Bakhurst incoming RTÉ DG; board stood down
July 10, 2023
Kevin Bakhurst has taken up office as Director-General of Irish national broadcaster RTÉ following the controversial resignation of Dee Forbes. Bakhurst was appointed as the next Director General of RTÉ in April 2023 with the intention that he replace Forbes at the end of her term on July 11th.
In a letter to staff, Bakhurst, the former group director of content and media policy at UK regulator Ofcom, said: “It is a real honour to join RTÉ today as Director-General, albeit in what is a very difficult time for the organisation collectively, and for each and every one of you individually. Like you, I have been appalled by recent events and the impact it has had on the public perception of RTÉ, the impact on the trust the public places in us, and the impact it has had on you all. I look forward to working with Siún Ní Raghallaigh and the RTÉ Board as we collectively set out to rebuild trust in RTÉ, inside and outside, starting from today.”
Bakhurst continued: “I know that all of you are deeply upset and angry. RTÉ is full of talented and hard-working people who remain committed to delivering a vital public service to our audiences, and you have been let down by RTÉ management. I have heard many of your concerns already and I will continue to listen to what you have to say. I plan to be a visible and available Director-General. I am currently scheduling in meetings with teams across the organisation so that I get to meet as many of you as possible throughout this week and next […] Change will be essential if we are to rebuild trust in public service broadcasting in Ireland and in RTÉ.”
Bakhurst also announced he is also replacing the Executive Board with an interim leadership team.
“I am standing down the Executive Board today. It will be replaced with a temporary interim leadership team to continue running the organisation. In due course, there will be a new permanent leadership team. I want to underline that RTÉ, under my leadership and that of the re-constituted Interim Leadership Team, will be an organisation dedicated to working closely with you, to listening, to being open and transparent, to strictly adhering to revised and rigorous governance processes and procedures, to being accountable and to delivering a public service to be proud of. This will take time, but it will happen.”
Bakhurst said he will name the new interim leadership team shortly.
Bakhurst previously served as the managing director of news and current affairs and deputy Director General at RTÉ from 2012 to 2016.