RT╔'s current affairs department is in a state of flux after this week's resignation of Gary Agnew as department head after just over two and a half years in the job.
His resignation will take effect from August 31st, but it's understood that Agnew is on leave until that date. Prime Time reporters and producers were told on Wednesday that Kevin Dawson, commissioning editor of factual programming, would be acting as head of current affairs until the post is filled.
The position is expected to be advertised in September. The move comes as the long-awaited merger of RT╔'s news and current affairs departments is about to be implemented. The head of news, Ed Mulhall, will oversee both departments after the merger. Agnew will remain in the programming division within RT╔, working as a producer.
Prime Time has hit the headlines recently after a man named as a Garda "agent", involved in undercover drug operations, was inadvertently identified in the programme last month. An internal investigation into the matter is currently underway in RT╔.
Earlier this year, Prime Time presenter Vincent Browne left the programme after a series of disagreements with Agnew.
It's been confirmed that Dublin comedian Jason Byrne will host his own show on Network 2 later this year. The Jason Byrne Show, which was piloted early last month, will be a mix of studio interviews, music, stand-up comedy and recorded sketches.
The news came at the launch of RT╔'s autumn schedule earlier this week. RT╔ also unveiled details of two new dramas and a sitcom - On Home Ground, Bachelor's Walk and The Cassidys - all of which are produced by independent TV companies.
New documentaries for the autumn include Portrait of the Irish Artist from filmmaker Seβn ╙ Mordha, looking at the relationship between artists and official Ireland in the 20th century; and Freedom Highway, a 90-minute feature directed by Philip King, documenting the struggles of the 20th century through music and song.
There's a new series of True Lives, as well as a six-part retrospective on musician Christy Moore. Lifestyle programmes include The Health Show, to be presented by John Creedon, and a cookery series, Ten of the Best, featuring 10 of the country's top chefs.
Most of the station's stalwarts are back - The Late Late Show, Fair City and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? all return. But among the notable absentees is Don't Feed the Gondolas, which has been axed. New imported dramas from the US include Boston Public, CSI, The District and Dark Angel.
RTE's Internet dating-travel show, Wanderlust, has picked up a nomination for the first ever iTV (interactive TV) award at the Nombre d'Or Television Festival. The festival is part of the International Broadcasting Convention, which takes place every September in Amsterdam.
More than 47,000 people attend the event, which covers all the key areas of the electronic media business. Five other programmes were nominated for the iTV award, including Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (ITV version) and Banzai (Channel 4). A third series of Wanderlust is currently in production for transmission this autumn on Network 2. The series is produced by Tyrone Productions and presented by Brendan Courtney. Courtney - who is also co-creator of the show - has hinted that there may be plans afoot to present and produce a version of Wanderlust in the UK. For more information on the show, check out its website: www.wanderlusttv.com
Today FM's Dave Kelly is to join TV3's sports department as a reporter and presenter from early September. Kelly has been with Today FM since the station launched (as Radio Ireland) in 1997. He is currently the presenter of the Saturday afternoon soccer programme Premiership Live. He follows former colleague Colette Fitzpatrick who took up a position with TV3 news last year. Fitzpatrick has recently been standing in as presenter for the breakfast show, Ireland AM, for soon-to-depart-TV3 (for good) Emma Buckley.
RT╔ is to celebrate 75 years of Irish radio with a live performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest to be aired next Monday. The play will be performed in front of an audience in Studio 1 in the RT╔ Radio Centre. The cast includes Stephen Brennan, Hilary Cahill, Barry McGovern and Alan Stanford. It is produced by Daniel Reardon, and features the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan, specially recorded for the occasion by the RT╔ Concert Orchestra, conducted by Proinnsias ╙ Duinn. The live broadcast takes place on August 6th at 8.02pm on RT╔ Radio 1.
A man acquitted of the murder of a woman in Britain is to take part in a TV industry debate on the rise in crime-based programmes on television.
Colin Stagg was charged with the murder of Rachel Nickell in 1994, but later cleared when the evidence against him was ruled inadmissible. He subsequently appeared as himself in a reconstruction of the murder case on ITV's Real Crimes: The Rachel Nickell Story, which was shown in June. He will take part in the discussion, entitled TV in the Dock, with film director Michael Winner and the Scottish barrister Donald Findlay. Findlay was forced to resign as vice-chairman of Rangers football club after a video of him singing sectarian songs was shown on TV.
The controversial debate will take place at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival later this month.
MTV viewers have voted Fatboy Slim's video Praise You as the Best Video of All Time on the music channel's 20th anniversary. The video was directed by Spike Jonze (director of Being John Malkovich). It narrowly beat Michael Jackson's Thriller video, which broke new ground for its 14-minute length and use of special effects on its release in the 1980s. Eminem, with The Real Slim Shady, took the number three spot in the Top 100 videos, which were broadcast this week as part of the channel's ongoing birthday celebrations.
mkearney@irish-times.com