BREAKING NEWS... DOBSON TO STEP DOWN FROM RTÉ AFTER 37 YEARS
BRYAN Dobson will step down from his broadcasting role at the end of April following 37 years at RTÉ.
Dobson said yesterday ‘the time has come to move on’.
He said in a statement: ‘I will miss working with some wonderfully talented and hardworking colleagues.
‘RTÉ journalism depends on teamwork and I have worked with some of the very best.
‘I am grateful too to the listeners and viewers who have given me their time and attention over the years. I hope to have repaid that trust with reporting that was relevant, fair and accurate.’
The presenter of RTÉ Radio 1’s News at One has hosted all of RTÉ’s flagship news programmes across TV and radio during his almost four decades and anchored RTÉ’s television coverage of elections, and special state events.
While RTÉ intends to cut jobs amid a hiring freeze for most positions, it is understood there will be a recruitment process for the news team vacancy Dobson’s departure will create.
Director general Kevin Bakhurst said yesterday: ‘Bryan represents the best in public service journalism. For many years, he has brought a calm authority to the most important stories. Every day, he demonstrates a depth of knowledge and an absolute integrity in his work and has never been afraid to ask the toughest questions and hold the powerful to account. Personally, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with him.’
Dobson joined RTÉ in 1987 as a reporter with the RTÉ Radio 1 This Week programme.
Later that year he was appointed RTÉ’s Business Correspondent, as well as presenting the TV business programme Marketplace.
In 1991 he became presenter of the RTÉ One O’Clock News on television, later moving to the Nine O’Clock News programme before being appointed anchor of the Six One News in 1996.
He spent 21 years at the flagship programme, before moving to be part of the presenting team on Morning Ireland in 2017, the most listened to radio programme in Ireland.
He hosted Election 2020: Bryan Dobson Interviews... a series in the run up to the last general election of must-watch in-depth interviews with party leaders, broadcast in prime time on RTÉ One.
He has also worked on a number of RTÉ documentary programmes including The Madness From Within, an account of the Irish Civil War; Witnesses to War, which featured interviews with Irish veterans of the Second World War and guest presented special programmes on the Lusitania and 1916 Rising for RTÉ Nationwide.
RTÉ announced in November that it is to reduce staff by 400 in wide-ranging reform plans, including 150 retirements.
The strategic plan announced by Mr Bakhurst contains a ‘head count reduction’ of 20% of its 1,800 staff between now and 2028.
The reduction of one in five jobs at the national broadcaster is expected to cost €40million, as Mr Bakhurst said recently that RTÉ did not have the finances to fund either compulsory or voluntary redundancies at the station.
The net reduction of 400 jobs will begin with 40 voluntary redundancies, due this year.
‘Brought a calm authority’