Tonight’s the night! Dobbo says farewell to the Six-One
Bryan Dobson hosts his last RTÉ TV evening bulletin
BRYAN Dobson’s last Six One News bulletin is tonight.
The 57-year-old is leaving RTÉ One’s prime evening television news slot after 21 years.
He is joining the station’s flagship radio news programme, Morning Ireland.
‘There won’t be much to mark the occasion as Bryan doesn’t want any fuss,’ an RTÉ insider said last night.
‘After all, he is only moving from one studio to another on the same corridor and he’ll still be working in the same newsroom.’
Mr Dobson, whose mother was once reported as saying that she found comedian Oliver Callan’s impersonation of ‘Dobbo’ presenting the Six One News on Callan’s Kicks ‘very funny’, is replacing Cathal MacCoille.
Mr MacCoille has retired from his presenting role on what is the most popular radio show in the country.
Mr Dobson, who has previously presented on Morning Ireland during the month of August in previous years, won’t be taking much time off between the switch. Other than a few days of annual leave, he starts on Morning Ireland in a week’s time.
As to who his successor will be, RTÉ was staying tight-lipped last night.
But the Irish Daily Mail understands that the appointment will be made internally, which would rule out two favourites at TV3, senior anchor Colette Fitzpatrick and the station’s southern correspondent, Paul Byrne. Internal RTÉ contenders include Keelin Shanley and Morning Ireland’s Audrey Carville.
Male contenders include Prime Time’s David McCullagh, who has also been RTÉ’s political correspondent since 2001, and the State broadcaster’s news veteran, Ray Kennedy.
While Mr Dobson almost always sits on the left of the screen during Six One News, his co-host Sharon Ní Bheoláin has always sat on that side when Mr Kennedy has co-presented the news programme. The departure of Mr Dobson tonight is, however, not the last time that he will be on Six One News or involved elsewhere in television news.
He is to return for special news coverage of elections, referendums and budgets.
‘I can confirm that Wednesday evening will be his last Six One News bulletin,’ an RTÉ spokesperson said.
‘He is starting on Morning Ireland on November 1.’