IRELAND: The Irish public broadcaster’s RTÉ new director general, Kevin Bakhurst, has been criticized for the scandal surrounding the pay of Ryan Tubridy, the Late Late Show host, and his under-declared remuneration. Bakhurst, a former executive at BBC and Ofcom, has been in his new position for four days.
Bakhurst criticized previous management for misleading the public and lawmakers about Tubridy’s pay, stating that it was unacceptable. He reassured committee members that they have learned from the situation and are taking appropriate action.
RTÉ governance and financial difficulties have been the focus of six committee appearances in the last three weeks. Bakhurst, in his first official act, assured TDs that he was “absolutely determined” to carry out additional change and reform to rebuild trust and draw a line under a shameful period in RTÉ’s history.
RTÉ’s payments to Tubridy in a “tripartite deal” with Renault, which sponsored the Late Late Show, sparked the scandal. Tubridy criticized the Irish public broadcaster’s culture and the high fees in these contracts, stating that RTÉ should not “broker or facilitate” business deals with its contractors.
The new leader plans to require RTÉ to include information on the top 10 presenters’ salaries and executive compensation in its annual report. He acknowledges RTÉ is debating Tubridy’s pay, as he left the Late Late Show but is still under contract for a daily radio show.
A fair process will determine Tubridy’s future, which will involve consultations with workers and colleagues. He has not appeared on air since the incident began.
RTÉ has not yet settled on Tubridy’s current pay due to his inability to perform his job. The broadcaster revealed that it underestimated Tubridy’s payments by €345,000 (£295,000) over five years, including two years during the pandemic. This led to numerous investigations against the organization. The broadcaster apologized for the betrayal of public confidence.
Tuesday saw the release of Tubridy’s first comprehensive statement, in which he blasted the Irish public broadcaster for generating a “fog of confusion” that led the public to believe, incorrectly, that he had concealed payments, despite his claims to the contrary.
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