Monday, 15th December: Newstalk has announced details of a new daytime schedule, set to come into effect in February 2026. New additions to the weekday line up include seasoned broadcaster, Anton Savage who will front Newstalk Breakfast, Claire Byrne at mid-morning as previously announced, while Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman are set to make the move to The Hard Shoulder.
Meanwhile, Pat Kenny will begin his new weekend show on Saturdays and Sundays on Newstalk in March. The award-winning broadcaster revealed details of his move to his audience earlier this year.
Anton Savage has been a firm favourite with the Newstalk audience since 2021, achieving record high listenership on both his Saturday and Sunday morning magazine-style programme. The most recent JNLR saw Anton grow his weekend audience to 146,000 (Saturday) and 129,000 (Sunday).
Commenting on his new role as Newstalk Breakfast host, the first solo presenter in this slot in over two decades, Anton Savage said: ”I’ve a hard act to follow with Ciara and Shane’s success, but I’m hoping we can pick up where they left off, providing a morning show that gets listeners up to speed for the day in a way that’s fast, informed and fun to listen to”.
While Anton Savage takes the reins at Newstalk Breakfast (07:00 – 09:00), previous co-hosts Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman will move their popular broadcasting style to The Hard Shoulder, (16:00 – 19:00) having achieved an all-time audience high of 168,000 in their two-hour morning slot over the course of their five year tenure.
Speaking about their new home on The Hard Shoulder, Ciara Kelly said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be the new co-host of the Hard Shoulder alongside my great pal Shane Coleman! I’ve had a really brilliant time on Newstalk Breakfast but since I started out in broadcasting, I’ve truly loved that time slot and now I literally can’t wait to get stuck in. Let the games begin!”
Shane Coleman commented: “After nearly a decade of travelling to work with Ireland’s commuters every morning on Newstalk, I am hugely excited at the prospect of now joining them for their journey home on The Hard Shoulder. And I’m thrilled to be doing so alongside my co-host and great friend Ciara Kelly. We can’t wait to get started”.
Andrea Gilligan will continue to engage the nation with Lunchtime Live from midday with Seán Moncrieff bringing his unique offering every day from 2-4pm. Pat Kenny’s new Saturday and Sunday programmes will see some changes to the weekend line up.
In August of this year, Newstalk announced that accomplished broadcaster, Claire Byrne was to join the station in 2026. Speaking at the time, Claire Byrne said: “I’m very excited to join Newstalk from next year. This new chapter marks a really significant milestone for me in my career, and I’m thrilled to be doing it with the vibrant team and listeners at Newstalk as they continue to thrive and cement their position in the Irish media landscape. It’s a particular honour for me to take up the reins from Pat Kenny, a broadcaster whose career, skill and passion for the job is an inspiration to all of us”.
Newstalk Managing Editor, Eric Moylan said: “I’m thrilled to announce what is the most significant schedule revamp in Newstalk’s history, one that has been in the planning for some time and we’re incredibly excited for. With this line-up we have the strongest presenting team in the country and combined with the best production personnel, we are set to make some great radio. This marks a new era for Newstalk. As we strengthen our seven-day offering alongside innovative and compelling new podcast offerings to come, we are set to deepen our connection with the Irish public. As ever they will be central to everything we do as we continue to have conversation that counts”.
The new schedule begins on Newstalk on Tuesday, 3rd February, while Pat Kenny will take up his new weekend programmes (Saturdays & Sundays:1000 – 1200) in March 2026.
Newstalk Weekday Schedule: Effective from 3rd February 2026
Timeslot Show
0600 – 0630 Breakfast Briefing with Shane Beatty
0630 – 0700 Breakfast Business with Joe Lynam
0700 – 0900 Newstalk Breakfast with Anton Savage
0900 – 1200 The Claire Byrne Show
1200 – 1400 Lunchtime Live with Andrea Gilligan
1400 – 1600 The Moncrieff Show
1600 – 1900 The Hard Shoulder with Ciara Kelly & Shane Coleman
1900 – 2200 Off The Ball
Newstalk Weekend Schedule: Effective from 3rd Feb 2026
Saturday
Timeslot Show
0700 – 0800 Documentary and Drama
0800 – 1000 Down To Business with Bobby Kerr
1000 – 1200 Newstalk Saturday
1200 – 1300 Tech Talk with Jess Kelly
1300 – 1700 Off The Ball with John Duggan
1700 – 1800 The Home Show with Sinead Ryan
1800 – 1900 Screentime with John Fardy
Sunday
Timeslot Show
0700 – 0800 Documentary and Drama
0800 – 0900 Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna
0900 – 1000 Taking Stock with Susan HayesCulleton
1000 – 1200 Newstalk Sunday
1200 – 1300 Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea
1300 – 1900 Off The Ball with John Duggan
1900 – 2000 Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan