New RTE shows, with some juggling

IT seemed a suitable end. The last item on yesterday's Gay Byrne Show featured two clairvoyants in a live broadcast from the ILAC Centre in Dublin. One of them told a woman that her mother still wore false teeth in the afterlife. Nobody asked him to predict the future of the 24-year-old radio show, which signed off for the summer yesterday.

"This is the last show of the season, but we'll be back with you next season ... if we re all still standing up and breathing, in some shape or form", Gay Byrne said. "OK then, that's it for another wonderful season of the GB Show, and we'll meet you again in the autumn ...DV."

But God wasn't going to have much say in the decision. In a boardroom in Montrose the RTE Authority was putting the final touches to the autumn schedule. This will see The Gay Byrne Show move to a later time and lose its co-presenter, Joe Duffy. The show will also leave behind its current affairs coverage for a "light entertainment" and "chat" format.

There was one surprise for the crystal ball-gazers, who had accurately predicted the schedule shuffle. The new voice will be that of journalist Vincent Browne. The former 98FM talk show host will be presenting a new hour-long "current affairs access-style programme" at 10 p.m. from Monday to Thursday.

Mr Browne approached RTE's head of radio programming, Kevin Healy, after he left his phone-in slot on the Dublin pop station. The new job in Montrose will give him a production team of up to three people.

Mr Duffy's swansong from The GB Show yesterday came live from the ILAC Centre, as a crowd of Tina Turner wannabees sang Simply The Best. "Gay, we love ya", he shouted in farewell. "Up the Dubs."