Dancing With The Stars may be axed as RTE is cash-strapped, the Irish Mirror has learned.
The hit celebrity TV show finished its third series last month and the producers feel it could be its last.
Larry Bass of Shinawil revealed: “It’s all down to RTE. At the moment they do not have the budget to bring it back.
“I just think it’s torture trying to negotiate with an organisation that has no more money left.”
The series was a ratings winner for three years on the national broadcaster with viewership at its peak reaching over 640,000.
Young and old tuned in every Sunday night over a three month period every year to watch the likes of Des Cahill, Marty Morrissey, Mairead Ronan and Aoibhin Garrihy taking to the dance floor.
But now budget restrictions at RTE have put the future of the show in jeopardy.
Mr Bass added: “We are in discussions but unfortunately we will not be able to do the same show we did last year for the same money we just can’t.
“That’s not in our hands, we don’t control their budgets.”
The top telly man, famed for The Voice, Dragon’s Den and Masterchef, said part of the blame lay with people not paying their TV licence.
He said: “I would love the public to pay their licence fee. I’d also love the government to realise that the licence fee that’s not even pegged to inflation is not fit for purpose.
“Unfortunately €40 million of the licence fee has not been collected and people think that has no effect but unfortunately it does.
“It’s a real issue and you don’t need to be a mathematician to work out the fact that if the licence fee amount hasn’t changed in 15 years and yet all other costs in practically every other part of life have increased.
“You know insurance, food, fuel, accommodation, transport, all of these things have increased yet the licence fee is still the same and we’re expected to make TV programmes for less than we made them for in previous years. It doesn’t work and that’s just a fact of life.
“This is nothing new. If the licence fee is not increased or collected RTE will not be able to make shows like Dancing with the Stars, it’s simple as.”
When asked if this could lead to the death of RTE, The Shinawil Boss said: “That’s an absolute fact.”
He said it was very tough to make good TV programmes on declining budgets.
Mr Bass added: “For example we’ve got cast in from the UK, we’ve got judges. Those people have to be put up in accommodation.
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“Now try doing that in Dublin where the rate (from RTE) is cheaper this year than last year.
“The show is getting bigger every year but that’s not good enough if the money is not there to make it.
“It’s unfortunate but that’s just the way it is.”
DWTS is still incredibly popular and Mr Bass said sponsorship is not an issue.
He said: “Muller Yoghurt have been the sponsor for the last two seasons so I don’t think sponsorship is the issue.
“You’ll always get a sponsor for a show as successful as this. The issue is the overall budget that RTE have for all of their programming unfortunately has shrunk and nobody is doing anything about it. Nobody cares.”
When contacted by the Irish Mirror for comment a spokesperson from RTE said: “Series three of Dancing with the Stars recently wrapped and it’s too early to discuss commissions for next year.
“So we won’t be commenting on this.”
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