Ivan Yates back at Newstalk for ‘opinion-led’ drivetime show

Ivan Yates will present Newstalk's drivetime slot from September 4th, the radio station has announced.

Mr Yates will "bring his own unique style" to a three-hour "opinion-led" programme weekdays from 4pm, Newstalk said.

Chris Donoghue and Sarah McInerney, who have presented the slot since a major revamp of the Newstalk schedule last September, were said by the Communicorp-owned station to be "in discussions" about other roles.

Newstalk managing editor Patricia Monahan said Mr Yates was "one of Ireland's foremost commentators" and noted his long history with the station. This included two stints in the breakfast slot, where he presented alongside Mr Donoghue.

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“His brand of straight talking, opinion-led commentary will provide an engaging forum for listeners.”

Ms Monahan added: "We are currently in discussions with both Chris Donoghue and Sarah McInerney about alternative roles within the Communicorp Group."

Nine-month break

After a break of nine months, Mr Yates returned to the station in April to host a two-hour show on a Sunday morning.

His new weekday slot will pit the former politician and former owner of Celtic Bookmakers against RTÉ's Mary Wilson and Today FM's Matt Cooper.

The latest figures from the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) show that Ms Wilson's Drivetime show has 238,000 listeners, while Mr Cooper's The Last Word has 131,000 and Newstalk Drive has 130,000.