Former Minister for Transport and Business journalist Shane Ross, told The Pat Kenny Show about his new book RTÉ: Saints, Scholars and Scandals.
Former Minister for Transport and Business journalist Shane Ross, told The Pat Kenny Show on Saturday that former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy was the ‘face’ of the 2023 RTÉ payments scandal.
His book, RTÉ: Saints, Scholars and Scandals, was released Thursday, May 7th and explores the organisation's colourful past and uncertain future.
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show, the former editor said he had faced ‘a brick wall of RTE’ throughout his journalistic career and had always wanted to take an interest in the organisation.
“The Tubridy issue, opened up a litany of scandals within RTE”, he said.
“One of the main points to the book which I've made, and it's a conclusion which is no secret, is that the board got away.
“The board were the people who were responsible for the ethics and the finances of RTÉ and the accountability of RTÉ.
“When all this broke, not one single member of the board actually resigned as a result of the outbreak of these scandals, whereas other people did.
The discussion retraced RTÉ’s political history with former Taoiseach Sean Lemass allegedly describing it somewhat like “a voice of the government”.
G6DY7K PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY of America with MR. SEAN LEMASS.Shane Ross on RTÉ
Shane Ross described how Lemass appointed political appointees who were mainly Fianna Fáil giving the broadcaster a Fianna Fáil majority.
The chair, Todd Andrews, who had previously run CIE and was then chosen to run RTÉ was Ryan Tubridy’s grandfather and a close connection of Lemass.
He also discussed the aftermath of the departure of Director General Dee Forbes in the aftermath of the RTÉ payment scandal.
RTÉ Director-General Dee Forbes. Picture by: PA Images. Mr Ross told The Pat Kenny “politics had been the curse of RTÉ from day one”.
“You've got the Section 31 situation, which was all politics. You've got the board there that rebelled and was all sacked.
“When I was in the cabinet, there was visible and tangible hatred of RTÉ from various members of cabinet.
“Every time you were on one of those programmes lashing the government, they felt that not you, particularly, but anybody in your type of position, they felt that they were anti-government and they didn't want to give them a licence for your eyes.”
Main Image: Dee Forbes and Ryan Tubridy.
