Prime Time

Prime Time

Prime Time
Genre News and current affairs
Created by RTÉ News
Presented by Miriam O'Callaghan
Richard Crowley
Keelin Shanley
Donogh Diamond
Country of origin Ireland
Production
Location(s) RTÉ Television Centre, Donnybrook, Dublin 4
Running time 40 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel RTÉ One
Picture format 720x576 (1998-present anamorphic 16:9, pre-1998 4:3)
Original run 17 September 1992 – present
Chronology
Preceded by Today Tonight
Related shows Prime Time Investigates
The Frontline
External links
Website

Prime Time is an RTÉ Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis of political and other current events. Miriam O'Callaghan has been its main presenter for over fifteen years.[1]

O'Callaghan's fellow presenters are Richard Crowley, Donogh Diamond and Keelin Shanley.[2] Prime Time has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 1992. It goes out on Tuesday and Thursday evenings between 9:30pm and 10:10pm. Only one show per week is broadcast during the summer months. Occasionally it may have an extended edition if there is an especially eventful event in the news, such as general elections. Recordings are available within the UK via the RTÉ website, with episodes dating back a number of years.

Contents

History

Prime Time in its current format began on Thursday 17 September 1992. It replaced the popular Today Tonight programme which had been on air since 1980 and which was similar in format to Prime Time. The introduction of the new programme was part of a wider change in current affairs broadcasting by RTÉ. Today Tonight, which had been broadcast from Monday to Thursday, would now be replaced by five very different and distinct types of current affairs programmes which would be broadcast from Sunday to Thursday. These included Farrell on Sunday, a series where Brian Farrell would conduct a series of one-to-one interviews with public figures. Questions and Answers would fill the Monday current affairs slot and would continue with its usual format of a panel of public figures answering questions from the audience. Tuesday File would contain a weekly filmed report. Marketplace, which was previously broadcast on Network 2, would occupy the Wednesday slot and would deal with financial matters, industrial relations, public affairs and business. Prime Time would round off the week's current affairs programming on Thursday evenings.

Content

The programme deals with serious issues current in Ireland and often invites political figures to express their opinions in the studio or via satellite link-up. Usually, two or three major stories will be covered, with a report from a correspondent followed by a studio discussion. In special cases the entire programme will be devoted to one topic, and may consist entirely of an in-depth documentary piece from a single reporter.

Presenters

Prime Time is currently presented by one or two people from the following panel:

Ian Kehoe from Enniscorthy was elevated to the team of presenters in 2011.

The veteran long-term presenter of the series, Brian Farrell, retired in 2004. Other previous presenters have included Olivia O'Leary and Éamonn Lawlor. Mark Little presented the programme from 2002. He left in 2009 to pursue another career.[3] Vincent Browne presented the programme in November 2000. Kevin Rafter has reported.

Past presenters

Controversies

On 21 March 2011, former Esat Telecom employee Sarah Carey defended her Moriarty Tribunal leak and her support for businessman Denis O'Brien on Prime Time. Within days she had lost her job with The Irish Times.[4]

A spin-off series, Prime Time Investigates, used to be shown on Monday nights in short seasons of four to six episodes, featuring what was considered by RTÉ to have been investigative journalism and undercover reporting. This was suspended in 2011 after RTÉ's Aoife Kavanagh defamed Fr. Kevin Reynolds in an episode aired on RTÉ One with the title, "Mission to Prey", during which Kavanagh falsely accused Fr. Kevin Reynolds of raping a woman and fathering a child in Kenya.[5][6][7] Director-General of RTÉ Noel Curran admitted the broadcasting of "Mission to Prey" was "one of the gravest editorial mistakes ever made" at RTÉ.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Susan Mitchell (3 July 2005). "Prime-time couple". The Sunday Business Post (TCH Archives). http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/07/03/story6140.asp. Retrieved 21 December 2009. 
  2. ^ Jason O'Brien (7 January 2010). "Prime position for Crowley alongside Miriam". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/prime-position-for-crowley-alongside-miriam-2002724.html. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
  3. ^ Kevin Doyle (17 December 2009). "It's Mark's last time on Prime Time in TV gamble". Evening Herald. http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/its-marks-last-time-on-prime-time-in-tv-gamble-1979230.html. Retrieved 18 December 2009. 
  4. ^ McDonald, Dearbhail (26 March 2011). "Carey quits 'Times' after report furore". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/carey-quits-times-after-report-furore-2595474.html. Retrieved 26 March 2011. 
  5. ^ "Aoife Kavanagh: Journalist who made the headlines". Irish Independent. 23 November 2011. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/aoife-kavanagh-journalist-who-made-the-headlines-2942507.html. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 
  6. ^ McGreevy, Ronan (23 November 2011). "Reporter's broadcasts in wake of libel finding 'unfair'". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1119/1224307823957.html. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 
  7. ^ "Taoiseach cites 'grievous drop' in RTE standards over Fr Reynolds libel case". BBC News. 23 November 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15850770. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 
  8. ^ Cullen, Paul; McGreevy, Ronan (23 November 2011). "RTÉ shelves investigative series and concedes 'grave mistake'". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/1123/1224308004000.html?via=mr. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 

External links