Veteran broadcaster hangs up his mic

Veteran broadcaster Rodney Rice is to retire tomorrow after presenting his final 'Saturday View', one of the country’s longest running radio shows.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen will be his final guest discussing the financial crisis, the Lisbon referendum and unemployment.

Rice, who has worked in RTÉ for 40 years, began the lunchtime show in 1986.

Director General Cathal Goan described him as a pioneer.

“He has had a long, varied and rich broadcasting career. RTE will miss him very much as will, I’m sure, his loyal and diverse audience,” he said.

Mr Goan praised Rice’s ability to tackle global issues and international development through the 'Worlds Apart' radio show and also return to issues closer to home.

“Yet despite his extraordinary curiosity of life beyond these shores, each Saturday he managed to focus on the local issues at hand as host of 'Saturday View',” Mr Goan said.

Rice will have interviewed every sitting Taoiseach in his time presenting the 'Saturday View'.

He started his career as a reporter on '7 Days' and switched to Radio 1 in 1972 to present 'Here and Now' before taking on his flagship programme in 1986.