RTE Confirms Appointment of Kevin Bakhurst as New Director General

From IMJ April 21st below (but one ponders, why does the appointment of a new DG/CEO in RTE have to be signed off by The Minister? Exactly):

 

RTÉ has confirmed that Kevin Bakhurst has officially been appointed as director general of the organisation.

Bakhurst will replace outgoing director general Dee Forbes who will steps down from the job in July. His appointment was signed off by Catherine Martin, the Arts and Media Minister this morning.

“RTÉ plays a central role in Irish life and has brilliant people dedicated to delivering great and trusted content for audiences. RTÉ faces huge challenges and global competition, and I am confident we can deliver the ambitious change needed to remain valued and relevant to our audiences. I’m looking forward to getting started,” says Bakhurst.

Bakhurst joins RTÉ from Ofcom in the UK where he was group director for broadcasting and media, overseeing broadcast and media regulation and policy  in the UK.

Prior to joining Ofcom in 2016,  he managing director, news and current affairs and deputy director general of RTÉ. He also stood in as acting director general for a short period of time and was widely tipped to take the job back in 2016 before it was offered to Dee Forbes.

After graduating from Cambridge University, Bakhurst worked at Price Waterhouse before joining the BBC as a researcher in 1989. He went on to edit the Ten O’Clock News, becoming deputy head of the BBC Newsroom and Controller of the BBC News channel and BBC News at One.