Pat Kenny and UTV part ways
PAT Kenny has confirmed that he and UTV Ireland have severed ties – and that he is open to new TV offers.
‘I’m a very open mind. I’ll go back on telly when the right thing comes along,’ the experienced broadcaster said.
While RTÉ and TV3 have not yet thrown their hat in the ring to lure him into their fold, Pat said he looks forward to new challenges ‘on the TV front’ in 2016.
PAT Kenny will not be returning to work for UTV Ireland, he revealed yesterday.
Kenny told the Irish Daily Mail that he and the TV channel had officially severed ties.
But he said he was still interested in finding television work.
Kenny said yesterday: ‘I’m a free agent, so I can work with them or not. They’re in transition... things are in flux. I’m a very open mind. I’ll go back on telly when the right thing comes along.’
UTV Ireland announced in September that it would not be commissioning a second series of his chat show, Pat Kenny In The Round.
It said at the time that it would be discussing alternative projects with Kenny, but now all such plans have been abandoned.
Kenny has been presenting a morning radio show on Newstalk since he quit RTÉ in 2013.
As a highly experienced current affairs broadcaster, he would have been well placed to front coverage of next year’s general election on television but now it seems that he will only be covering the election on radio.
Kenny was rolled out last year as UTV Ireland’s leading presenter, and helped launch the commercial station.
If he is to return to television now, it will require an approach from RTÉ or from TV3.
Kenny said he is ‘preparing for a very busy pre-election period ahead on radio with Newstalk, and looking forward to new challenges for the 2016 season on the TV front’.
Kenny left RTÉ on good terms, although his sudden departure came as a major surprise. But a source at the national broadcaster said it could be unlikely that he will be returning to RTÉ television any time soon.
A TV3 spokesman said that it currently ‘has no plans to talk to Pat Kenny about potential formats’.