The move marks a major change for the country’s most popular commercial radio programme, which Kenny has presented since he made the move from RTÉ to Newstalk in 2013.
Speaking on the show on Friday, he confirmed his contract with the station into 2026.
Kenny will continue to host his current Monday to Friday slot from 9am to 12pm, and it has also been announced he has “a number of other ventures planned with Newstalk and Bauer” to be revealed at a later date.
He will also be joining the board of Bauer Media Audio Ireland.
“I want to share a little bit of news with you,” he told listeners on The Pat Kenny Show on Friday.
” I’ve just extended my Newstalk contract into 2026 so this show will continue unchanged into the new year but in the spring of next year, I’m moving the Pat Kenny Show to the weekends, Saturday and Sunday, where I hope to make a big impact for the station.
“So, the reason for saying this is I just want to thank all of you for helping to make this show the biggest show on commercial radio. But for now, the shows goes on”
Pat Kenny
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Friday, August 29
Kenny joined Newstalk in 2013 and his mid-morning slot has since gone on to become the most popular programme on Irish commercial radio, with an audience of 216,000 in the most recent JNLRs.
He was inducted into the IMRO Hall of Fame in 2018 and has won the gold award for IMRO current affairs programme of the year three times.
Before making the move to Newstalk, Kenny was the host of RTÉ’s Late Late Show from 1999 to 2009 and presented Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio One until his departure from the national broadcaster 12 years ago.
“Pat Kenny has been instrumental in the development and growth of Newstalk and propelled the audience of the station to new heights. We are really looking forward to continuing to deliver amazing radio with Pat that audiences love and tune in to in record numbers,” Newstalk managing editor Eric Moylan said.
Plans for Newstalk’s schedule are set to be announced by the station “in due course”.