Carrick man Noel Curran appointed RTÉ Director-General

NOEL CURRAN, a native of Carrickmacross, who has had a vast and varied career within the media, was announced as new Director-General of RTÉ on Tuesday.  The announcement was made by Tom Savage, Chairperson of the RTÉ Board, with the consent of the government and the Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan.

“This appointment follows an exceptionally intensive and exhaustive international recruitment process. Noel Curran honed his award-winning skills as a journalist first in print and then in broadcasting. He has produced both current affairs and entertainment with distinction. He was Managing Director of Television through seven years of creative change,” Mr. Savage commented.

“Noel has the editorial acumen, the cultural assurance, and the business flair to lead RTÉ into a new era of public service. In these especially challenging times, I am very pleased to announce his appointment and I wish Noel well as Director-General,” he added.

Noel Curran said:  “I am absolutely delighted to be appointed Director-General. RTÉ has a unique role and a unique responsibility in Irish life. It also has a unique relationship with its audience. Whatever challenges lie ahead, I hope to see that bond strengthened.”

The vacancy was announced in July, after Cathal Goan decided to step down, having served a full seven-year term.  Noel will succeed Cathal at the beginning of February 2011.

Noel Curran’s experience in Irish media runs from the print industry to senior management level in broadcasting, taking in high level and diverse production experience in current affairs and entertainment programmes in addition to work in the independent production sector.  A native of Co. Monaghan, Noel Curran took a BA in Communications from Dublin City University before beginning work in the print media as a business journalist. He was Deputy Editor of Business & Finance, Ireland’s leading business magazine, before joining RTÉ in 1992.  Noel then worked as a reporter, producer and editor in RTÉ Television.

He was executive producer of the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest in 1997 and served two terms as Current Affairs Editor in the News Division, where he established the Prime Time Investigates programme strand.  Noel Curran joined RTÉ’s Executive as Managing Director of Television in 2003, and was the longest-serving managing director of RTÉ’s Television division by March 2010, when he left RTÉ to pursue a consultancy and other private business interests. He has previously been a company director in the independent production sector in Ireland.