Senior sources in RTE have said the possibility of extending Ryan Tubridy's slot to two hours each weekday morning is being examined as part of the major shake-up under new radio chief Ana Leddy.

Yesterday it emerged that many backroom radio staff were told on Friday that they would no longer be working on their own programmes.

Tubridy's show was the worst hit, with all of his staff being redeployed within the station.

An RTE spokesman said yesterday that the speculation that Collins' show may be axed was "100% not true". "Ronan Collins' programme is in the schedule for this autumn and Tubridy is not going to two hours, " he said.

When contacted, Collins said the information was "incorrect". However, a senior source in RTE told the Sunday Tribune that a meeting was held recently to discuss the idea of extending Tubridy's show by an hour.

Currently, the RyanTubridy Show is usually on air from 9am-10am . . . though extended to two hours for the summer . . .

followed by Pat Kenny from 10am-12pm and Collins from 12pm-1pm. If the changes go ahead, the autumn schedule will be adjusted so that Tubridy airs from 9am-11am and the Pat Kenny Show runs from 11am until the News at One.

Since her appointment to RTE, Leddy has affected sweeping changes within the radio department, including the controversial axing of Myles Dungan's Rattlebag and John Kelly's Mystery Train.

The changes come in advance of the nationwide launch next October of Newstalk 106, which is being viewed in RTE as a serious audience threat.

There is continued speculation that Newstalk will secure the services of Liveline presenter Joe Duffy.

Other changes to the autumn schedule in RTE include the extension of Liveline by 15 minutes, a new two-hour programme presented by Derek Mooney and a threehour drivetime slot from 5pm to replace Five Seven Live.

The most recent upheavals are said to have left staff morale at an all-time low. At least 20 reporters and researchers from the Ryan Tubridy Show, the Pat Kenny Show, the Marian Finucane Show and Liveline were told on Friday afternoon that they would no longer be working on their shows and would instead be moving to new slots.

Tubridy is reported to be particularly upset that he has lost his entire team in one sweep, including Katriona McFadden, who is being moved to the Dave Fanning show.

The RTE spokesman said the shake-ups were "just part of the normal process" in the station.