay Byrne Show.
He presented programmes like Soundbyte before taking over Liveline in 1998.
In his 27 years in the Liveline hot seat, both Duffy and the programme itself have become national institutions, with the programme frequently attracting some 400,000 listeners.
RTÉ Radio One's flagship phone-in show will now welcome a new host, with Katie Hannon tipped to take over from Duffy, for whom she regularly filled in for in recent years.
The speculations increased after it was announced on Tuesday that the Upfront with Katie Hannon will not return in September, possibly paving the way for her to take over the Liveline gig.
It is understood that a stand-in presenter will host the show on Monday, with the permanent successor being announced over the summer.
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The Journal
11 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 Examiner
20 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Gareth O'Callaghan: It's been two years since Tubridy was thrown to the lions. Is it time for RTÉ to ask him back?
'Until someone is prepared to lay out the systemic problem, we will simply go through cycles of finding corruption, finding a scapegoat, eliminating the scapegoat, and relaxing until we find the next scandal.' I'm not a fan of American politician Newt Gingrich; but as I read these words of his, I'm reminded of where I was this week two years ago when Ryan Tubridy's stellar career as Ireland's leading broadcaster started to come apart in what was a bolt out of the blue. Barely a month before, a day ahead of his final Late Late Show, he told fans: 'Tomorrow night is going to be a night of endings for sure, but beginnings for definite.' In hindsight, some might have called his words prophetic, others foreboding; but it seems certain he knew nothing about what was careering down the tracks. It would take a long hot summer before RTÉ's director general Kevin Bakhurst finally announced on August 18 that Tubridy would not be returning to his radio show, after a two-month controversy that became the most damaging crisis the broadcaster has ever faced in its almost 100-year history. It was an inglorious sacking, painfully drawn out, and made worse the previous month by the performances of some politicians on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with their humiliation of Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly during live Oireachtas TV sessions, the first of which had more than nine million minutes of online viewing. No doubt it's a date that's etched forever in his memory, the day his career slipped from his grip and his life changed — Tuesday, July 11, 2023, when he was thrown to the lions in Leinster House, a place that's not always known for its moral compass. For the first time in its history, this online streaming channel, which most viewers to the event had never heard of, had bigger audiences than the annual Toy Show. Pubs across the country showed the televised meetings on their big screens, while clips from earlier sessions were viewed millions of times on TikTok. 'This is my first rodeo being in the public eye,' Tubridy told PAC that day. 'My name has been desperately sullied, I think my reputation has been sullied.' Strong words not used lightly, which led this writer to suspect he was being scapegoated as a result of a gargantuan cover-up — one that, it turned out, had been simmering for years. No doubt Tuesday, July 11, 2023, is a date that's etched forever in Ryan Tubridy's memory, the day his career slipped from his grip and his life changed. File photo: Oireachtas TV In the words of American diplomat Madeleine Albright, 'the cover-up, more than the initial wrongdoing, is what is most likely to bring you down.' 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Payroll software at the broadcaster clearly showed he was paid more than the €500,000 over each of the three years. According to the report, Tubridy was also entitled to a €120,000 bonus, which he chose to waive. Hindsight can be merciless. What remains foremost in public memory two years later is the side deal with Renault, which RTÉ footed the bill for. Pubs across the country showed the televised meetings on their big screens from Oireachtas TV of RTE's star presenter Ryan Tubridy. File photo: Oireachtas TV In 2020, Tubridy was paid by RTÉ in a sponsorship deal brokered by him, his agent and the broadcaster worth €225,000, in return for taking part in three corporate events for the car dealer, of which only one took place. He hasn't repaid the outstanding €150,000. Last weekend, media minister Patrick O'Donovan encouraged Tubridy to hand back the money, 'so we can move on from it,' he said. Ryan Tubridy has clearly moved on from it. He now lives in London, recently got engaged, and carving out a career for himself in radio, having been left with little choice but to leave the country, censured as the poster boy of a scandal he didn't cause. He became the fall guy as accountancy practices that had been going on for years in RTÉ finally became public. Was there any need for the public humiliation and the verbal flogging that Ryan Tubridy was subjected to two years ago? Did it serve any purpose, apart from dividing a national audience? If anything, it laid bare the banjaxed business model of RTÉ. The station posted a €9.1million loss in 2023 when its licence revenue took a massive hit as a result of the scandal, which it likely will never recover from. Its business model has never worked, so how can it hope to be self-sufficient? Government handouts are RTÉ's only hope of surviving, but for how long more? I suspect Kevin Bakhurst is keeping a close eye on the BBC, whose charter comes up for renewal in two years; when the network will have to prove its fitness in negotiations in order to take on the next 10 years of public service broadcasting. RTÉ has always fancied itself as a BBC-type replica with the additional benefit of commercial revenue income. BBC's charter comprises a trio of core objectives: the pursuit of truth with no agenda, an emphasis on its native culture and storytelling, and a mission to bring people together – not unlike RTÉ. But has RTÉ not failed in two of these objectives in the light of what happened two years ago? RTÉ has a serious public service broadcasting remit, which is becoming more and more difficult to commit to in the modern climate of content-rich competitors with very deep pockets. In television land, new content is king. Repeating old programmes in order to fill a television schedule is one sure way to drive away viewers. It's difficult not to feel a sense of fatalism about RTÉ's future. Its treatment of a presenter who is still loved the length and breadth of Ireland, along with its handling of the payment scandal, was a devastating error of judgement. RTÉ's director general said there was a 'moral' case for Tubridy to return the money. Considering the scandal was of their own making, with disclosures of indefensible accounting and governance practices, and a propensity for decades of lavish corporate hospitality, RTÉ should be careful about highlighting what they regard as other people's morals. Ryan Tubridy at the official launch of Joe Duffy's autobiography 'Just Joe' in Dublin in 2011. File photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Grant Thornton's report absolved Ryan Tubridy of any blame. Whether he should return the remainder of the private sponsorship fee he received is a matter for him to decide. Unfortunately, the role that one individual found himself unwittingly cast into as the controversy unfolded two years ago, and how that role was sensationalised to the point where he was unjustly made out to be the villain, continues to overshadow the reality of a much greater scandal in which many of those responsible will never be punished. Two years on, the least RTÉ could do is offer Ryan Tubridy his job back. Maybe then, in the minister's own words, we can move on from it. Read More Gareth O'Callaghan: Unanswered questions haunt Philip Cairns case decades later
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Joe Duffy not approached about running for Áras an Uachtaráin
Broadcaster Joe Duffy has said that he has not been approached to contest in the next presidential election. Mr Duffy was speaking on RTÉ's Six One News, after his final broadcast of the Liveline programme, which he presented for 27 years. He refused to answer when asked directly whether he was ruling out a presidential bid or not. "I had no idea when I chose today to leave that there would be lots of presidential talk in the air," he said. "I was president of Trinity students union, I still have the posters. I was president of the USI, I still have the posters, but my face has changed a lot, maybe my intellect isn't as strong as it used to be. "There's some great candidates already been mentioned [for the election], and by the way there was some great candidates before who didn't make it and that's the world we live in." He said that his departure from the Liveline programme "hasn't hit me yet", and that he feels similar to his listeners in losing a friend. "It was the listeners who made that programme, I was in the middle, I tried to mediate as best as I can and facilitate, but it was the listeners that rallied 'round and held hands and helped each other," Mr Duffy said. The broadcaster also said that RTÉ's main job was to make programmes. "We have to remind ourselves day after day, content, Irish programmes for Irish audiences, and stay focused on that." "Our job here in RTÉ, and the State through the licence fee help us enormously, our job in RTÉ is to make Irish programmes for Irish people. "And make them as unique and as entertaining and as educational and as political - not party political - as possible," he said.
