RTÉ director general says 'no decision' on Ryan Tubridy's future this week

Kenneth Fox

Ryan Tubridy is wrong to say he could be “out of a job by Friday”, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst has said.

Mr Tubridy told the Oireachtas media committee on Tuesday it was possible he would be officially removed from his radio show role before the weekend.

However according to the Irish Examiner, Mr Bakhurst has rejected this suggestion from the former Late Late Show host, saying that a decision on his future would not be made this week.

“There’ll be no decision this week about Ryan. I need to properly consider it," Mr Bakhurst said.

“It’s a big decision for ourselves, for Ryan. I need to talk to some members of staff about it, to talk to the new leadership team.

“It's a significant decision and I won’t be taking it on my own, but it will be my responsibility in the end,” he told Today FM’s The Last Word.

However, Mr Bakhurst admitted that Mr Tubridy’s reputation had been “undermined” by the payments scandal, adding that he "feels" for him personally.

The new director general also signalled that the broadcaster's relationship with agents could change following the controversy.

Asked if he would engage with Ryan Tubridy's agent Noel Kelly in the future, Mr Bakhurst said that RTÉ would “have to consider carefully” the relationship with agents.

“Whether it's the right thing for RTÉ to deal with agents, given all the events, I think we need to consider that really carefully,” Mr Bakhurst said.

“I think if we change the type of relationship, they're [presenters] welcome to take advice. That doesn't mean we have to negotiate directly with agents.”

Mr Bakhurst also addressed ongoing concerns surrounding GAAGO, saying that all profits from the streaming service are funneled into broadcasting free-to-air GAA matches on RTÉ television.