Jon Williams to step down as head of RTÉ news and current affairs

Jon Williams will stand down from his role as managing director of news and current affairs at RTÉ in July, the national broadcaster has confirmed.

After five-and-a-half years at the helm of the department, Mr Williams plans to return to the United Kingdom to spend time with his family, RTÉ director general Dee Forbes said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Williams, who replaced Kevin Bakhurst in January 2017, arrived in Montrose from ABC News in the US where he had served as managing editor of international news since 2013, leading its coverage of the war in Ukraine and other major international stories. A BBC employee for more than 13 years, he held the position of world news editor from 2006 until his departure for ABC in 2013.

In Tuesday’s statement, Mr Williams said it was “the greatest privilege” to head the news and current affairs department at RTÉ.

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“Nine years after I left London for New York and then Ireland, it’s time to go home,” he said. “I chose to stay in Dublin during the pandemic, alone and unable to see those I love for long periods of time. I don’t mind admitting that I found that hard — and like so many others, it forced me to reassess my priorities and to prize family.”

Thanking his colleagues, he said: “I’m proud — and grateful beyond measure — for all that we have achieved together. I know RTÉ News and Current Affairs will continue to do great work. And know that I will be cheering you on from afar.”

Ms Forbes thanked Mr Williams for his service and the “passion and dedication that he brought to the role” for the past five years. “He has also been a hugely valued member of RTÉ's executive board and, on behalf of the wider organisation, I want to thank him for his contribution to RTÉ during his five-and-a-half years. As Jon returns to the UK to spend time with his family, he can do so in the knowledge that he has left a strong legacy.”