After a messy split, what next for Ryan Tubridy and RTÉ?

Kevin Bakhurst and Ryan Tubridy
Breaking up is never easy - it's not me, it's you. RTE's DG Kevin Bakhurst and the station's former star Ryan Tubridy.

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The RTÉ payments controversy has dominated the headlines all summer and as September approaches, it is still dragging on.

Last week Kevin Bakhurst, the national broadcaster’s new boss, showed a ruthless determination to put one aspect of the crisis to bed when he ended any chance of Ryan Tubridy, the star at the centre of the scandal, returning to his morning radio show.

The decision ended a decades-long relationship with the popular presenter – and removed a familiar voice from the airwaves.

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Irish Times media columnist Laura Slattery analyses Mr Tubridy’s chances in the small Irish broadcast market and suggests that instead of sticking with its tired formula, there’s now a chance for RTÉ to shake up the radio schedule.

Meanwhile, Mr Bakhurst has a much bigger problem to deal with: how to win more funding for RTÉ at a time when its reputation and political capital has never been lower.

Bernice Harrison

Bernice Harrison

Bernice Harrison is an Irish Times journalist and cohost of In the News podcast