RTÉ Radio 1 today revealed full details of its new weekday schedule, which will be rolled out over September and October.
Speaking at the launch of the schedule at RTÉ's radio centre in Donnybrook, Ana Leddy, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, outlined the highlights, including three brand new programmes, an extended 'Liveline', a new dedicated music slot, radio dramas and factual series.
"I believe that RTÉ Radio 1 will remain at the top," said Leddy, "continuing to produce the best radio programmes on air in this country, high quality, creative programmes with top class presenters that will engage, entertain and challenge our listeners."
In addition to RTÉ Radio 1's established top daily programmes, including 'Morning Ireland', 'The Tubridy Show', 'Today with Pat Kenny' and the 'News at One', RTÉ Radio 1 is extending 'Liveline' by quarter of an hour and adding new programmes - 'Mooney', 'Drivetime' and 'The Eleventh Hour' - to the new weekday schedule.
From Monday 4 September listeners can tune into a brand new 'Drivetime' package with top presenters Mary Wilson, Des Cahill and Dave Fanning.
Starting at 5pm, Mary Wilson and the 'Drivetime' team, including Fergal Keane and Fergus Sweeney, will provide coverage of the day's top stories, analysis of national and international news, the courts and the events that shape today's Ireland.
At 6.30pm, Des Cahill will take over and present 'Drivetime Sport' and 'Drivetime with Dave Fanning' will be on air from 7pm.
From Monday 4 October, 'Mooney' will be broadcast from Monday to Thursday (3pm to 5pm) with a music and magazine mix. Fridays will be devoted to the ever-popular 'Mooney goes Wild' with regulars Eanna Ní Lamhna, Richard Collins and Terry Flanagan.
Also on Monday 4 October, RTÉ Radio 1's all new arts programme, 'The Eleventh Hour', will start broadcasting for the first time at 11pm.
The show will be presented by Páraic Breathnach, an accomplished actor, writer, director and producer, well known as one of the principal founders of street performance group Macnas, the Druid Theatre Company and the Galway Arts Festival.
Today RTÉ Radio 1 also launched a new regular weekday music slot, 'The Radio 1 Music Collection', which will bring listeners a dedicated hour of music programming every Monday to Friday from 9pm to 10pm.
From September, drama lovers can look forward to a new four-part series, 'Haymaker' by Jean Pasley in The Tuesday Play slot at 8.02pm, followed in October by another four-part series, 'Stand Up', written and directed by Roger Gregg.
New factual series on RTÉ Radio 1 this autumn will include 'Speaking Ill of the Dead, a historical series produced by Myles Dungan; a new series of the science magazine programme, 'Quantum Leap'; and Paddy O'Gorman produces and presents the four part series 'Muslims in Ireland'.
The RTÉ Radio 1 website is online at: www.rte.ie/radio1
