Jon Williams steps down as managing director at RTÉ News

RTÉ Managing Director of News and Current Affairs Jon Williams. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The managing director of RTÉ News and Current Affairs Jon Williams has announced he is stepping down.

In an email to staff on Tuesday, Mr Williams said he’d informed RTÉ director general Dee Forbes he'd be leaving the role after the Six One comes off air for the summer at the end of July.

“Nine years after I left London for New York, it's time to go home,” he said.

“I chose to stay in Dublin during the pandemic, alone and unable to see those I love for long periods of time. I don't mind admitting that I found that hard — and like so many others, it forced me to reassess my priorities and to prize family.” 

Mr Williams said that having the opportunity to lead RTÉ News and Current Affairs had been the “greatest privilege” and he was proud of the work achieved with the team there since he arrived in 2017.

In his message to staff, he also paid tribute to the late broadcaster Keelin Shanley and said he was proud the Pride flag has flown at RTÉ for the past four years, and would do so again this year for Pride weekend.

He said that Ms Forbes will provide further details about the recruitment process for his successor at a later date.

Prior to his role at RTÉ, Mr Williams was the managing editor for international news at ABC News in New York and previously held the roles of World News Editor and UK News Editor at the BBC in London.