Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ireland's most controversial presenter loses the ratings battle

Ireland Correspondent,David McKittrick
Friday 12 December 2003 20:00 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

One of Ireland's foremost media personalities lost one of Irish television's most high-profile battles last night when his chat show was banished from television screens.

The show, fronted by Eamon Dunphy, probably the Irish Republic's most colourful controversialist, was unceremon-iously wound up after little more than a dozen airings against one of the giants of Irish television. His last show was due to go out last night.

Dunphy had gone head-to-head with Radio Telefis Eireann's The Late Late Show, an institution which for decades has been at the forefront of Irish cultural, social, political and religious life.

The battle, and indeed many aspects of Dunphy's life, receive front-page coverage in the Irish Republic, where he is regarded as a fascinating and mercurial character who attracts much attention and often much hostility. A recent illustration of this came when a critic summed him up as "a conniving, arrogant, opinionated, petulant, self-obsessed, turbulent, back-stabbing little man with a mania for gambling, drink and mayhem".

But these characteristics, no matter how negatively portrayed, have elevated him to a national character who is one of Ireland's highest-paid journalists, recognised as a talented if volatile personality.

But his edgy unpredictability was not enough to attract sufficient numbers of viewers away from The Late Late Show, which preserved its traditional pre-eminence in the ratings. Some critics felt his show was in fact too tame, concentrating on politics and sport and lacking the confrontational and aggressive approach which viewers had associated with Dunphy. If anything it was regarded as slightly staid.

An interview with Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams was said to be too soft. He did, however, produce coups such as an interview with Roy Keane of Manchester United, whose autobiography he ghosted, as well as guests who included such controversial figures as Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson. At one point the former Millwall footballer spoke of his use of recreational drugs, but this produced little more than a frisson of interest.

In a huge commercial gamble, his show was scheduled in direct competition with The Late Late Show, which goes out on air live.

Although the Late Late, as it is called, is often said to be past its best since the glory days of the 1970s when it helped shape modern Ireland, it continues to attract high ratings on a regular basis. Dunphy's ratings were approximately one third of these.

Launched in a blaze of publicity with a sizeable budget, there was talk that Dunphy's show would generate premium advertising rates by attracting high-spending younger viewers.

One reason advanced for the show's failure is the fact that such viewers are among those most likely to be out on the town on a Friday night, rather than sitting at home watching television like their parents.

In the backbiting world of Dublin media there has been much celebration of the Dunphy demise, since he is such a public scrapper that he has offended many over the years.

One of these, Gay Byrne, the former Late Late Show presenter who is acknowledged as the master of live television, had the satisfaction of having earlier predicted that the show would end in tears. This week he enjoyed a cold dish of revenge, recalling: "I was subjected to a vile, abusive, intemperate and foul-mouthed attack by Mr Dunphy in the manner of a true guttersnipe. God love him - I wish him well."

Despite the ending of his show, no one believes that Dunphy will quietly fade from away. Although his chat show did not work out, he is a successful writer, radio broadcaster and sports commentator and seems destined to remain in the public eye, even though much of the public does not care for him.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in