EXCLUSIVE | 

RTÉ scandal: Whistleblower claims broadcaster gave ‘kickbacks’ of €50m to ad agencies

Payments to Tubridy are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’

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The Government has launched an unprecedented interrogation of governance at RTÉ, as the scandal over Ryan Tubridy’s undisclosed pay yesterday widened to include commercial deals.

An industry whistleblower has claimed that the sponsorship deal that allowed the broadcaster’s biggest star to earn hundreds of thousands of euro in undisclosed income is just the “tip of the iceberg” — in terms of commercial kickbacks and secretive payments at the state broadcaster.

Writing in the Sunday Independent today, the whistleblower said an account used by RTÉ to make undisclosed payments to Tubridy has also channelled secret credit note payments in excess of €50m to media advertising agencies over the past 10 years.

Tubridy appeared an isolated figure this weekend

His comments were echoed by Ivan Yates, a former Newstalk broadcaster and government minister, who also said the Tubridy scandal is “the ‘tip of the iceberg’ in terms of what is going on in the organisation and the way it operates.

“The problem is with the governance. This is all systematic of a culture of denial, arrogance and cover up,” he said.

In one of the most damaging days in the broadcaster’s history, Media Minister Catherine Martin announced an external review of governance and culture at RTÉ to ensure it is “fit for purpose”.

Her announcement followed a crisis meeting with RTÉ chairperson, Siún Ní Raghallaigh yesterday.

She told reporters yesterday that trust in RTÉ had been “shattered” and said the situation is “nearly like an existential crisis for RTÉ”.

Martin said the “commercial side of things” needed to be examined thoroughly “in terms of presenter’s earnings”, and expected the external review to take up to seven months.

EXPLAINER: What’s the problem with Ryan Tubridy’s RTE paycheque?

Asked if Ryan Tubridy, who was taken off air last week, should be allowed work for RTÉ again, she said this was “outside her remit” under law.

“It would be very difficult for me to express a personal view while I am Minister for Media, but that is an operational matter for RTÉ and indeed a matter for the individual themselves.”

‘I feel very foolish to have supported Ryan in the way that I did’

Martin also called on Dee Forbes, who was last week suspended as director-general of RTÉ, to attend Oireachtas hearings due to take place next week, along with other RTÉ representatives. She said she did not know why Forbes had been suspended.

“There is a disciplinary process there, and that’s all I’ve been told in relation to the suspension,” she said.

Tubridy appeared an isolated figure this weekend with few colleagues coming out to support him.

Broadcaster and sports pundit Eamon Dunphy yesterday told the Sunday Independent: “I feel very foolish to have supported Ryan in the way that I did. The people responsible for this are not being honest with the public or the Government.”

Despite RTÉ’s repeated assurances to politicians and the public that the pay of the station’s top 10 stars had been cut by 15pc, over a period of several years Ryan Tubridy was paid €345,000 above his annual published salary.

The undisclosed payments to Tubridy included €75,000 paid to the star in 2021 and 2022 as part of a sponsorship deal with Renault Ireland.

However, in a decision yet to be explained, RTÉ guaranteed the €75,000 a year to Tubridy. When Renault did not renew the contract, the national broadcaster paid Tubridy the fees that were to have been paid under the commercial sponsorship deal.

This amounted to €150,000 for 2021 and 2022, plus €80,760 in “fees taken by” a mystery “barter company” which RTÉ said was to “facilitate the transaction”.

RTÉ refused to disclose the name of the barter company or who owns it yesterday, but said it “is not linked to RTÉ or Noel Kelly”. Kelly is Tubridy’s agent.

The RTÉ board has said it was unaware of the additional payments to Tubridy.