A late-night news programme hosted by journalist Vincent Browne is to be part of the new line-up announced by TV3 for its autumn schedule.
The schedule was announced yesterday beneath the vaulted ceilings of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in Kildare Street, Dublin. The TV station's troupe for the new season gathered to celebrate the launch, along with invited guests, including music promoter Louis Walsh, former Miss World Rosanna Davison, Emmerdale soap star Chris Chittell and Kim Woodburn, presenter of How Clean is Your House?
Vincent Browne made an appearance to promote his new programme, Nightly News with Vincent Browne, which will air from November 5th. It will feature the journalist and Irish Times columnist interviewing the news-makers of the day and will include a bulletin of the main news stories, with anchors Alan Cantwell and Colette Fitzpatrick, and political analysis from the station's political editor, Ursula Halligan.
The programme will air after what the station's CEO, David McRedmond, described as a "lengthy courtship" of the "iconic" Browne, whose late night award-winning radio programme, Tonight with Vincent Browne, was dropped by RTÉ in June. The format for the new programme has not been entirely finalised, and according to the station it will have some unique features yet to be announced. Speaking at the launch, Browne, who admitted to being nervous about his forthcoming nightly TV appearance, said its format was likely to evolve over time. "Inevitably, when you start something like this, it ends up being different," he said.
The station has also secured terrestrial rights to the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which will begin on September 7th. It will cover all of Ireland's matches as well as the tournament opening game, two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final. Coverage of the matches will be hosted by Matt Cooper, who said yesterday that he would bring two strengths to the programme: his genuine love of rugby and his analytical abilities.
Among the new US programmes for the autumn will be Emmy award-nominated historical drama The Tudors, described by the station's director of programming, Ben Frow, as a sweeping, sexy version of the life of King Henry VIII. The series, filmed in Ireland, aired in the US in the spring.
