Small Town Reporter

Scary stuff from RTE Radio commander

Clare Duignan, back in RTE Radio as managing director after a lousy record  in television continues to lead her charmed life. “Very real challenges now face RTÉ Radio,” she says announcing the  latest schedule.* Hey, it's a scary world out here away from the careworn corridors of RTE power. 

Contracts out on Kenny and Ryan at RTE

"Honour thy contract" is now the eleventh commandment. For bankers and television pundits. Chief among them - Pat Kenny and "Sheep-killer" Gerry Ryan. Great operators, you have to hand it to them. Ryan made his name by lying on Ireland's National radio station. His mortaller concerned a competition to survive in the wild hills of Connemara. He was a mere stripling at the time. He killed a sheep, he lied, bravely. Actually, it turned out to be a fatted calf.  Because Ireland's national station managers signed him up. Anyone who could lie as good as he did had to be good for something. Now they are stuck with him.

And so he gave birth to his own virtual reality.

Tribute to Donal Wylde photo-journalist & master of his craft.

The invitation came late but it was one that I would not have missed for the world - the retirement party for Donal Wylde, a photo-journalist with whom I collaborated on so many current affairs documentaries in Ireland. The programme was Newsround and I count that period (1975-1982) as among the most pleasant years in a career in television journalism.