Key Changes and Actions in Current Affairs programmes

Key Changes and Actions in Current Affairs programmes 3 April 2012 RT s Director-General, Noel Curran, has today announced to staff significant changes in the personnel, editorial management structure and operations of RT Televisions current affairs output.

The announcement of changes follows the BAI's formal statement yesterday that it has reached a decision on foot of the Investigation under Section 53 of the Broadcasting Act into the Prime Time Investigates documentary A Mission To Prey. RT has previously not announced or introduced changes pending the completion of the BAI's work to this stage. RT currently awaits receipt of the formal notification of decision and, in due course, of the finalised BAI Report.

Announcing today's changes, RT Director-General Noel Curran said: Pending the conclusion of the BAI process in relation to A Mission to Prey, RT must deal on an ongoing basis with issues which clearly arise in respect of Current Affairs programming, and with important decisions which have been taken in recent weeks at personnel level. Today's announcements are being made in this context. We cannot comment on any matters directly concerning the programme or the Investigation at this time, but all matters will be dealt with on completion of the BAI review.

The publication of these new structures and guidelines is, we hope, a key step in an important direction. The range of measures in these documents represents RTE's determination to make our journalism stronger, fairer and more transparent, and to reiterate our commitment to journalism as a core public service.

The Director-General today announced:

Investigative journalism is confirmed as a continuing core element of RT public service content, with a new Current Affairs Investigations Unit to provide key journalistic output on a multi-media basis for the first time, supplying Television, Radio and Online.

Prime Time Investigates will not return to air. Plans for new investigative Television documentaries from the investigative unit will be announced ahead of the Autumn schedule.

There will be a full restructuring of Television Current Affairs management and structures in line with improved editorial controls.

Arising from this and from the departure of two senior executives, five senior posts in Television News and Current Affairs management, including two new editorial management posts, will be filled. There will be external recruitment but no net additions to RT headcount.

All RT editorial staff will be issued with and trained in new Journalism Guidelines which have been developed over the last three months.

A new Editorial Standards Board will oversee standards, and will take a role in a revised Complaints procedure.

Personnel Changes

The Managing Director of RT 's News and Current affairs division, Ed Mulhall, has retired from the organisation with effect from March 2012. Mr Mulhall has spent 14 years as Director of News and MD of News and Current Affairs and as a member of the Executive Board of RT .

The Director-General stated: RT wishes to thank Ed Mulhall for his dedication, professionalism and commitment to RT and to its core public broadcast services in News and Current Affairs and to the management of its Newsroom operations and staff. Ed's expertise and wisdom have made an invaluable contribution to our organisation and I personally offer my sincere gratitude to him for all that he has done.

Mr Mulhall said: It has been a privilege to have been entrusted with the important responsibilities of Director of News and MD of News and Current Affairs and to have worked with such professional and dedicated colleagues. I am grateful to the Director General for his support at this time and throughout the time I have spent working with him in Current Affairs, Television and in his capacity as Director General. I wish him well in his leadership of the organisation at a time of great change and development and wish all of my colleagues well in the tasks ahead.

Mr Mulhall has made a significant contribution to work recently set in train to produce new Journalism Guidelines for RT editorial staff and has provided detailed responses to issues arising from current affairs programming. The implementation of these Guidelines together with the commitment and the ongoing good work of the talented and professional staff of both News and Current Affairs should ensure that any trust that has been diminished by recent events can be restored. This is important for the future of Irish public service Journalism, to which I remain committed he said.

Ken O'Shea has confirmed that he has resigned from his post as Editor of Current Affairs. He is transferring to an assignment in Television, reporting to the Commissioning Editor for RT Two. The Director General thanked Mr O'Shea for his work as Editor of Current Affairs since November 2008.

External Investigation Board

RT has convened an external Investigation Board to conduct an investigation, under RT 's procedures, into all personnel matters arising in respect of the programme A Mission To Prey and to make specific recommendations concerning RT personnel. The members of the external Investigation Board are:

Dr Maurice Hayes MRIA (chair), member of Seanad Eireann 1997-2007, former Chair National Forum on Europe, former Northern Ireland Ombudsman. At various times he has been Head of Personnel, NI Civil Service; member BBC NI Advisory Committee; and Director of Independent News and Media.

Richard Ayre was deputy news editor at BBC NI from 1973 to 1976. At BBC in London he led the Corporations Westminster operations before becoming Controller of Editorial Policy and Deputy Chief Executive of BBC News. He joined Ofcom in 2006 where he chaired the UK regulators Broadcasting Review Committee. In 2010 he moved

LINK:	http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2012/1116/34591...
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