WEALTH March 6, 2026 0 Comments

Radio Titans Clash: Pat Kenny and Brendan O’Connor Spark a Weekend Showdown That Could Redefine Irish Airwaves Forever!

Is Pat Kenny’s return to Newstalk’s weekend airwaves the shake-up Irish radio desperately needed—or just a nostalgic blast from the past trying to outrun the powerhouse that is Brendan O’Connor? At 78, Kenny isn’t just dipping his toes back in; he’s diving headfirst into a Sunday morning rivalry that’s already sparked lively chatter across the airwaves. With O’Connor boasting a staggering 429,000 Saturday listeners and climbing, thanks to the foundation laid by the late Marian Finucane, Kenny’s challenge is clear: can he recapture hearts while carving out a new wave of listeners craving something fresh yet familiar? It’s a fascinating clash of seasoned charisma versus steady growth, with Newstalk betting big on Kenny’s ability to elevate weekend current affairs programming—and maybe even unsettle RTÉ’s stronghold. Buckle up, because this battle of voices promises to be as compelling as it is ambitious, blending breaking news with a sprinkle of good food, sweet music, and sharp insights. Curious where this all leads? LEARN MORE

Pat Kenny returns to national radio this Saturday when he takes over as host of Newstalk‘s weekend 10am to 12pm current affairs discussion programme.

The move represents the final part of Newstalk’s recent schedule shake-up and puts Kenny in direct competition with Brendan O’Connor, who has turned his eponymous show into one of the most listened to programmes on Irish radio.

At 78, the former Late Late Show presenter is attempting to attract listeners away from O’Connor, who himself has added more than 128,000 listeners since taking over the slot from the late Marian Finucane in 2020.

According to the latest JNLR figures, 429,000 people listen to The Brendan O’Connor Show on Saturdays, with 418,000 tuning in on Sundays, up from an average of 290,000 when Finucane passed away, aided by Covid’s effect on wider listening habits.

At present, only Morning Ireland (467,000) and Today with David McCullagh (440,000) have more listeners than O’Connor, and WPP Media head of press and radio Darren Bracken believes his short-lived Saturday night television show struck a chord with viewers, paving the way for his success in radio.

“I know we might look back and think that it didn’t really work out for him, but he was still an extremely popular figure within the island as a whole. I think that people do gravitate towards him, and it’s not just his interviews, but also he does have a certain level of compassion,” said Bracken

“He does reveal a lot about himself when you listen into the show. He kind of draws you in, he makes you connect with him, and I think Irish people as a whole appreciate that.”

Bracken added that the format of O’Connor’s show makes it easy for audiences to drop in and out, making it ideal for weekend listening.

In his 12 years with Newstalk, Kenny grew the audience of his 9am to 12pm weekday show from approximately 134,000 to a high of 235,000 in early 2025, making him one of the most popular presenters on commercial radio alongside Ian Dempsey.

Before departing the slot to take over Newstalk Breakfast, Anton Savage had 164,000 listeners on Saturday mornings, and Bracken is confident that Kenny will “significantly” increase the audience this year.

“Anything other than that is not success. He should beat that,” he said, adding that Kenny could grow the audience by 20% in time to around 200,000. “By the end of the year, they might get to 180,000. That would be a massive shift very quickly.”

Bracken went on to compare Kenny to Finucane, who provided the listenership base for O’Connor to flourish after he took over, and speculated that Kenny’s eventual replacement might similarly benefit down the line.

“I imagine that’s what Newstalk are trying to do here: grow it to a strong base and then when someone else does come in, maybe grow it further or at minimum maintain it. That’s what I imagine the end goal here is.

“Anton was brilliant, but Anton only brought it so far. As a personality, he was never going to grow that number [164,000] over the next couple of years.

“[Newstalk] want to bring in a big personality, grow the listenership as much as possible, steal share from RTÉ, and then when the time comes that Pat does decide, if he ever does decide, to step away, they can put in someone in place of him … who can grow it or maintain it.

“Those kind of personalities are very rare these days in media as a whole. It’s unlikely that someone’s going to stumble across a personality, put them in a show and have it take off. You need to have a base, and then … that personality might bring in incremental listeners that you might not have had otherwise.”

More widely, Newstalk is seeking to take market share from RTÉ on the weekends by broadcasting less niche, more general interest programming.

Bracken expects that listeners “looking for something a little bit different” might move from O’Connor to Kenny, and that people who listened to his weekday programme might also make the switch.

“Brendan has been in that slot for a good long time now at this stage. For some listeners, they’re kind of looking for something a little bit different.

“Also, the kind of those listeners … [who] would have liked Pat Kenny back in the day, but they mightn’t have had the opportunity, because maybe life has changed: they’re on the school run, they might have been working from home during Covid.

“This kind of presents an opportunity for them where they can actually tune in and listen to the personality that they feel very connected to.”

The full impact of Kenny’s move to weekends on listenership will be felt in nine to 12 months time, but it will become apparent if advertisers and agencies have faith in the show if it books sponsors and in-show promotions ahead of time, according to Bracken.

Pat Kenny — Brendan O’Connor has more than 418,000 listeners on Radio 1. (Pic: Kinlan Photography)

During his first weekend in the role, Kenny will feature the likes of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan, former Ireland rugby player Devin Toner and chef Gareth Mullins.

Speaking about his debut, Kenny said listeners can expect breaking news, insightful analysis, and familiar voices from his daily show, but he’ll seek to “liven the mix with the good food, sweet music, and the latest from the worlds of science and sport.”

Photo: Pat Kenny. (Pic: Newstalk)