RTÉ Television broadcasted all ten of the Top 10 most-watched programmes on any television channel in Ireland last year, and nineteen of the Top 20.
Every programme in the Top 10 list for 2008 was home produced.
Four entertainment programmes feature in the Top 10, with 'The Late Late Toy Show' the most popular, attracting a phenomenal 1,199,000 viewers on average.
'Killinaskully – The Emergency' (part one), broadcast on Christmas Day (757,000 viewers on average) came in at number four, with 'The Rose of Tralee' at number nine (696,000 viewers on average) and 'The Eurovision Song Contest' (Semi-Final) in at number ten (691,000 viewers on average).
News and Current Affairs programming hold the number two and three slots with the 'Nine O’Clock News' on 11 January 2008 (748,000 viewers on average) and 'Prime Time Investigates-Travellers: On the Edge', broadcast on 8 December last year (773,000).
'Fair City' is the only soap that features in the Top 10, at number five (715,000 viewers on average).
'Buyer Beware!', presented by Philip Boucher Hayes, is a new arrival at number six, with an average of 714,000 for one of its programmes.
Representing Sports programming are the All Ireland hurling and football finals at number seven (709,000 viewers on average) and number eight respectively (703,000 viewers on average).
Noel Curran, Managing Director of RTÉ Television, said: “This Top 10 reflects what RTÉ Television does so well – event television that resonates with the audience in this country and with which they identify."
"Landmark home-production of such quality across a broad spectrum – from sport to entertainment, drama to news and current affairs – is what makes RTÉ Television unique and significant in the cultural life of this country."
"It’s testimony to the expertise, talent and creativity of those who make such high-quality programming, and proves yet again, that viewers seek relevant programming made on this island for this island."
