€495,000 Tubs is still Ryan high
Host with the most as he heads table of top earning RTE hosts for three years
We keep the fees under constant review DEE FORBES YESTERDAY
that
JOE DUFFY
RYAN Tubridy has again topped the table of RTE’S highest earners after picking up almost €1.5million over three years.
The broadcaster yesterday published the pay packets of its top 10 earners in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
And The Late Late Show host and radio presenter completed a hat-trick, topping the list on each occasion followed by Ray D’arcy and Joe Duffy.
Tubs was paid €491,667 in 2017, while his wages rose to €495,000 in the following two years.
The broadcaster said that as part of a range of cost-cutting measures announced last year it slashed the money paid to its highest-earning presenters by 15% in 2020.
And RTE stressed
MARIAN FINUCANE €358,013
MARY WILSON €196,961
SEAN O’ROURKE €327,988
BRYAN DOBSON €209,282 those fees represent less than 1% of total operating costs.
Director general Dee Forbes, inset, said: “Our presenters have been crucial to RTE’S output throughout this pandemic, as audiences turned to their national public media in record numbers for vital news, information, entertainment and companionship.
“RTE has reduced overall annual operating costs by over €100million since 2008 and last year targeted additional savings of €60million over three years, which we are on course to deliver.
“In that context, we continue to keep the fees of our highest-paid presenters under constant review.”
The figures for 2019 showed Radio One presenter and TV host Ray D’arcy in second spot on €450,000 with Liveline’s
MIRIAM O’CALLAGHAN €320,000
BRENDAN O’CONNOR €240,000
Joe Duffy in third earning €392,494.
In fourth was the late Marian Finucane who earned €358,013, followed by Sean O’rourke on €327,988.
Miriam O’callaghan took sixth place with earnings of €320,000, followed by Claire Byrne at €250,000, Brendan O’connor on €220,000 and Bryan Dobson with €209,282.
Radio host Mary Wilson entered the top ten in 2019, earning €196,961.
The top five hadn’t changed since 2018 when Tubs and Ray D’arcy had been paid €495,000 and €450,000 respectively.
Joe Duffy came in third with €404,988 and Marian Finucane, who died last January, was in fourth on €333,013.
Fifth was Sean O’rourke on €325,263, followed by Miriam O’callaghan on
place
CLAIRE BYRNE €250,000
€322,667 and Claire Byrne earning €250,000.
Radio presenter Brendan O’connor came in eighth with wages of €240,000 while Bryan Dobson made €209,282 and sports broadcaster George Hamilton €192,796.
In 2017, Tubs was paid €491,667 and Ray D’arcy €450,000. Joe Duffy earned €398,738 and Sean O’rourke €321,071.
In fifth place, leading the way for the female presenters, was Marian Finucane with earnings of €314,809. Miriam O’callaghan followed next on €299,000 and Claire Byrne earned €240,000.
Eighth spot went to George Hamilton who was on €191,496, Darragh Maloney was paid €183,743 and former 2FM host and Dancing With The Stars presenter Nicky Byrne was paid €182,400.