Fresh scrutiny is building around RTÉ after union representatives sought greater transparency over how two former Newstalk broadcasters, Ger Gilroy and Kieran Cuddihy, were brought into prominent on-air roles. The latest media Ireland story has put recruitment practices, staff trust and pay scrutiny back at the centre of debate within the national broadcaster.
The controversy centres on Ger Gilroy’s move to RTÉ to front its daily sports podcast Howler, as well as the earlier appointment of Kieran Cuddihy to Liveline. Both hires have now become a talking point across Irish media, particularly after questions were raised about whether formal expressions-of-interest processes were followed in full or whether external approaches played a decisive role.
Why this media Ireland dispute matters
The National Union of Journalists has asked RTÉ to clarify the exact route used to recruit both presenters. At the heart of the issue is whether the broadcaster’s stated hiring framework was applied consistently, especially for full-time, high-profile positions.
Union concerns intensified after comments from RTÉ’s director of audio, Patricia Monahan, were contrasted with later reporting indicating that Gilroy may have been directly approached about the podcast opportunity before entering any formal process.
- Ger Gilroy left Newstalk after more than two decades associated with Off the Ball.
- Kieran Cuddihy, also a former Newstalk broadcaster, was appointed to present Liveline.
- NUJ concerns focus on transparency, internal fairness and whether recruitment rules were clearly observed.
RTÉ’s explanation under the spotlight
Appearing before the Oireachtas media committee, Monahan said there had been an expressions-of-interest stage for sport presenting roles and a separate internal process to allow staff members to apply. She also made clear that such a route was not the sole mechanism used for presenter recruitment.
In her account, Gilroy was approached to see if he would take part in the process, but was then assessed under the same criteria as other candidates. That distinction is crucial in this media news Ireland development: RTÉ maintains there was a process, while critics are asking whether being invited into it gave an external candidate an advantage.
“Expression of interest was never an exclusive way by which we were going to recruit presenters,” Monahan told the committee, adding that Gilroy was assessed on the same basis as others.
The committee also heard that Cuddihy had, in fact, applied through an expressions-of-interest process, a point that slightly narrowed the scope of the dispute but did not remove wider questions over consistency.
Pay, morale and the wider Irish media industry reaction
The row has gained added traction because RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said Gilroy would be among the broadcaster’s top 20 earners. That disclosure raised the stakes considerably in the media industry Ireland conversation, especially as union figures argue there is no settled pay scale for podcast hosts.
For staff, the issue is not simply about one appointment. It touches on:
- Confidence in internal recruitment pathways
- Perceptions of fairness for existing employees
- Transparency around senior or public-facing contracts
- The broader reform narrative at RTÉ
In a highly competitive digital media Ireland environment, talent moves are common. But public service broadcasters face a higher standard of accountability, particularly when appointments involve well-known names, public money and internal restructuring.
What happens next in this media Ireland story?
RTÉ has yet to fully close down the controversy, and further comment may determine whether this becomes a short-lived flare-up or a longer-running governance issue. For observers tracking latest media news Ireland, the key question is whether the broadcaster can convincingly show that external recruitment and internal opportunity were balanced fairly.
The bigger takeaway from this media Ireland episode is simple: in today’s Irish media industry, process matters almost as much as outcome. High-profile appointments may strengthen programming, but if the route to those hires appears unclear, the reputational cost can quickly outweigh the editorial gain.
Image Courtesy: The Irish Times
