State company An Post will drop its sponsorship of RTÉ radio's Marian Finucane Show from March.
Both State-owned businesses confirmed at the weekend that the relationship will end after two years. The broadcaster recent circulated potential new backers, offering a 12-month sponsorship of the Saturday and Sunday morning show for €165,000.
A spokeswoman for An Post said that the sponsorship had reached its natural end.
"We have already renewed it once and the contract is up," she said.
Move on
"It has been very good for us, we have used it to promote a number of our products, but the nature of this is that you move on and try new things."
RTÉ said that the An Post sponsorship ends in late March.
"The Marian Finucane Show and An Post have enjoyed a very successful and effective partnership over the past two years," a spokeswoman said.
“However, currently it is the exception rather than the norm that a sponsor would renew beyond a two-year contract,” she added.
The broadcaster is seeking a replacement for An Post and is offering a 12-month package for €165,000 and six months for €90,000.
Format
The show goes out between 11am and 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Presented by Marian Finucane, its format on Saturday includes a high-profile interview followed by a review of the week. On Sunday, it includes a paper review and panel discussions.
The broadcaster says that independent figures show that 370,000 people listen to it on Saturdays and 346,000 on Sundays.
