RTÉ PRESENTER Pat Kenny has rejected speculation about his future as host of The Late Late Show, saying he expects to complete negotiations on a new contract by September 1st.
Kenny and RTÉ director general Cathal Goan took the unusual step yesterday of issuing a joint statement dismissing press speculation about the state of negotiations for his next spell as presenter of the station’s flagship Friday night show.
Newspaper reports claimed Kenny was at loggerheads with his employers over the length of his next contract, with Kenny, who recently turned 60, seeking a three-year deal and RTÉ favouring a 12-month contract.
However, both sides described this speculation as “ill-informed” and said contract negotiations were a standard part of broadcasting life.
The statement continued: “It is expected that negotiations will be finalised before September 1st. Neither party will be making any further comment on the issue until the process is complete.”
The first show in the new Late Late Show series is scheduled to be broadcast from the new €40 million opera house in Wexford on September 5th, just two weeks away.
Kenny was reported in the Irish Independent as saying he was “absolutely confident” he would appear in the first Late Late Show of the new season.
The report quoted Kenny as saying speculation about his future was “nonsense” and pointing out that Mr Goan is currently on holidays.
Kenny, who is being represented in negotiations by accountant Ossie Kilkenny, is RTÉ’s highest-paid presenter.
In 2006, the last year for which figures have been published, he was paid €849,000 to present The Late Late Show on television and the Today with Pat Kenny radio programme.
There was some good news for Kenny yesterday with new figures showing a 13,000 rise in the audience for his radio programme.
