RTÉ publish earnings of 10 highest paid presenters in annual report

A decline in TV licence revenues, along with an increase in costs and the broadcast of special events all contributed to a net deficit of €9.1 million at RTÉ last year.

The broadcaster’s annual report, published today, shows that TV Licence fee income received by RTÉ in 2023 was down €17.3 million compared to 2022, with licence sales negatively impacted by the RTÉ payments controversy.

Additionally, Commercial revenue of €150.7 million in 2023 represented a year-on-year decrease of 0.9% due to the decline in Television Trading offset by Other Non-Trading revenues as RTÉ continues to diversify its revenues, the broadcaster has said.

These decreases were matched with an increase in operating costs, which increased by €9.3 million year-on-year excluding special events, costs for which increased in 2023 by €0.7 million due to increased activity as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Rugby World Cup, European Qualifiers and the visit of US President Joe Biden occurring during the year.

Personnel-related costs also increased by €9.8 million partly due to the Pay Agreement reached in November 2022, though these were offset by the hiring freeze announced in response to the decline in licence fee sales.

Following a significant increase in energy costs in 2022, 2023 saw these drop by €1 million as the wholesale market price declined.

For the first time, the broadcaster published in its annual report the earnings of its ten highest-paid on air presenters for the year and the previous year – the highest paid was Joe Duffy earning €351,000 in both 2023 and 2022.

Second highest paid was Claire Byrne on €280,000, followed by Miriam O’Callaghan on €263,500, Ray Darcy on €250,000 and Ryan Tubridy on €245,278 in 2023.

Mr Darcy and Ms O’Callaghan’s salary was unchanged from 2022 but Ms Byrne and Mr Tubridy’s salaries had decreased from €320,833 and €515,000.

Cork’s Brendan O’Connor was sixth on the list of top earners, making €245,004 in 2023, the same as the previous year.

The rest of the top ten was made up of Mary Wilson who earned €197,643 in 2022 and €199,194 in 2023, Bryan Dobson on €209,681 in 2022 and €194,319 in 2023, Darragh Maloney on €184,501 and €186,650 and George Lee on €179,821 and €185,674.

Director-General of RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst said: “2023 was a difficult year for all of us in RTÉ and for the many who had placed their trust in us.” 

 “In response, through wide-ranging and significant reforms, I, along with my leadership team and the Board of RTÉ, have faced the key issues head on and been committed to delivering the transformation RTÉ needs to rebuild trust and restore confidence,” he said, thanking people who continued to pay their TV license during this time.