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18th Aug 2023

Ryan Tubridy ‘shocked’ by RTE decision to keep him off the air, according to Director General

Sophie Collins

Ryan Tubridy is reportedly “shocked and disappointed” by RTE’s decision to end his contract, according to the Director General.

The presenter has been absent from the airwaves since June 22nd after major gaps in the declaration of his salary by RTÉ came to light.

Director General, Kevin Bakhurst, sent RTE staff an email on Wednesday evening which confirmed that negotiations had ended, as reported by national broadcaster.

He told employees that talks were started “in the hopes of reaching an agreement that would see Ryan return to his RTÉ Radio 1 show”.

Mr Bakhurst went on to say: “I have decided not to continue with negotiations and, as such, there are no plans for Ryan to return to his presenting role with RTÉ at this time.

“Despite having agreed some of the fundamentals, including fee, duration and hours, regretfully, it is my view that trust between the parties has broken down. Public statements made without consultation appear to question the basis for the necessary restatement of fees paid for services for 2020 and 2021.”

Speaking on RTE News last night, Mr Bakhurst said it was simply “not the right time” for Ryan to return to screens and radios across the country but clarified that “the door is not shut forever.”

This comes after a fresh statement was published by Tubridy himself following a Grant Thornton report, published on Wednesday.

Tubridy took to social media and claimed: “It is clear that my actual income from RTÉ in 2020 and 2021 matches what was originally published as my earnings for those years and RTÉ has not yet published its top ten earner details for 2022.”

Mr. Bakhurst said that his decision to cut ties for now “doesn’t boil down to the statement alone” issued by the presenter online yesterday.

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