In his Prime! Downes made editor of RTÉ news show

RTÉ has appointed former Washington correspondent Richard Downes as the new editor of Prime Time.

The renowned journalist, pictured below, has worked on the flagship current affairs programme since 2014. He will replace current editor Donogh Diamond, who has been in the role since 2012. Mr Diamond is moving to the role of programme editor in the RTÉ newsroom.

Mr Downes will start his tenure on the twice-weekly show on Friday, January 21. Before joining RTÉ in 1999, the Dubliner worked for the BBC for a decade, spending four years as its Southern Africa correspondent.

Upon joining the Irish national broadcaster, he was deployed to Iraq and later published a book about his time there. He presented RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland for ten years, before replacing Charlie Bird as Washington correspondent in 2010.

He covered the White House for three years until Caitríona Perry took over.

Mr Downes began hosting Prime Time on a rotating basis foll owi n g David McCullagh’s departure to the Six One News last year.

In November, he travelled back to the US to cover the presidential election for both Prime Time and Morning Ireland.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Downes said: ‘I’m delighted to be taking over as editor of Ireland’s premier journalism-driven current affairs television programme.

‘Audiences are looking for quality content from a team of highly experienced and committed reporters and producers.

‘They have turned to us in large numbers during this pandemic and our aim is to continuously improve in order to serve them.’

He added that his commitment was ‘to bring our best journalism’.