Radio presenter Pat Courtenay, of Classic Hits 98FM, has settled his legal action against the station, the High Court was told yesterday. Earlier this year Mr Courtenay was granted an injunction to restrain the station owner, Radio 2000 Ltd, from terminating his employment.
The order was to continue until the trial of his action against his employers which was fixed for yesterday. At the previous court hearing Ms Justice Laffoy said she would not direct the station to reinstate Mr Courtenay as a presenter, but the station must continue to employ him pending the hearing of his action.
The court had been told that on July 4th last that Mr Courtenay had been employed by the station since 1989 under a series of contracts and was given notice of dismissal as presenter of 98FM's Drive Time programme. He claimed his dismissal was not in accordance with fair procedures.
Ms Justice Laffoy said it was common case that Mr Cour tenay continued in employment without any further written contract. On June 9th last he was suspended on full pay for allegedly breaching the embargo relating to the last general election during a broadcast on polling day, June 6th.
When the case was called yesterday Mr Tom Mallon, counsel for the radio station, told Mr Justice McCracken that the matter had been settled. The matter was put in for mention before the court on November 24th.