RTÉ pay cap: What presenters could be facing salary cuts?
RTE Director General Kevin Bakhurst leaves his office at RTE Headquarters. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
The commitment by RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst that no one will have a salary higher than his will mean a number of top presenters will face wage cuts.
At a town hall meeting of staff to discuss the broadcaster's new strategic plan on Tuesday, it is believed that Mr Bakhurst noted that a pay cap of €250,000 — which is his current salary — was to be introduced at the broadcaster.
According to RTÉ's "strategic vision" for the broadcaster, it "will progressively reduce costs and overheads, reallocating some of that spending to deliver on our stated ambitions".
Regarding the pay cap, the plan states: "We will significantly reduce staff costs through an up to 20% reduction in head count by 2028, by delivering on the maximum pay cap set in 2023 (as contracts expire and as we hire new people), and by reviewing and reducing allowances.
"We will continue to reduce the pay of RTÉ’s highest paid presenters."
Figures released in June showed that four of the top ten highest-earners at the broadcaster were executives.
The highest-earning executive was earning €275,000 a year, including a €25,000 allowance, while the top three names on the list were all presenters.
With the new pay cap being introduced, that will mean a number of current 'top talent' will face a pay cut.
In the wake of Ryan Tubridy's departure, host Joe Duffy currently sits at the top of the pay scale when it comes to RTÉ presenters.
According to figures from RTÉ, Mr Duffy earned €351,000 in 2020 and 2021.
He explained in the aftermath of those figures being released that he receives €300,000 for presenting the radio programme and €51,000 for his TV work, which includes .
While Laois native Claire Byrne has seen a reduction in her salary from what RTÉ published in June, she still earns €280,000 for her work presenting on RTÉ Radio One.
Her salary had been €350,000 prior to the ending of her TV show in 2022.
She also said her current salary has fallen by €70,000 to €280,000 since her weekly TV show ended last year.
Miriam O'Callaghan, at the time of the figures being published, was RTÉ's third-highest earning presenter.
RTÉ stated in June that the host of and earned €263,500 in 2021.
Shortly after that, she herself confirmed publicly that this — and “the published fees for previous years” — was correct.
Both presenter Patrick Kielty and radio host Ray D'Arcy earn €250,000 — the same as the director general.
The figures released in June showed that Brendan O'Connor and Bryan Dobson both had salaries of over €200,000 for 2020 and 2021.
The news of the pay cap came as part of RTÉ's strategic reform plan, with the embattled broadcaster saying that a voluntary redundancy scheme will "particularly" target those on over €100,000.
The document sets out a plan to make one in five jobs redundant, rebalance regional production and make savings across the board.
In terms of proposals that no one at RTÉ will be paid more than him, Mr Bakhurst said that will be “implemented going forward from when this plan is in place”.
“It will be when contracts come up or we take people on. We can’t undo people’s contracts that they have already got, but when contracts come up for future presenters or other staff, the idea is they will not earn more than the director-general,” he said.
Asked how many RTÉ staff earn more than him, director-general Kevin Bakhurst indicated “not many”.
“A handful of people, we’re publishing the top 10 salaries shortly, but it’s not that many who actually earn more than the director-general.
“We need to set the ceiling somewhere and that’s the ceiling we chose to impose,” he said.
“We can’t undo contracts that are already in place but this is for future contracts and future employees.”
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