""And we've had no problem filling slots across the organisation, recruiting people from elsewhere to high-profile shows, within that salary cap," he said."
"In an interview with the Sunday Independent at the weekend, Byrne said she felt RTÉ was "wagging its finger at me, saying, 'You've been a bad person and you need to have a cap put on you to stop your gallop'". She had been earning €280,000 a year, but the cap meant she could not earn more than the director general, who is on €250,000."
"Denying that Byrne had effectively been chased out of RTÉ, Mr Bakhurst said: "She felt she earned at a certain level and that if she stayed on when her contract came up, she would be asked to take a reduction, which was true. "For years, the level of salaries for presenters in particular, but the overall level of salaries in RTÉ, was a contentious, even poisonous issue, both for the audience and certainly with political classes too. "It may not be popular with everyone, but I've had very few issues with the presenter salary cap. Very few.""
A presenter salary cap was imposed in 2023 following controversy over secret payments to Ryan Tubridy. The broadcaster reports few problems filling presenter slots and recruiting people from elsewhere into high-profile shows within the cap. A presenter previously earning €280,000 faced a cap that prevented earnings above the director general's €250,000. Presenter and overall salary levels became contentious with audiences and political classes. The register of interests requiring staff to declare what their spouse owns exists and is now being more consistently enforced across the organisation. Relations with Ryan Tubridy are described as having moved on and a return is not ruled out.
Read at Irish Independent
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