No room at Newstalk for Joe Duffy, says George Hook

George Hook and President Michael D Higgins at the National Ploughing Championships in New Ross, Co Wexford in 2012

George Hook has weighed in on Joe Duffy’s RTE contract saga – saying there are no vacancies at Newstalk.

His comments come as RTE Director General Kevin Bakhurst told the Irish Mirror this week that Duffy made it clear he was not looking for a new contract.

Bookies slashed odds on Duffy quitting RTE whilst the Dublin broadcaster told his listeners it’s “the first I’ve heard about it”.

Bauer media stations Newstalk and Today FM are being touted as possible employers for the host.

Cork native Hook was sensationally axed by Newstalk over on-air comments in 2019 for expressing his views around the time of a high-profile rape trial in Ulster.

George, 83, told the Irish Mirror: “The radio and television industry has changed forever, it will never be the same.

“Salaries for high-flying broadcasters will be reduced dramatically.

“There’s no vacancies per se in Newstalk.

“Are Newstalk going to sack one or two broadcasters to take Joe on?”

He continued: “An RTE broadcaster would say if you take me on board I’ll bring an audience but I’d say Pat [Kenny] was the last one to do that.

“There was a time when everybody could buy audiences but Newstalk has never bought audiences.

“Ciara Kelly, Sean Moncrieff and Andrea Gilligan are home-grown talent, they have never gone into the market place and said we’re trying to hire people.

“It suited certain RTE broadcasters in the good old days when they were renegotiating that if you don’t come through for me Newstalk will come looking, but there was no fact to that.”

The retired presenter said Duffy, 68, is a “kid” and he should stay put at RTE.

He added: “He’s 68 for crying out loud, in broadcasting terms that’s a kid, I’d be astonished if he didn’t want a new contract.

“Joe’s programme is very unique, the idea of a mother-of-10 in Carlow ringing up saying ‘Joe my water is turned off, help.’

“That might not necessarily translate on Newstalk, they have a very different audience.”

On the question of factions among the public refusing to pay the licence fee, Hook added: “All these people who don’t pay the licence fee is horse sh*t, it’s not because they’re objecting to Tubridy or whatever.

“They’re just saying ‘I’m not paying’ and this is a great excuse. The licence fee is probably dead in the water. If RTE suddenly had to become a commercial organisation like Newstalk, they wouldn’t be able to do it.”

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