RTÉ has confirmed that presenter Craig Doyle is currently filming a pilot to fill the Saturday night prime-time slot.

It is understood the Dubliner will take over the 9.30pm slot after Brendan O'Connor completes an eight-week chat show which will replace Tubridy Tonight.

A spokeswoman for RTÉ said: "Craig is currently filming a pilot with a view to taking up an eight-week slot after Brendan O'Connor. After that, there are a number of options for other presenters being explored."

She said the show would contain a "lively mix of chat, comedy and music".

In 2004, the 39-year-old presented his own programme on RTE, the Craig Doyle Show, in which he interviewed Irish personalities, before moving to the UK where he landed jobs with both the BBC and UTV.

Meanwhile, TV3 director of programming Ben Frow has hit out at RTÉ over recruiting Brendan O'Connor.

"I wouldn't have given him that slot at all. I'm not sure whether it was the wisest choice. I offered him at least three series over the next year, as well as a good pay package. In the end though, he went over to RTÉ.

"I said to him that I would help him out, and give him the right gig for him, which The Apprentice: You're fired was. He was successful on that, and proved he could make a fair crack at it. I'm guessing that's when RTÉ saw him and decided he might be of use," said Frow.

The new Saturday night show is understood to be costing the station around €90,000 per episode.

It is hoped that it will bring up ratings for the national broadcaster after it took recent hammerings from rival programmes such as The Apprentice and X Factor.

Frow, however, said he is not worried about the new programme, and added that TV3 has a good line-up of programmes for the new year, including a documentary on Taoiseach Brian Cowen.