RTE radio listeners may have been surprised to hear the familiar voice of Anne Doyle filling in for Marian Finucane this week in the 910 a.m. slot (see radio review, below). What was more surprising was that Doyle kept up her regular role anchoring the main evening news on RTE 1. It meant a long working day for the presenter, as the production meetings for Finucane's show get under way at 7 a.m. each day. RTE has not revealed who will take the places of Finucane, Pat Kenny and Joe Duffy when they vacate Montrose for the summer. But some are speculating that Doyle will fill in for Duffy on Liveline.
There is some consolation for the hundreds of fans who missed out on tickets for Buena Vista Social Club in Dublin tonight, as they'll get a chance to see some of the gig on television. Coco Television is making an hour-long documentary on the city's Heineken Green Energy festival, which kicked off last night with Manic Street Preachers and JJ72 at Smithfield Plaza. It's recording concerts and events all over the city, but reserving special attention for the Cuban musicians, with a multicamera shoot of tonight's concert. Coco is today recording A Day In The Life Of The Frames in the run-up to the band's slot supporting The Divine Comedy at Dublin Castle. The production crew will be with the band from breakfast until they go on stage. Coco is also to make a documentary on the Cork and Galway Heineken Green Energy festival, over the June bank-holiday weekend. Both documentaries are expected to air on RTE in June.
The comedian Lenny Henry has scooped the Golden Rose of Montreux, Europe's most prestigious entertainment-television award. He beat off hundreds of other shows, including favourites such as The Weakest Link and Popstars - which both went home with Silver Roses - with Lenny Henry In Pieces. It's expected the one-off sketch show will be turned into a series on the strength of the win. In 1997, the pilot episode of Cold Feet, the 30something drama with James Nesbitt and Helen Baxendale, took the Golden Rose. Now gearing up for a fourth series, Cold Feet might never have been made without the award. Black Books, the Channel 4 comedy with Bill Bailey and the Irish comedian Dylan Moran, picked up a Bronze Rose in the sitcom category.
Johnny Vaughan is set to become the highest paid television presenter in Britain after signing a two-year deal with the BBC that is said to be worth £5 million sterling. The former Big Breakfast host is to write, develop and perform in a range of projects for the corporation. His first venture is expected to be a late-night chat show along the lines of those hosted by David Letterman and Jay Leno in the US. Defending the multimillion pound deal, the BBC said it had to secure major talent to justify last year's licence-fee increase. The BBC also sought to woo Graham Norton from Channel 4, but this week the Cork presenter revealed he had rejected the corporation's offer, which some reports put as high as £6 million sterling. Instead, Norton has opted to extend his deal with Channel 4 until 2002 for a paltry £2.2 million.
Jerry Springer, the US television host, is to join the Channel 5 news team to cover the general election that is expected to be held in the UK on June 7th. Best known for his controversial talk show, which is aired in more than 30 countries, Springer started his broadcasting career as a news anchor for a channel in Cincinnati, Ohio. Channel 5 says it has approached Tony Blair, the British prime minister, as well as William Hague and Charles Kennedy, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders, asking them to be interviewed by Springer.
mkearney@irish-times.ie