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]

Noel Curran
Director-General of the European Broadcasting Union
Assumed office
3 May 2016
PresidentJean-Paul Philippot
Preceded byNew office
Director-General of RTÉ
In office
1 February 2011  11 April 2016
Preceded byCathal Goan
Succeeded byDee Forbes
Personal details
Born (1965-11-13) 13 November 1965
Carrickmacross, Monaghan, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Spouse(s)Eimear Quinn (m. 2005)
Children1
ResidenceGeneva, Switzerland
Alma materDublin City University
Profession
Salary€250,000 (2011)[1]

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, four radio stations, RTÉ Digital output, two 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.

The European Broadcasting Union is the largest alliance of public service media organisations in the world. It represents 115 media companies in 56 countries.[3] It is based in Geneva but has offices in New York, Washington, Moscow, Brussels, Singapore, Rome and Beijing. As well as representing the interests of public service media internationally the EBU provides a worldwide news service to its members, purchases international sports rights for its members, provides live classical and jazz concerts, provides a technology and innovation service, a media research unit and a range of television and radio content.[3] The EBU also operates an independent commercial subsidiary Eurovision Services, which provides distribution and production of large sporting events around the world.[4] Curran is Chair of Eurovision Services.[4] He is the first Irish national to be Director General of the EBU.

Early life

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.[5] He also wrote about European broadcasting policy while studying for post-grad.

RTÉ

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. Curran went on to win national and international awards as a documentary producer and Editor.

He then became executive producer of live entertainment series and productions,[6] 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.

Independent work

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'.

Senior management at RTÉ

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 award winning Mary Raftery documentaries Cardinal Secrets and Broken Trust. He spoke on Radio 1's 'Drivetime' programme about Mary Raftery's contribution to journalism after her death in January 2012.

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.RTE's Wunderkind - Prime Time Innovator and now Youngest MD", The Irish Times, 27 September 2003. The Irish Independent, 24 September 2003.</ref> 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.[7] 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.

Director General of RTÉ

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][8] 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'.[9] 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. Securing "an invigorated and confident strand of investigative journalism" after this period was credited by investigative journalist Michael Heney as one of Curran's most important legacies as DG. (The Irish Times, January 6, 2016)

New programming strategies were introduced (in Radio 1 after presenter Pat Kenny departed and in 2FM after Dan Healy joined as station manager) and on TV. RTÉJnr and RTÉ NewsNow were launched. RTÉ restructured in 2011 and 300 staff left the organisation. Top ten presenter fees were cut by over 40 per cent.[10][11][12][13]

Speeches as Director-General

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.[14]

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."[15][16]

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.[17]

Noel Curran is married to musician Eimear Quinn.

References

  1. Colin Coyle (7 March 2009). "Ryan Tubridy joins pay-cut volunteers". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  2. Leech, Harry (29 August 2010). "Profile: Noel Curran". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  3. http://www.ebu.ch
  4. http://www.eurovision.net
  5. The Sunday Times Culture October 2011.
  6. Ronan McGreevy (9 November 2010). "Curran named RTÉ director general". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  7. "RTÉ May Not Have It All Their Own Way" - The Irish Times Sept 2004 and various others
  8. "Curran named as RTÉ's next Director General". RTÉ News. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  9. 'The Sunday Business Post' 14 November 2010. 'The Sunday Times' 14 November 2010
  10. RTE On Course To Break Even, The Sunday Business Post December 22, 2013.
  11. Steering RTE Through The Most Turbulent Era In Media History, The Irish Times, April 26, 2013.
  12. He's Riding The Crest Of The Airwaves, The Sunday Times 13 September 2015.
  13. Curran Steered RTE Through Choppy Waters. The Irish Times October 2015
  14. Eamon Ryan (9 November 2010). "Minister Ryan welcomes appointment of Noel Curran as new Director General of RTÉ". Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  15. "RTÉ To Reduce Fees, Even if Talent Flee". IFTN. 18 October 2011.
  16. "Noel Curran, the RTE pay-cuts and some brilliant propaganda". JOE. 18 October 2011.
  17. The Irish Times 14 April 2016
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