Advertising rate sought for Doireann Garrihy’s 2FM return revealed to be among most expensive at RTÉ

As revealed in the Irish Independent, the public broadcaster wants €225,000 for an annual advertising package for Garrihy’s new afternoon slot.

The Dancing with the Stars presenter (32) – who is getting a six-figure salary to return to 2FM after quitting last year – will start her new afternoon show ­later this month.

She will now be the biggest name on 2FM, something reflected in the sponsorship fee being sought.

A source said RTÉ was keen to bring back the presenter and influencer and would do so “at any cost”.

“Her leaving the station came as a huge blow last May as it came on the back of Jennifer Zamparelli, The 2 Johnnies and was then followed by Donncha O’Callaghan,” the source said.

She is very well regarded in the ­station and RTÉ is confident they won’t struggle to get a sponsor for her slot. She has a huge following on social media and hits the right demographic for 2FM.

“As a media personality, hers is a premium brand. RTÉ has no doubt her afternoon show will do the business for it.”

The publicity blurb for the show says Garrihy will “take the listeners home, offering the hottest tracks, ­entertainment updates and feel-good vibes to power the evening commute”.

Her return is part of an overhaul of 2FM’s schedule in response to big changes at the station over the past year.

In stark contrast to RTÉ Radio 1, the latest JNLR listener figures show many of 2FM’s shows dipping in the ratings.

Its daytime show Drive with Beta Da Silva had the biggest drop, of 12,000 ­listeners, down to 145,000, while ­Breakfast with Carl and Aifric lost 7,000 – down to 142,000.

Tracy Clifford and Laura Fox’s shows also dropped in numbers when the ­figures were released last November.

However, 2FM boss Dan Healy is confident the new-look station will hit the right note with listeners. He said he was “really excited” to launch the schedule, which brings together old and new faces.

As part of the revamp, a new ­Breakfast Show will be presented by Garrihy’s former co-presenter Carl Mullan alongside Roz Purcell and Aisling Bonner.

Mid-morning will continue with Fox from 9am before Clifford kicks off her three-hour-long show at 12pm, with Garrihy’s show running from 3-6pm.

There had been speculation around the decisions of the five 2FM presenters to quit last year and whether it was linked to new rules around endorsements.

RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst brought in new guidelines last year ­stipulating that extracurricular work undertaken by the “talent” would have to be published and approved.

But Garrihy has denied that the new rules were part of the reason why she left last year after five years. She said she was “beyond excited” to return and front her own show.

A spokesperson for the RTÉ director general said he had not been involved in the deal to bring back Garrihy. Bakhurst previously indicated he would no longer engage with Garrihy’s agent, Noel Kelly.

However, RTÉ has said it would still deal with his agency and would continue to negotiate with a range of agents “as appropriate”.

When asked whether the sponsorship package for Garrihy’s new show was the highest for any 2FM programme, an RTÉ spokesperson said the broadcaster could not comment because it was “commercially sensitive”.