RTÉ WILL not commission a new series of Seoige, the daytime television programme presented by sisters Gráinne and Síle Seoige.
However, RTÉ has confirmed Gráinne Seoige will be working on “some major peak time projects” in the autumn.
RTÉ television’s director of programmes, Steve Carson, said the decision was prompted by financial necessity.
The Afternoon Show, which precedes Seoigeon the RTÉ 1 schedule, will return after the summer, an RTÉ spokeswoman said last night.
Mr Carson said: “The decision not to recommission another series of Seoige is a financial one, necessitated by a significant shortfall in revenue in the last quarter of 2008 and so far in 2009.”
He said RTÉ had traditionally broadcast only one home-produced daytime show. A second had been introduced six years ago, “facilitated by a buoyant economy and increasing revenue”.
According to RTÉ, the average audience for the last season of Seoigewas 121,000.
Mr Carson thanked the presenters of Seoige for the “professionalism, commitment and polish” they brought to the live show five days a week. “We’re looking forward to working with Gráinne next season on some major peak time projects,” he said.
“I’m sure we’ll also be working with Síle again in the near future.”
The current series of Seoige, which is produced by Tyrone Productions, will finish on Friday. The programme has run for three years. Gráinne Seoige's co-presenter for the first two seasons, when the show's title was Seoige and O'Shea, was Joe O'Shea.
Gráinne Seoige said she would miss working with her sister every day. "The reality of a live daytime show though five-days-per-week is that it can make the logistics of projects outside of daytime very tricky. It was a big challenge to keep up with it all during the shooting and broadcast of The All Ireland Talent Showearlier this year; so, I'm really looking forward to concentrating on projects in peak time next season."
Tyrone Productions’ chief executive John McHugh said: “I’m naturally disappointed that we will not be producing another season of Seoige but I am proud of the fact that we are going out on a high.”
Former Irish Road Haulage Association president Jimmy Quinn's complaint to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission about a RTÉ Prime Timeprogramme, entitled Slave Labour Ireland, has been rejected.
Mr Quinn’s complaint about the programme, which was broadcast last December, related to a section concerning the exploitation of migrant workers.
Prime Timesaid it had uncovered documents relating to a Labour Relations Commission case previously taken by a driver against a company Mr Quinn owned. The BCC said it was of the opinion that the subject matter was treated in a "fair and objective" manner.
