National radio station Newstalk today welcomed the end of a legal dispute that means TV3 news anchor Claire Byrne can take up a position as one of the presenters of its breakfast programme next month.
TV3 settled its court action against Ms Byrne today over her plans to co-host the Newstalk breakfast show with Ger Gilroy.
Claire Byrne. Photo: Cyril Byrne/Irish Times
The High Court was told today the case had been resolved and an injunction that had restrained Ms Byrne from working on any other TV or radio station until February 2007 could be lifted.
A second injunction granted to TV3 by the court earlier this month remains in place. It prevents Ms Byrne from broadcasting for any organisation until her period of notice at TV3 runs out at the end of November.
Welcoming the outcome as she left the court today, Ms Byrne said: "I don't feel bitter towards TV3. I am looking forward to a new life with Newstalk".
Newstalk chief executive Elaine Geraghty said: "The agreement presented in the High Court this morning has now relieved Claire from the restrictions that TV3 sought to impose on her for a three-month period after serving out her notice. We are looking forward to hearing her on the air again from November 27th".
The proceedings began earlier this month when TV3 sought to restrain Ms Byrne from presenting for Newstalk without the prior consent pending the outcome of proceedings over the extent of her contractual obligations.
TV3 also sought to restrain her from working on any other TV or radio station for three months after her notice at the station has expired. This condition, TV3 contended, was part of a covenant in her contract of employment.
Mr Justice Thomas Smyth today was told the parties had resolved their differences and TV3 had agreed not to enforce the restrictive covenant in Ms Byrne's contract.
Striking out the action, Mr Justice Thomas Smyth remarked that "a bit of commercial sense" had been applied in the matter.
In an affidavit to the court earlier this month, Ms Byrne had claimed the true purpose of the legal proceedings was to punish her for leaving TV3, to damage her profile and to make an example of her.
She also claimed that TV3 executive Andrew Hanlon had threatened her with legal action if she carried out any promotion work for Newstalk. She further alleged that she had received just five minutes' notice from TV3 of the press release announcing her replacement.
Ms Byrne also said she was "perplexed and incredulous" that TV3 should raise a question of how many hours she would be working under the Employment Act.