RTÉ Drivetime presenter Sarah McInerney and former Virgin Media Tonight Show host Claire Brock could take centre stage in a ‘top to bottom’ Radio 1 reshuffle, sources told the Irish Mail on Sunday.
In a briefing to staff this week, recently installed director of audio Patricia Monaghan told newsroom staff and presenters of her plans for a radical overhaul. One senior station source said Ms Monaghan indicated a ‘top to bottom’ reorganisation on Radio 1, with the warning: ‘Changes have to be made, and tough decisions will be taken.’
The staff meeting sparked fears among the RTÉ radio old guard of being moved to lesser programme slots, or replaced altogether
in favour of outside talent.
The departure of Joe Duffy at the end of June after 27 years at the helm of his flagship live show paved the way for the revamp.
Sources this weekend said Ms McInerney, who excelled during a summer stand-in on Liveline and Ms Brock, who was drafted in to temporarily host Drivetime, have both impressed Montrose chiefs.
An RTÉ insider told the MoS: ‘Bosses here have a dilemma. Sarah McInerney has really impressed on Liveline. Claire Brock has left listeners wanting more.'
‘There’s been a fair few emails coming from the public saying they really liked Claire’s handling of Drivetime and they’d like to hear more of her on air.’
‘The problem is that Sarah really fancies herself as more attuned to current affairs and serious news, and while Liveline is a massive show to land for any presenter, someone like Sarah, who considers herself a newshound, could see it as too fluffy.’
The briefing from Ms Monaghan – a former managing editor at Newstalk – comes as her former deputy at the independent station,
Mark Simpson, was appointed managing editor of RTÉ Radio.
A source said the former Newstalk executives are keen to cultivate their own team of presenters to take Radio 1 in a new direction.
They told the MoS: ‘RTÉ has a well-documented history of promoting from within, so the fact two outsiders have been appointed to the top jobs at RTÉ is a shot across the bows.'
‘Patricia in particular, but also Mark, are credited with nurturing the careers of the likes of [Newstalk presenters] Kieran Cuddihy and Andrea Gilligan, now both a real tour-de-force in radioland. ‘So it is kind of doing the rounds here that there will be more Newstalk people being enticed to come over to RTÉ. This has put many noses out of joint as people are very well aware that scheduling changes are on the way and nobody’s gig is safe.’
As previously revealed by the MoS, Ms Monaghan is understood to be keen to entice both Cuddihy and former Today FM presenter Dermot Whelan into the RTÉ radio fold. Cuddihy is among the names that have been linked to the vacant Liveline hot-seat.
