RTÉ sorry for pulling the plug on Katie

RTÉ have blamed a new technology system for the embarrassing end to their annual gala awards ceremony before Christmas.

Hundreds of thousands of viewers were shocked on Sunday, December 23 when the live broadcast was ended prematurely by an ad break as Olympic gold medal winner Katie Taylor was named Sports Person of the Year.

An RTÉ spokesperson last night again apologised for the incident and said the issue is being addressed.

The spokesperson said: “Following the installation of a new transmission system in RTÉ Television, a regrettable error led to an automated ad-break cutting into the live broadcast during the RTÉ Sports Awards.

“The programme was running over time, a common occurrence during a live broadcast. Due to human error, the automated system reverted to its original finishing time with the ad break due to follow.

“When the break in the live transmission occurred the transmission staff on the night made every effort to over-ride the automated system, which continued to reset itself.

“Such was the nature of the error and its proximity to the end of the programme that an on-air apology on the night of transmission was not possible.

“RTÉ again wishes to sincerely apologise for the interruption to the live broadcast.

“RTÉ are currently addressing the issue with new software being installed, which will help to protect the transmission of live televised events in the future.”

Station bosses have also apologised for mistakenly including Archdeacon Michael O’Brien in the obituaries section of the awards show.

Meanwhile, Taylor will be targeting her fifth European Union title in-a-row in Hungary this summer, her dad and coach Pete Taylor has confirmed.

The 2013 edition gloves off in Keszthely — where Taylor won EU gold following a 16-1 final rout of Bulgaria’s Denista Eliseyeva in 2010 — on June 30.

Taylor claimed her first EU gold in Liverpool in 2008. She beat Eliseyeva in the 2009 and 2010 finals in Bulgaria and Hungary and won her 4th successive EU title in Poland in 2011.

The only occasion that Taylor was beaten at EU level was when she dropped a points decision to Turkey’s Gulsum Tatar, whom she has beaten four times, in Porto Torres, Italy in June, 2006

The Bray woman, who has won 132 from 139 outings in her 12-year career, will be aiming to remain unbeaten in all competitions in the lead up her European title defence in 2013, according to Pete Taylor.