Dee Forbes, the President & Managing Director of Discovery Networks Northern Europe, has been named as the new director-general of RTE.
The appointment follows an external recruitment process brings the first woman to the post of director-general at the public broadcaster.
Moya Doherty, Chair of the Board, RTÉ, said: “RTÉ is at a pivotal moment, one where the future shape and financing of public service broadcasting is being re-imagined. I am delighted to have someone with such a breadth of industry experience, such a creative and visionary understanding of the global broadcasting market, and a proven management record.”
Forbes joined Discovery in 2010 as Head of the UK/Ireland operation, Ms Forbes progressively grew her responsibilities to eventually lead the Northern Europe region, which also includes Benelux and the Nordic countries, and has a wide mix of channels, both free-to-air and subscription. Ms Forbes will assume her new role later this year after a transition period.
Forbes said: “Although it was a tough professional decision to leave Discovery, the personal decision to return to Ireland and lead its biggest broadcaster, RTÉ, is an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Before joining Discovery, Dee Forbes led Turner Broadcasting’s business in the UK and Ireland, which consisted of seven entertainment channels, including Cartoon Network, Boomerang and TCM.
