Grainne MacAnthony
WITH “SUPERAGENT” Noel Kelly of NKM in the spotlight as a result of star client Ryan Tubridy’s travails in RTÉ, the turmoil might present an opportunity for rival agency Carol & Associates, owned by Gráinne MacAnthony. Certainly, one of her better-known signings, Oliver Callan, was quick off the mark.
Last week, a cheeky Callan tweeted on the night before he was due to substitute on air for a sidelined Tubs: “I’m sure I’ll find something to talk about while reviewing the papers” – adding the quizzical face emoji for good measure. Predictably, the tweet led to a flood of supportive comments from his fans, proclaiming that the comedian and impressionist is a far better broadcaster than Tubridy and should take over from the under-fire RTÉ star.
No doubt, MacAnthony was pleased with the slice of hype and it would certainly be a feather in her cap if one of her clients were to land a prime-time gig like the 9am slot on Radio 1 (with a potential permanent change of presenter very much the talk of Montrose this week).
Carol & Associates has a stable of high-profile names, including the likes of Miriam O’Callaghan (who tweeted about the “profound shock and anger” in RTÉ this week), but the agency is not in the same league as Noel Kelly’s NKM when it comes to the size of its squad of big broadcasting stars, with Kelly’s agency representing RTÉ news and current affairs talent such as Claire Byrne, Joe Duffy, Cormac Ó hEadhra, Caitríona Perry (who recently exited the national broadcaster), as well as the likes of Newstalk’s Pat Kenny and Ciara Kelly.
This concentration of firepower has come under scrutiny as a result of the current scandal, given the number of Kelly names involved in reporting on a story in which he is a central player. While they have been doing so impartially, it can lead to awkward moments.
When Ó hEadhra interviewed Fine Gael’s Ciarán Cannon (a member of the Oireachtas media committee) on Drivetime last week, the subject of a register of interest for broadcasters was raised by the Galway Blueshirt, who claimed that, in the absence of such a register, “we have to question their transparency, question their impartiality in reporting on all matters”.
At this point Ó hEadhra declared: “To be absolutely up front, I should say that I was represented a number of times by NKM for work outside of RTÉ.”
This was the correct course of action for the presenter but it highlights the challenges associated with keeping the public fully on board with the news coverage in Montrose. Whether MacAnthony can take advantage of the current difficulties faced by Noel Kelly remains to be seen.
Among the familiar names on her roster are the likes of RTÉ sports broadcaster Jacqui Hurley, Newstalk’s Anton Savage and Lyric FM’s Marty Whelan, along with names from the sporting world such as Ronan O’Gara and Ruby Walsh. Another Walsh – annoying boyband manager Louis Walsh – was a director of Carol & Associates for just on 20 years up to 2016 but these days MacAnthony is the only listed director and 100% shareholder.
