Dunphy Show Dumped by TV 3.

By Mairead Carey

EAMON Dunphy may yet have the last word after his Friday night chat show was axed by TV3. 

The former soccer star and high profile journalist is understood to be in talks with the new radio station Newstalk 106 which could see him present a program at the same time as his former slot on Today FM. 

TV3 announced on Friday that it was canceling The Dunphy Show after only three months. The show failed to match the viewing figures for Pat Kenny’s Late Late Show, Ireland’s longest-running television program, despite the huge hype surrounding Dunphy’s program.

The show had managed to attract several high-profile guests, including Roy Keane, Ben Dunne, Alistair Campbell and Candace Bushnell. The final program, which will be aired next week, will include an interview with Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell. 

TV3 blamed national network RTE for the demise of the Dunphy show, claiming that enormous amounts of money from taxpayer’s license fees were being used to fight off competition. 

RTE retaliated, saying that it was a “nonsense to suggest that the license fee increase was used to target any possible success of The Dunphy Show.”

The axing of the show came as a huge surprise to most in the industry, and an even bigger shock to the show’s sponsors Esat BT which only learned of the decision from the media.

There had been much speculation about a decision to give Dunphy a six-week Christmas break from the shop, but up to last week TV3 said it intended broadcasting another 15 episodes in the New Year.