Pat Kenny

Infobox Person
name = Pat Kenny


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caption = Third and current presenter of the long-running "The Late Late Show" on RTÉ
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birth_date = Birth date and age|1948|1|29|df=yes
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nationality = Irish
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education = Chemical Engineering degree, University College Dublin, Postgraduate Student, Georgia Institute of Technology
employer = RTÉ
occupation = Broadcaster
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salary = €899,000 a year (2004)
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Patrick Kenny (born January 29, 1948) is the current presenter of Ireland's "The Late Late Show".

Early career

Kenny was educated at O'Connell's school and obtained a chemical engineering degree from University College Dublin in 1969, Subsequently he was a postgraduate student at Georgia Institute of Technology and then a lecturer in Bolton Street College of Technology in Dublin. He began his broadcasting career in parallel to his academic "day-job" by working as a continuity announcer on RTÉ radio in the mid 1970s. He subsequently became a radio disc jockey.

In 1981, Kenny won a Jacob's Award for his "unusual versatility" in presenting three diverse radio shows: "Saturday View" on RTÉ Radio 1, and, on RTÉ 2fm, "The Kenny Report" and "The Outside Track". ["The Irish Times", "Gay Byrne wins award", April 3, 1982]

"Saturday Live" and "Kenny Live!"

Pat Kenny became a television broadcaster on RTÉ's "Today Tonight " current affairs programme in the mid 1980s.He moved in an unexpected direction for a current affairs presenter when he was co-presenter of the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. Subsequently, he had a guest slot on the weekly chat show "Saturday Live". He went on to host the show permanently, the show renamed "Kenny Live!".

Rivalry ensued between the Saturday-broadcast "Kenny Live!" and the Friday-broadcast "Late Late Show". "Saturday Live", latterly "Kenny Live!", which had been conceived as preserving the weekend slot on a Saturday night to prevent loss of viewers with corresponding loss of advertising.

"The Late Late Show"

Gay Byrne retired from presenting "The Late Late Show" in 1999. Kenny became the new host, but not without criticism. [http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=36&si=1677812&issue_id=14569 Sorry, Pat, but you're no Gay Byrne.] — "Sunday Independent", 27 August 2006 ]

Styles of Byrne and Kenny

Kenny's career as a broadcaster has been extensive, having been a continuity announcer, radio disc jockey, television current affairs presenter and anchor, and chat show host. His early radio career mirrored that of Byrne's, but Kenny's repertoire is much broader than that of ByrneFact|date=February 2007, as witnessed by Byrne always being in entertainment and never in current affairs. Byrne described himself as an entertainer first. [ The Time of My Life: An Autobiography Author: Byrne, Gay & Deirdre Purcell. Published by Gill & Macmillan Dublin 1989. ISBN 0-7171-1615-8.]

Initially Kenny was perceived, by a critic, as being unsuited to the field of light entertainment as this description of Kenny Live! stated:"The fact is that Pat Kenny, who has a kind of reserved dignity as a broadcaster, is unsuited to the type of showbiz knockabout which Gay Byrne is so at home with." [ The Irish Times TV critic, in 1988, Godfrey Fitzsimons, in his review of an edition of "Kenny Live" broadcast in October 1988 "The Irish Times", "Television View (Live if not kicking)", October 17, 1988] :

Kenny describes his style:

"Do you want bland television where everything you hear reinforces your own view, or do you want to be challenged? I favour the latter. I like to challenge people. You might get angry and pick up the phone to Joe Duffy, or you might complain to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission; that's great. It means you're involved in the argument in some way." [" [http://www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/pat.html To whom it concerns...] ". RTE, 2008. Retrieved on April 14, 2008.]

Due to his long association with the show, Byrne in his autobiography [The Time of My Life: An Autobiography Author: Byrne, Gay & Deirdre Purcell ISBN 0-7171-1615-8.] seemed to almost have proprietorial rights, having been both producer and presenter of the show. Kenny was the subject of much media criticism for his takeover from Byrne. In autumn 2003, "The Late Late Show" had a competitor in the Friday evening time slot, with the arrival of a competing television chat show by controversial broadcaster Eamon Dunphy on the rival channel TV3. However, Dunphy's show failed to achieve expected viewership figures and was scrapped in December 2003 after a short run. [" [http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/12/28/story503647262.asp Highs and lows of the year in media] ". "Sunday Business Post", December 28, 2003. Retrieved on April 14, 2008.]

Earnings

Kenny was the highest-paid presenter on RTÉ in 2004 [ [http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1642242&issue_id=14268 Pat Kenny has a million reasons for loving his job - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie ] ] . His earnings of €899,000 a year were almost twice the earnings of his nearest rival Gerry Ryan. In the previous year of 2003 Kenny was paid €899,000 by RTÉ. [ [http://www.rte.ie/about/top10payments_2004.pdf RTÉ - Top 10 most highly paid on-air broadcasters for 2004] , 28 June 2006 (PDF format file)]

2008 High Court case

In April 2008 Kenny and his neighbour went to court over the issue of who owned a nearby field. Pat Kenny's case was that he had right of entitlement of 'Gorse hill' through 'squatters rights'. During proceedings it was claimed that Kenny placed a lock on the field without telling his neighbour. It was also claimed that Kenny came at him with 'fists raised' and 'jostled' or fought with him. Kenny also claimed damages for his neighbour's assault on him. [Healy, Tim. " [http://www.independent.ie/national-news/kenny-ran-at-me-with-fists-raised-1342179.html 'Kenny ran at me with fists raised'] ". "Irish Independent", April 09 2008. Retrieved on April 14, 2008.]

On April 15 the case was settled with Kenny buying the land for an undisclosed sum and both sides paying their own costs.

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiIsIE8iT28 Video of the 24 November incident]