Pat on the back for Kenny as he extends radio deal

Pat Kenny’s Newstalk show has more listeners than ever before. Picture Brian McEvoy -

Sean O'Grady

Newstalk has announced that broadcaster Pat Kenny has signed a new two-year contract with the station.

The move means Kenny (70) will remain with the radio station until at least late 2020.

The former RTE host presents The Pat Kenny Show from 9am to noon, with the most recent JNLR figures revealing it enjoyed its highest listenership yet at 152,000.

"For the past five years, the show has examined the main issues in Ireland and around the world, and I am looking forward to providing the same forensic analysis and insight for our listeners in the future," said Kenny.

Adventures

"In Newstalk, I am lucky to have a brilliant, dynamic team behind me and we will strive to continue making fresh and compelling radio.

"It has been an eventful and exciting five years at Newstalk, which has flown past. The team has put together a show of the highest quality, and their success has been mirrored in great listenership figures.

"I look forward to more radio adventures."

Kenny also presented The Pat Kenny Show on TV3, but the show will be scaled back to only a handful of debate-style episodes each year following the channel's rebranding as Virgin Media One.

Virgin Media Television's director of programming Bill Malone insisted it was a natural evolution for the current affairs show to take.

"It was clear after the recent referendum that the standout moment in broadcasting was Pat Kenny's debate, it was fantastic," he said.