RTÉ seeks new head of TV comedy along with three other senior roles

'The Young Offenders' is part of RTÉ's comedy output

John Burns

RTÉ is looking for a commissioning editor for TV comedy, one of four senior roles it has advertised.

With a salary range of €95,000-€120,000, it is described as a senior editorial position, which will drive the development and delivery of RTé’s comedy. The successful candidate will report to ­Steve Carson, the director of video.

The advertisement says that RTÉ’s content strategy is to increase viewing on streaming platforms, while keeping engagement on its linear channels, and “comedy content has been identified as a key driver of this strategy”.

RTÉ has not had a dedicated commissioning editor for comedy since Eddie Doyle left the station for the BBC in 2018. He had been appointed to the newly created role five years earlier.

The station has also advertised the position of head of drama, with a salary range of €100,000 to €130,000, and on a three-year contract basis. This person will be in charge of commissioning new drama, as well as overseeing the current output.

“Working closely with the director of acquisitions and co-productions, the head of drama will work with partners in the Irish creative sector to shape an ambitious and distinctive range of high-quality dramas, telling stories rooted in Ireland that may have universal resonance,” according to the job ad.

RTÉ has had an “acting” head of drama for the last four years, with David Crean filling the position since the departure of Shane Murphy in the summer of 2021.

The station is also advertising for a manager of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and for a transmission editor, which is a temporary position, offered on a five-month contract basis.

While a recruitment freeze is in place at the station, there is an exception for roles that are categorised as “business-critical”.

The Department of Arts and Media has previously said the recruitment of staff is a matter for RTÉ and neither it nor the minister has any role in that regard.

Last week, the station was given permission by the Government to launch the first part of a voluntary redundancy programme in order to cut costs.

Staff are due to be given further details this week by director general Kevin Bakhurst about who is eligible for the exit programme.

There are due to be 40 voluntary redundancies in the first phase, which were originally due to be delivered last year.

Overall, RTÉ is aiming to ­reduce staff numbers at the station by up to 400 over four years.