Moya Doherty appointed chair of new RTÉ Board

Moya Doherty, the creator of Riverdance and a founding director of independent radio station Today FM, has been appointed chair of the new RTÉ Board.

Ms Doherty has been involved in theatre, radio and television production and presentation, both in Ireland and internationally during her career.

She has fronted a number of RTÉ arts, features and documentary programmes. As executive producer, Ms Doherty produced a number of charity telethons, the Eurovision Song Contest and the televising of the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics 2003.

She was the commissioning producer and originator of Riverdance for the Eurovision Song Contest of 1994. She was also director of Tyrone Productions, one of Ireland's leading independent television production companies. Minister for Communications Alex White received approval from the Cabinet yesterday for her appointment and that of a number of other new board members.

There were four other new ministerial nominees: Frank Hannigan, Deborah Kelleher, PJ Matthews and Anne O'Leary, while Fergus Armstrong was reappointed to the board. The recently elected RTÉ staff representative, Aengus Mac Grianna, was appointed by Government.

Noel Curran

RTÉ director general Noel Curran remains on the board, along with four existing board members, nominated by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, until their terms expire in February 2015.

Fergus Armstrong is a panel member of ONE Resolve, an interdisciplinary mediation grouping.

Frank Hannigan is chairman of App design and build company Razor Communications. He is also chairman of Pathfinders Projects International.

Deborah Kelleher was appointed director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in October 2010 .

Dr PJ Mathews is a senior lecturer in the school of English, drama and film at University College Dublin, and specialises in Irish literature and culture.

Anne O’Leary is executive chairwoman of software company KineMatik.