NEWS READER AENGUS Mac Grianna, who we all know is capable of laughing at himself, is popular in the halls of the national broadcaster, as he has been elected as the RTÉ staff representative on the board.

Today, he and six other new members were officially appointed to the RTÉ board by Government.

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Alex White appointed Riverdance co-creator Moya Doherty as the new chair of the board.

Doherty, who has a long-spanning career in theatre, radio and television production, both in Ireland and internationally has already fronted a number of RTÉ arts, features and documentary programmes.

Eurovision

She is an executive producer involved in a number of projects, but she is best known for co-creating this little number at the Eurovision Song Contest of 1994.

Speaking about her appointment Minister White said Doherty is a “gifted, experienced and successful broadcaster, communicator and businesswoman with the highest reputation both in Ireland and abroad”.

I am delighted that she has agreed to take on the role of RTÉ Chair, particularly at this challenging time of change in broadcasting and emerging communications technologies.

Doherty said she was honoured to be appointed to the Chair of the RTÉ Board.

RTÉ’s future

She said the next few years will see RTÉ having to find structures capable of redefining the role of public service broadcasting in a media space transformed by social and digital technologies.

“I am looking forward to the challenge and privilege of working alongside all who are part of the RTÉ community, internal and external, to help to carve a strong identity for the future for the public service broadcaster,” she said.

Alongside Doherty’s appointment today, there are four newly appointed Ministerial nominees:

• Frank Hannigan
• Deborah Kelleher
• PJ Mathews
• Anne O’Leary
• Fergus Armstrong

RTÉ director-general Noel Curran is also a member of the Board, while four existing board members, nominated by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, remain in place until their terms expire in February 2015.

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