The Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD, today confirmed that the Government has approved the appointment of Mr Noel Curran as Director General of RTÉ for a further four years.
Welcoming the decision to reappoint Mr Curran, Minister Rabbitte noted that he has demonstrated great leadership in his initial term, during which RTÉ has been operating in a very difficult economic environment, facing increased competition and commercial challenges.
The Minister stated: ‘Noel Curran’s performance has been of the highest standard. His reappointment and the continuity within the organisation that this provides will be of great benefit to both the organisation and its staff.’
In the course of his initial three year tenure, Mr Curran has overseen a radical restructuring programme within the organisation and, among other significant achievements, led the organisation in the delivery of the new digital free-to-air service, Saorview.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
The Director General is the most senior executive post in the RTÉ organisational structure. As well as being the organisation's Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief, the Director General represents RTÉ both nationally and internationally.
Noel Curran was appointed Director General of RTÉ in November 2010 with effect from February 2011. He is a native of Co. Monaghan and a graduate of Dublin City University. Noel's experience in Irish media runs from the print industry to senior management level in broadcasting, taking in high level and diverse production experience in Current Affairs and Entertainment programmes in addition to work in the independent production sector.
Noel Curran completed a BA in Communications from Dublin City University before beginning work in the print media as a business journalist. He was Deputy Editor with Business and Finance before joining RTÉ in 1992. In RTÉ Noel worked as a reporter, producer and editor in RTÉ Television.
He was executive producer of the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1997 and served two terms as Editor of Current Affairs in the News Division, where he established the Prime Time Investigates programme strand. Noel Curran joined RTÉ's Executive as Managing Director of Television in 2003.
In March 2010, Noel left RTÉ to pursue private business interests. He has previously been a company director in the independent production sector in Ireland.