RTÉ struggling to get someone for Dobbo role
The list of star names ruled out as Bryan’s replacement on Six One grows, but bosses deny ‘muddling through’
RTÉ has nobody ready to replace Bryan Dobson when the veteran presenter departs the Six One newsroom in the coming weeks – but station bosses have denied claims that they are just going to ‘muddle’ through.
Top names who have been linked to one of television’s most prestigious posts have either ruled themselves out or are out of the reckoning, according to station insiders.
Head of current affairs David Nally tweeted last month that Claire Byrne and Prime Time’s David McCullagh were out of the running, while RTÉ sources have said Ray Kennedy won’t make it. Among the other names mentioned is Keelin Shanley.
‘Management don’t know if they are coming or going’
Dobson is moving to present Morning Ireland on Radio One after more than 20 years on the evening news show. Sharon Ní Bheoláin will work with a string of temporary anchors until a replacement is found.
While Dobson was the senior anchor on Six One, his replacement will have parity in status and pay with Ní Bheoláin. ‘Management don’t know whether they are coming or going. Sharon has been asked to stay and offered equal status and pay parity. There won’t be a lead anchor when Dobbo goes,’ a source told the Irish Mail on Sunday.
A source explained: ‘Can you imagine Claire Byrne coming to Six One News? So she’s already in twice a week on €200,000 and she’d have to work five days week. Why would you do it?
‘Why would you work five days when you’re only doing two? Claire is fabulous, she’s a great woman – why would she go to the newsroom?
‘It will not be Ray Kennedy. Ray would like to get on Six One, he does have great presences on screen and he’s a showman, but they don’t believe he will be selected.
‘They’ve no money to go outside. From RTÉ’s point of view, they have brought nobody up. Dobbo has been doing that programme for 21 or 22 years – would you not think they would have trained somebody up?’
Six One had to cope without Dobson for three months over the summer and more positive people inside RTÉ said they still managed to break stories and secure big interviews without their lead anchor, which management feels bodes well for the future.
Management believes the current roster of presenters will be able to fill the big shoes that Dobson leaves behind and has hit back at claims that the show will ‘muddle’ along until a permanent anchor is in place.
Asked when a replacement would be announced, RTÉ’s current affairs and news spokeswoman said: ‘We will make an announcement in due course, there are no appointments at the moment.’ Meanwhile, newsroom sources have welcomed RTÉ’s new managing director of current affairs, Jon Williams, who has major plans to refresh news output.
‘The Six One format is very tired. Jon Williams wants to shake up the Six One and that’s no secret. Williams is rubbing people up the wrong way, but he’s got plans to improve, to revamp and he does want to shake up Six One.’
People inside the RTÉ newsroom are also worried about a lack of resources, saying a shortage of senior journalists is hitting the show’s quality.
However, others at RTÉ have denied this, saying the programme is ‘well-resourced’ and that anyone complaining about it being under-resourced does not know how the newsroom works.
‘Jon Williams wants to shake up Six One’