RTÉ have confirmed Ryan Tubridy’s future at Radio One, revealing he will not be returning to his hosting role, following negotiations this week.
In a statement RTÉ’s Director General Kevin Bakhurst said: “We went into negotiations with Ryan in good faith and in the hopes of reaching an agreement that would see Ryan return to his RTÉ Radio 1 show. 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.”
Continuing: “As I set about a programme of recovery from this crisis, it is imperative that all parties are aligned in one key respect: the misstatement of fees should never have happened; and the correct re-statement of those fees is accepted by all.”
“I have been clear since I took up the role of Director-General of RTÉ that I am absolutely committed to restoring trust in this organisation following a shameful period in our history. To achieve this, and fully draw a line between our recent past and present, we must acknowledge and accept the issues that have arisen.”
“Who knows what the future holds, but for now I am concluding the negotiation with Ryan, and focusing on delivering a range of important changes to the operation and culture of this organisation as part of the essential work to restore trust in RTÉ.”
The news comes after the station’s new Director General revealed Ryan was in talks with the station regarding his return, earlier this week.
Kevin Bakhurst told the Sunday World: “There is an urgency now to resolving this matter, and I hope we can do so in the coming week or so.”
“We’re in active, ongoing discussions with Ryan. As I’ve said, we’re at a delicate point in discussions and the detail is between the parties concerned at this point,” he told The Sunday Independent.
Continuing: “As I’ve said previously, Ryan is a hugely talented broadcaster, and as with anyone with such talent there’s always a range of possibilities. At this point, discussions are focused around the 9am slot.”
Ryan has been off-air since June, when it was revealed that his salary figures published by RTÉ were inaccurate.
The Dubliner had already departed from The Late Late Show for personal reasons at that point, announcing his departure earlier this year and hosting his final episode in May, before the Payment Scandal was made public knowledge.
