Dunne defects to Newstalk

A FRESH battle of the airwaves is set to break out in Irish radio as Today FM broadcaster Tom Dunne is to move to rival station Newstalk to present a new morning show.

Competition among rival radio stations will intensify as Dunne will host a “magazine-style talk show” to go head to head with his former colleague, Ray D’Arcy.

Dunne, who has regularly acted as a stand-in presenter for D’Arcy’s show while the presenter is on holiday, will now compete for audiences with the Kildare man when he hosts a new three-hour weekday programme starting at 9am from September 1.

The broadcaster will replace the Your Talk programme hosted by Brenda Power and Life with Orla Barry — a move which sees all the daily prime time shows on Newstalk hosted by male presenters with the exception of the Breakfast Show which is co-hosted by Claire Byrne.

The mid-morning slot is one of the key battlegrounds for listeners among the main radio stations with Dunne also facing competition from established RTÉ broadcasters like Ryan Tubridy, Pat Kenny and Gerry Ryan.

The show is expected to cover topical items as well as sports and entertainment news, while also promising comedy and music slots.