‘Riverdance’ co-creator Doherty appointed new chair of RTÉ board

Moya Doherty, the co-creator of Riverdance, has been appointed the new chair of the RTÉ board.

She is one of seven new appointees to the board confirmed by Communications Minister Alex White. She replaces PR executive Tom Savage.

Ms Doherty, one of Ireland’s wealthiest women, is married to Riverdance co-creator John McColgan, who is chairman of Today FM. She was also a founding director of the independent station.

A former RTÉ producer and presenter, in the past 10 years she has been a member of a number of arts-related boards, including The Abbey Theatre.

Ms Doherty said she was honoured to have been offered the position and was looking forward to the challenge

“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,” she said. Minister White said Ms Doherty’s reputation as both a broadcaster and businesswoman made her a good fit for the role at a challenging time.

There were four newly appointed nominees: Frank Hannigan, chairman of app design and build company Razor Communications; Deborah Kelleher, director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music; PJ Matthews, senior lecturer in the school of english, drama, and film at University College Dublin; and Anne O’Leary, entrepreneur and executive chairman of software company KineMatik.

Fergus Armstrong, a panel member of interdisciplinary mediation grouping ONE resolve, was also re-appointed to the board.

In addition, the recently elected RTÉ staff representative Aengus MacGrianna was also appointed while RTÉ director-general Noel Curran remains a member of the board.

Four existing board members, nominated by the joint Oireachtas committee on transport and communications, remain in place until their terms expire in February.