New Boss Appointed At RTE

Ireland's national broadcaster has announced that Glen Killane will be the new Managing Director of Television, taking up the post on 1st June.

Glen has been Group Head of RTE Sport since 2006 and Head of RTE TV Sport from 2004. He sits on the Television Division Board and the Television Programmes Strategy Group.

Director General Cathal Goan commented: "Glen Killane takes up this important RTE leadership position at a time of continuing challenge and competitive pressure, leading a division which has great strengths in its people, its programming schedule and its tradition of strong public service television programming."

Glen Killane was born in Dublin and attended CUS and Trinity College before taking a Masters in Journalism at DCU.

He trained as a TV Producer/Director with the BBC and later helped establish the Live Football production arm of ITV Digital in London as Editor of Live Football.

At RTÉ he has been Series Editor of The Sunday Game and has led production of the Rugby World Cup (1999), of Champions League (2000) and of Six Nations (1998-2000). He also produced RTÉ's coverage of the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003 and in 2005 reintroduced live professional boxing to Irish terrestrial television, culminating in the first live World Title bout on Irish television in 25 years when Bernard Dunne beat Ricardo Cordoba.

As Head of TV Sport Glen Killane has been central to major rights contracts for GAA, Champions League, FAI, Six Nations, Magners League and UEFA negotiations. He has helped establish key agreements both for RTÉ and for the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) on a multi-platform basis.

Glen Killane said: "I'm delighted to be taking up the position of Managing Director of Television at such a critical time for RTE.

"The challenges are significant. However I'm very much looking forward to building on the achievements of Noel Curran and the TV Board and taking Television into its next phase."

(BMcN/BMcC)