RtÉ Md of News & Current Affairs Ed Mulhall Retires, Changes to Current Affairs Announced

RTE News
April 3, 2012

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0403/rte-bai-prime-time-investigates.html

Managing Director of News and Current Affairs Ed Mulhall has retired from the organisation

RTÉ has announced significant changes in the personnel, management structure and operations of its current affairs output.

Yesterday, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland announced it had made a decision in relation to its investigation into the Prime Time Investigates programme, A Mission to Prey.

RTÉ has not yet received formal notification of its decision or the finalised report.

However, the broadcaster's director general said today that pending the conclusion of the BAI process, RTÉ must deal with issues that have arisen in respect of current affairs programming, and several key changes and actions will now take place.

The Prime Time Investigates television programme will not be returning to air, and a new current affairs investigations unit will be set up supplying television, radio and online.

There will be a full restructuring of television current affairs management and structures.

Managing Director of News and Current Affairs Ed Mulhall has retired from the organisation.

Editor of Current Affairs Ken O'Shea has resigned from his post and will transfer to another assignment in television.

Five senior posts in television news and current affairs management, including two new editorial management posts, are to be filled.

All editorial staff will be issued with, and trained in, new journalism guidelines, and a new editorial standards board will oversee standards and will take a role in a revised complaints procedure.

RTÉ has also convened an external investigation board to conduct an investigation into all personnel matters arising from the Mission to Prey programme, to be chaired by Dr Maurice Hayes.

Today, RTÉ Director General Noel Curran said that pending the conclusion of the BAI process, RTÉ must deal with the issues that have arisen in respect of current affairs programming.

All other matters will be dealt with on completion of the BAI review.

Mr Curran said the publication of the new structures and guidelines is a key step towards making the broadcaster's journalism stronger, fairer and more transparent and to reiterate its commitment to journalism as a core public service.