Kieran Cuddihy has been confirmed as the new presenter of RTÉ’s Liveline.
The Irish Independent reported earlier Cuddihy was in pole position for the gig after he left Newstalk, where he presented The Hard Shoulder, to make the move to Montrose. RTÉ confirmed the appointment this morning in a statement which also included details of a programme schedule shake-up.
The new ‘Today with David McCullagh’, formerly headed up by Claire Byrne, will now begin at 9am, instead of the usual 10am start.
Oliver Callan, whose hour-long programme used to air at 9am after ‘Morning Ireland’, will move to a longer time slot at 11am, until 1pm.
Louise Duffy moves to mid-afternoon and Katie Hannon and Colm Ó Mongáin will take the helm at Drivetime, with a new time of 4pm to 6pm.
There would also be a new daily sports show from 6pm, an RTÉ spokesperson said this morning.
This means that Claire Byrne’s new venture with Newstalk will now be in direct competition with David McCullagh from 9am, and then she will be up against Oliver Callan from 11am for her final hour.
An email sent by senior management at Newstalk announced Mr Cuddihy’s departure last night.
Cuddihy is expected to also step down from the Tonight Show on Virgin Media.
It was announced yesterday that Ray D’Arcy is departing his afternoon show.
That comes in the wake of Claire Byrne announcing her departure and Duffy stepping away from Liveline after 27 years.
Sources close to the situation told the Irish Independent that, after months of searching for the perfect candidate to replace Duffy, Cuddihy had impressed RTÉ Radio 1 boss Patricia Monahan.
Monahan was previously the managing editor at Newstalk, where she worked closely with Cuddihy for several years.
He has a wide range, he can do light and bright, and heavy current affairs interviews
“He is razor-sharp, affable and connects well with viewers and listeners,” a source said.
“He has a wide range, he can do light and bright, and heavy current affairs interviews, and is the kind of fresh, young voice Patricia needs to begin her big changes in RTÉ radio. He is also not shy about giving a controversial opinion.”
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Friday October 10.
In an email to staff late last night, Newstalk bosses said Cuddihy will not be returning to the broadcaster’s schedule and that Thursday was his final show on air.
“Kieran Cuddihy has this evening informed us of his intention to leave Newstalk to join RTÉ Radio. We thank Kieran for his many years of service to Newstalk and wish him the best for the future,” they said.
“Kieran will not return to the schedule on Newstalk and today will have been his last programme.
“I appreciate this may come as a surprise for some of you, but Newstalk has big plans and you’re aware of that from our recent schedule announcements.
“While we wish Kieran all the best, it’s important to recognise the opportunity this presents for Newstalk as we move forward.”
In March, Cuddihy was announced as the new host of the Tonight Show after the departures of Claire Brock and Ciara Doherty. Previous hosts of the show include Vincent Browne, Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates.
Cuddihy started at Newstalk on a work placement after completing a law degree at University College Cork and a master’s degree in journalism from Dublin City University.
He learnt his trade as a researcher for Newstalk’s Breakfast Show, before becoming a station reporter and then presenter on The Hard Shoulder, following Ivan Yates’ departure from the station.
Cuddihy’s recent interview with presidential hopeful Joanna Donnelly on the Tonight Show went viral after he asked about her voting record and she seemed under-prepared for the line of questioning.
Cuddihy is married to wife Natasha and the couple have two children, Sam and Grace, who are 10 and eight, respectively.
His wife has a mediation business and the family are based in Kilkenny.
When contacted last night, Cuddihy was unavailable for comment.
In May, Duffy announced he was leaving his role as presenter of the RTÉ radio phone-in show after 27 years in the hot seat.
The 69-year-old broadcaster, whose contract was due to expire in the summer, said he was “deeply privileged and eternally grateful” to have worked for so long presenting the programme.
He also said he hoped Liveline had “made people feel heard”.
Now Cuddihy is set to preside over Ireland’s court of public opinion.
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