News

RTÉ breakfast show ditched

RTÉ chiefs have made the surprise decision to scrap current affairs programme Morning Edition after less than two years on television.

Staff learned yesterday morning that the weekday show on RTÉ One would not be returning to our TV screens after Christmas.

Fronted by presenter Keelin Shanley, pictured, the live two-hour show, was initially plugged as a means for the broadcaster to address current affairs, sport,

entertainment and topical stories in a more detailed fashion than its usual news programmes. However, the cash-strapped broadcaster issued a statement saying the programme was being dropped from the 2015 schedule "due to ongoing financial pressures''.

Shanley (45), who has been getting up at 5am to present Morning Edition since January 2013, is set to take the helm at RTÉ Radio 1's late night news and current affairs programme The Late Debate from

January 6, replacing Cormac O hEadhra, who will remain working at RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta.

She will also continue in her role on RTÉ One's The Consumer Show.

The statement said staff would still be working with RTÉ News and would be deployed within the broadcaster's online and television news operations. "RTÉ News will continue to broadcast morning news headline bulletins on RTÉ News Now," it added.

Shanley spoke enthusiastically in September about her morning show, saying staff were "really enjoying'' working on it and that they were unfazed by the prospect of UTV Ireland going on air in the New Year.