Dee Forbes: Last News

Kevin Bakhurst, the newly appointed director-general of Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE, has stood down the company’s entire executive board following a pay scandal involving the broadcaster’s lead presenter.

Naman Ramachandran Kevin Bakhurst took charge as the new director general of Ireland’s national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE) on Monday and his first act was to stand down the executive board and replace it with a temporary interim leadership team. RTE has been rocked with scandal in recent weeks for overpaying presenter Ryan Tubridy. The matter led to the suspension and subsequent resignation of RTE director general Dee Forbes, a former high-level Discovery executive and the Irish government ordering two separate reviews into the scandal. In an email to staff on Monday morning, Bakhurst, who had a previous stint as managing director of news and current affairs and deputy director general at RTE from 2012-2016 and was with U.K. media regulator Ofcom and the BBC earlier, laid out a no-nonsense approach.

Naman Ramachandran After a scandal that rocked Ireland in recent days over national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE) overpaying presenter Ryan Tubridy, the country’s government has ordered two separate reviews into the scandal. The matter led to the suspension and subsequent resignation of RTE director general Dee Forbes, a former high-level Discovery executive. On Tuesday, Ireland’s Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., announced that she will be commissioning an independent, root and branch examination of RTE composed of two separate and parallel reviews: a review of governance and culture; and a review of contractor fees, human resources and other matters.

Naman Ramachandran UPDATED: Suspended RTE director general Dee Forbes has resigned. Forbes said in a statement on Monday: “I regret very much the upset and adverse publicity suffered by RTE, its staff and the unease created among the public in recent days. As director general, I am the person ultimately accountable for what happens within the organisation and I take that responsibility seriously. I am tendering my resignation to RTE with immediate effect.” PREVIOUSLY: Irish public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE) has suspended its director general Dee Forbes, a former high-level Discovery executive, over an ongoing scandal around an overpaid TV host.

RTÉ boss Dee Forbes has hinted at a possible return to Montrose for former presenter Sean O’Rourke.