Pat Kenny
Pat Kenny | |
|---|---|
| File:Patkenny.jpg Third and current presenter of the long-running The Late Late Show on RTÉ One | |
| Born | 29 January 1948 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Chemical Engineering degree, University College Dublin, Postgraduate Student, Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Broadcaster |
| Employer | RTÉ |
| Spouse | Kathy |
| Children | Two daughters |
Patrick "Pat" Kenny (Irish language: Pádraig Ó Ceannaigh - born January 29, 1948) is a veteran broadcaster in Ireland. He is the current presenter of The Late Late Show on RTÉ One but will resign at the end of the current series.[1][2] Kenny also presents Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 on weekdays between 10:00 and 12:00 midday.
Kenny had a past career as a lecturer and has academic degrees in the fields of chemical engineering. He has co-hosted the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest as well as numerous other television shows, including Today Tonight, Saturday Live and Kenny Live, and has worked for both RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ 2fm, sometimes simultaneously, in a career that has spanned four decades. Kenny spent ten years hosting The Late Late Show from 1999–2009 but will leave to present a new current affairs programme intended to replace Questions and Answers.[1][2] He is the holder of a Jacob's Award and is RTÉ's highest paid employee.
Career
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. He is also a knob 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. [3]
Television career
Saturday Live and Kenny Live!
Pat Kenny became a television broadcaster on RTÉ's Today Tonight , a current affairs programme in the mid 1980s. He moved in an unexpected direction for a current affairs presenter when he filled the role of co-presenter of the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. This he did alongside Michelle Rocca at the Royal Dublin Society's Simmonscourt Pavillion. 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!.
There was a much publicised rivalry between Kenny Live!, broadcast on Saturday nights and The Late Late Show, broadcast on Friday nights. Saturday Live, latterly Kenny Live!, had been conceived as preserving the weekend slot on a Saturday night to prevent loss of viewers and corresponding loss of advertising revenue.
The Late Late Show
Gay Byrne retired from presenting The Late Late Show in 1999. Kenny became the new host, but not without criticism.[4] Amongst the highlights of Kenny's career in presenting The Late Late Show was his Toy Show interview with comedian Jerry Seinfeld. There was much uncomfortable chat[citation needed] on the topic of bees (Seinfeld was on the show to promote his new movie, Bee Movie). Seinfeld, who had previously lashed out at Larry King over his ignorance, remained tight-lipped, even as Pat Kenny referred to him as Jerry Sein-field. [5]
Kenny also came under fire after a recent interview on The Late Late Show with Babyshamles' lead singer, Pete Doherty. Kenny repeatedly questioned Doherty over his much talked about drug-habits, with Doherty appearing visibly uncomfortable. Doherty obviously annoyed stated that Kenny had asked him "about 12" questions about drugs and Kate Moss, but nothing about his music, "I bet you don’t even know the name of any of my songs, do you?," Doherty quipped at one point. "Er . . . no, I don’t." Kenny seemed to reply. [6]
On March 27 2009, Kenny announced that he will resign as host of The Late Late Show at the end of the season [7]
Styles of Byrne and Kenny
Kenny's career has been extensive, having been a continuity announcer, radio disc jockey, television current affairs presenter, subsequently anchor and chat show host. His early radio career mirrored that of Byrne's, but Kenny's repertoire is much broader than that of Byrne[citation needed], as witnessed by Byrne always being in entertainment and never in current affairs. Byrne described himself as an entertainer first.[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, is unsuited to the type of showbiz knockabout which Gay Byrne is so at home with." [9]:
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"[10]
Due to his long association with the show, Byrne in his autobiography [11] 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.[12]
Earnings
Kenny was the highest-paid presenter on RTÉ in 2004. [13] 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. [14]
Personal life
Kenny is married to his wife Kathy; the couple have two daughters. They live in Dalkey, Dublin, in a house built in the early 1990s on a site purchased in 1988. [15] Kenny's mother, Connie, died and was buried on 23 October 2008. Kenny's mother's burial received media coverage as it led to Kenny's non-appearance on an edition of The Late Late Show that was aired that same evening. [16] [17] [18]
Off-screen personality
A current RTÉ employee, who has "regular dealings" with Kenny says he is "really good at what he does" and "works very hard to make both his radio show and the Late Late as good as possible." Kenny was said to be "very good at doling out praise and encouragement, particularly to younger members of staff". When Paul Stokes attacked Kenny live on air in 2006, his researcher daughter Aoife was consoled by Kenny. [19]
2008 High Court case
In April 2008 Kenny and his neighbour went to court over the issue of who owned a nearby field. Kenny's case was that he had entitlement of 'Gorse Hill' through adverse possession sometimes known as 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.[20] The case was settled with Kenny buying the land for an undisclosed sum and both sides paying their own costs.
References
- ^ a b "Pat Kenny to step down as Late Late Show host". The Irish Times. 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b "Pat Kenny to leave Late Late Show". RTÉ. 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ The Irish Times, "Pat Kenny wins award", April 3, 1982
- ^ Sorry, Pat, but you're no Gay Byrne. — Sunday Independent, 27 August 2006
- ^ "Pat Kenny vs Jerry Seinfeld - Toy Show". Accessed 24 October 2008.
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0209/1233867927376.html
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/arts/2009/0327/kennyp.html
- ^ The Time of My Life: An Autobiography Author: Byrne, Gay & Deirdre Purcell. Published by Gill & Macmillan Dublin 1989. ISBN 0-7171-1615-8.
- ^ 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
- ^ "To whom it concerns...". RTE, 2008. Retrieved on April 14, 2008.
- ^ The Time of My Life: An Autobiography Author: Byrne, Gay & Deirdre Purcell ISBN 0-7171-1615-8.
- ^ "Highs and lows of the year in media". Sunday Business Post, December 28, 2003. Retrieved on April 14, 2008.
- ^ "Kenny has a million reasons for loving his job". Irish Independent. 2006-06-29. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ RTÉ - Top 10 most highly paid on-air broadcasters for 2004, 28 June 2006 (PDF format file)
- ^ "Kennys 'have to prove they took possession of land'". Irish Independent. 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Gerry's love of chaos may be a ratings winner for the Late Late Show stand-in". Evening Herald. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Ryan takes on 'Late, Late' as Kenny mourns mother". Irish Independent. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Final farewell to Pat Kenny's mother". Evening Herald. 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "'If only the viewers could see his funny, feisty off-screen personality'". Irish Independent. 2008-04-12. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Healy, Tim. "'Kenny ran at me with fists raised'". Irish Independent, April 09 2008. Retrieved on April 14, 2008.
External links
- Video of the 24 November incident
- Video of Kenny's resignation announcement