Monumental task confronts successful RTE candidate

Media & Marketing: CVs are being polished off out in RTÉ's Montrose headquarters. The €225,000-a-year post of director-general is probably Ireland's most coveted broadcasting job, writes Emmet Oliver.

Tomorrow is the deadline for applications to headhunter Barry Herriott. He will screen the applications and then pass them to the RTÉ Authority which will make the ultimate decision.

The two front-runners for the job remain the director of television and former managing director of TG4, Mr Cathal Goan, and the station's chief financial officer, Mr Conor Hayes, who once ran Ryanair in the early 1990s. Unless an outsider makes the grade, most RTÉ sources believe one of these two could be appointed.

However, an RTÉ spokeswoman said no RTÉ staff would be commenting on the race to replace Mr Bob Collins.

Mr Hayes is credited throughout the organisation with instilling a new financial discipline at RTÉ. The station is now made up of six independent business units and Mr Hayes has brought his commercial acumen to bear on an organisation that traditionally had an uneasy relationship with commerce.

With no background in programming or editorial experience, Mr Hayes could find it difficult to convince the authority that his skills are broad enough for the post of director-general.

Equally, some have argued that Mr Goan, who started as a producer in RTÉ, does not have a professional background in finance or accounting and that could handicap him in front of the selection committee. However, most staff agree that both are excellent candidates.

The selection committee in this case is essentially a sub-committee of the RTÉ Authority. The Irish Times understands it is chaired by former Smurfit director Mr Paddy Wright. The other members are Mr Paddy Marron, a chartered accountant with experience in the food industry; Dame Mary Peters, a former Olympic athlete; Mr Des Geraghty, president of SIPTU; and Ms Garry Hynes, the theatre director.

While the business bias on the committee might favour Mr Hayes, the presence of the others balances things up and the final vote could be very tight based on the personalities involved.

Outside of Mr Hayes and Mr Goan there are some other internal candidates likely to emerge, although with a day to go some candidates are still pondering their position.

Mr Dermot Horan, head of acquisitions, has been mentioned by some senior sources, while Ms Clare Duignan of the Independent Production Unit could also feature. The former director of radio, Ms Helen Shaw, is regarded as one of the most likely candidates to apply, although her successor Mr Adrian Moynes has ruled himself out.

With the possibility of Mr Goan and Mr Hayes splitting the sub-committee, the potential for an outsider to come through the middle is growing.

Mr Pat Loughrey, a former RTÉ producer now with the BBC, has been mentioned, as has the managing director of Today FM, Mr Willie O'Reilly, who declined to comment yesterday. Senior figures from Tyrone Productions have also been mentioned.

Whoever gets the job is facing a monumental challenge.

While RTÉ secured a hefty licence fee increase just before Christmas, getting further increases is dependent on meeting a range of Government targets.

The company is also facing unprecedented competition, with the BBC's plans to establish a free satellite service likely to pre-occupy whoever takes up the new post.

The downturn in advertising is also likely to concern the new director-general with RTÉ already behind budget for the early part of the year. Increasing revenue at a time when the likes of Sky and Channel 4 are moving into the Irish market will be difficult and the new director-general will have to sharpen the station's commercial instincts.

02 decision on PR account

Four public relations companies are awaiting a result of the competition for 02's public relations account with a result expected today or Friday.

On the shortlist is Drury Communications; Fleishman Hillard Saunders; Simpson Financial and Technology Public Relations; and Slattery PR.

Any media, advertising or marketing news or comment can be sent to eoliver@irish-times.ie