But he dismissed suggestions that he is in for a massive pay boost as a result of the extra work load, having moved from the 9-10am slot.
“Double the pay does not arise, and if you followed the last time I announced my [salary] figures, it would be well over the cap,” Callan said.
“So it doesn’t work like that, but I’m not going into any further information on contracts because I’ve learnt my lesson.
“I thought everyone would do it – particularly the executives – but not everyone has. They have said if it [salary] appears in annual reports in the future, that’s the rule. So we’ll wait and see.”
Oliver Callan said hard work has always paid off for him
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Monday, December 22
Callan (44) was made a permanent presenter of the slot in January last year, taking over from Ryan Tubridy in the wake of the payments scandal.
At the time, he said he would be on a salary of €150,000, with a two-year contract and that he does not use an agent, preferring to negotiate his own deals.
He brings in additional revenue through his work as a satirist and impressionist with his successful Callan’s Kicks radio show and podcast.
Accounts recently filed by his company Catchy Title Ltd show it recorded post-tax profits of €92,173 last year.
The most recent JNLR figures show he now has an average of 354,000 listeners tuning in every day.
The Co Monaghan man said he currently has “four projects on the go” and is looking forward to a quieter time next month.
He will host a festive special, Callan’s Christmas Eve, on Wednesday from 9-11am. He will also be returning to the small screens with a two-part special Callan Kicks The Year 2025, airing from December 30.
The latter is a satirical look-back on the Irish and international events that hit the headlines, and Callan said there were rich pickings when it came to choosing material.
“You think back to the start of the year with Michael Lowry and his two fingers. Then we had the presidential election. Everyone said it will be the most boring election ever and it looks rubbish, there will only be three people in it. And it was by far the most bananas one we’ve ever had,” he said.
As for all the schedule changes on RTÉ Radio 1, Callan said he is quite relaxed, as he knew “all the reviews would focus on the new kids”.
Maintaining his show’s success will be all down to hard graft, he said.
“It’s worked for me all my life, whether it’s farming or in school or wherever, generally it can’t fail if you work hard enough.
“Once you know what the hard work is, you just go at it, belt away and you’ve always got a show straight away the next day to recover from, whatever disaster may have unfolded.”
‘Callan Kicks The Year 2025’ will be broadcast on December 30 at 9.30pm and on December 31 at 9.20pm on RTÉ One