Noel Curran

Noel Curran (born 13 November 1967) has been the Director-General of the European Broadcasting Union since May 2016. He previously served as the Director-General of RTÉ (Ireland's National Broadcaster) from 2011 to 2016.^[2]

He has worked in the Editorial, Management and Commercial areas of media. According to RTE's Annual Report 2015 the Director-General was responsible for four TV channels (RTÉ ONE, RTÉ TWO, RTÉJnr, RTÉ News Now), four radio stations (Radio 1, 2FM, RnaG and Lyric), RTÉ Digital output (App, Web and Digital Radio), two orchestras (National Concert and Symphony Orchestras), Ireland's transmission Network (2RN) and 334 million Euro in revenue. According to the report 155m Euro of that revenue was generated through commercial activity, which means that, as a percentage of total income, commercial income is higher at RTÉ than at most other European Public Service Media organisations.

Curran was born in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, where he attended both primary and secondary school. He studied Communications in Dublin City University, where he specialised in Irish and International Broadcasting Policy, writing his final year thesis on the future of Public Service Broadcasting.^[3] He also wrote about European broadcasting policy while studying for post-grad.

He joined Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) as a business and investigative reporter in 1992, after a period working as deputy editor for Business & Finance magazine. While working at Business & Finance Curran was involved in several prominent investigations. He became deputy editor of Business & Finance before leaving for RTÉ. He joined Current Affairs as a senior financial journalist before becoming a television producer.

He then became executive producer of live entertainment series and productions,^[4] producing several live television shows at the Point Theatre, before being appointed as executive producer of the Eurovision Song Contest 1997, held in Dublin, presented by Ronan Keating and Carrie Crowley. He was a member of the EBU Eurovision group. His younger brother is Richard Curran, deputy editor of the Sunday Business Post and presenter of TV's Dragons Den series.

Curran left RTÉ in 2000 to become a director of a private independent production company. As an independent, he won an IFTA award as executive producer of the investigative documentary Bad Blood. He returned to RTÉ as Editor of Current Affairs, where he helped launch the Prime Time Investigates series of documentaries. He was editor of the Mary Raftery documentaries Cardinal Secrets and Broken Trust.

In 2003, he was appointed managing director of TV, at 37 the youngest person to hold the position, according to the Irish Independent and Irish Times.^[5] He led a policy of increased investment in Irish TV production during his tenure, as RTÉ's commercial income grew to its highest historic level. According to the Sunday Business Post Curran's tenure marked the first time editorial and commercial departments in TV were integrated under one managing director.

Programme investment reached a peak of over 170 million euros, with record hours for drama production, TV Factual and Entertainment. RTÉ lost the rights to Heineken Cup and Formula One, but negotiated the renewal of the rest of its sports portfolio - including Olympic Games, World Cup, European Cup, Six Nations Rugby, Autumn Internationals, GAA and Ireland soccer internationals, although competition from the new private sports channel Setanta and from TV3 Ireland made the domestic and international market more difficult.^[6] RTE's programming, Commercial, Acquired and Technical areas were integrated through one TV Board for the first time under Curran as Director-General. With the upheaval in international markets in 2008 and collapse in advertising, RTÉ cut costs substantially. Based on press reports, RTÉ reduced costs by over 70 million euros in the next two years.

In March 2010, Curran left RTÉ to pursue a consultancy and other private business interests before being interviewed and then appointed DG by the RTÉ board effective from 1 February 2011.^[1][7] Commenting on his appointment in an article headlined 'Hard Station', the 'Sunday Business Post' stated that RTÉ 'is financially strapped', has 'zero chance of a licence fee increase' and 'has major structural issues' to deal with. The 'Sunday Times' said RTÉ faced 'difficult circumstances'.^[8] Both profiles quoted industry figures praising his leadership of RTÉ TV but pointing out the challenges.

RTÉ also faced press and public criticism for two current affairs programmes it broadcast, Curran describing one of them as "one of the gravest editorial mistakes ever made at RTÉ". News and Current Affairs was restructured in response. RTÉ Publishing became RTÉ Digital with a new Digital Strategy launched. The Commercial Division was restructured with a new Group Head of Commercial appointed from outside the organisation. RTÉ News Now App and Channel were launched. An international online subscription service was launched with the GAA to provide live sports coverage.

RTÉ launched its biggest infrastructural project, the new DTT service Saorview. Curran also announced that the network provider, RTÉ NL, was to become a separate subsidiary within RTÉ with its own board, with independent directors and was to move to offices away from the RTÉ campus. Its name was changed to 2RN. Press speculation suggested this was done to ease criticism from other broadcasters, to increase commercial opportunities for 2RN and to possibly prepare it for a possible future sale. According to the RTÉ Annual Report, 2RN is a significant contributor to RTÉ EBITDA but has not been sold.

New programming strategies were introduced in radio and TV and RTÉJnr was launched. RTÉ restructured in 2011 and 300 staff left the organisation. Top ten presenter fees were cut by over 40 per cent.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Since becoming Director-General, Curran has made a number of speeches on the theme of the digital future of broadcasting in Ireland and on the role of public service media.^[13]

Speaking at his alma mater Dublin City University in October 2011, Curran admitted RTÉ had paid its presenters too much money and "We may, during this process of renegotiation lose some of our most talented and loved presenters to our competitors. That would be very regrettable, but if some choose to leave, we will adjust, find new voices and new ways to deliver services and programmes."^[14][15]

He returned to Dublin City University in April 2016, where he criticised Irish broadcasting policy and warned that RTÉ and public media faced a difficult financial future without changes in policy and funding.^[16]

Noel Curran is married to musician Eimear Quinn.

References