Dublin talent agent, who played a key role in funneling hidden payments to Ryan Tubridy, was considered more powerful than broadcaster’s own director general
Miriam Lord: Tubsgate and Dee Forbes’ rich list will make this week a hard one to follow - but TDs want a sequel
At the centre of all of this is Kelly, who has yet to make public comment about Thursday’s testimony. “It seems very clear,” Fianna Fáil senator Malcolm Byrne, a member of the Oireachtas media committee, said at the hearing on Wednesday, “that Noel Kelly seems almost to be able to dictate contracts to RTÉ and they are simply accepted.”
Kelly, says the source, tends to speak disparagingly about broadcasters who are not clients of his, using strong language and pointed, personalised criticisms. He is also widely believed to brief the media negatively about broadcasters at the station who are not his clients and are perceived to be his clients’ competitors for top jobs.
Kelly works with the likes of Claire Byrne, Joe Duffy, Pat Kenny, Ivan Yates, Matt Cooper, Caitríona Perry among others. Photograph: Collins Photos A marketing executive who spoke to The Irish Times but did not wish to be identified said Kelly’s “near monopolistic position” representing top broadcasters at RTÉ was problematic.
Having other top broadcasters working with the same station also on his books only increases that agent’s power.The fact that Kelly, by way of his CMS Marketing business, also works with significant top brands, most of whom use RTÉ for advertising and marketing purposes, further adds to the power of his position.
The day before, at the Oireachtas media committee, when Sinn Féin senator Fintan Warfield asked whether there were competition concerns about the role Kelly plays in negotiating contracts for top names, the head of the audit committee on the RTÉ board, Anne O’Leary, chose to respond.
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