RTÉ has confirmed the appointment of Kevin Bakhurst as its next director-general, replacing Dee Forbes when she leaves the position on July 10 after her seven-year term.

In a statement, RTÉ said Mr Bakhurst was appointed after “an extensive and competitive recruitment process which was managed by the RTÉ board”.

Mr Bakhurst, who previously held several senior positions at the BBC, is the current group director of UK communications regulator Ofcom. He was previously RTÉ’s managing director of news and current affairs and said he was “honoured and delighted to take up the role of director-general”.

The appointment was brought to the Cabinet by Arts and Media Minister Catherine Martin and then signed off by senior ministers. Mr Bakhurst was the only name brought forward after an intense and controversial recruitment process.

An Post chief executive David McRedmond had also been tipped for the role, but said that after interviewing, he was not shortlisted and no longer had an interest in the job. 

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Bakhurst said: “RTÉ plays a central role in Irish life and has brilliant people dedicated to delivering great and trusted content for audiences. RTÉ faces huge challenges and global competition, and I am confident we can deliver the ambitious change needed to remain valued and relevant to our audiences. I'm looking forward to getting started.”

RTÉ chairperson Siún Ní Raghailligh said she was “delighted” to welcome him to the role.

“The appointment follows a competitive recruitment process, with Kevin as the unanimous choice of the RTÉ board,” she said.

“Kevin brings an exceptional breadth of industry experience, great leadership skills and a passionate commitment to the development of public service broadcasting in all its forms. Kevin’s appointment comes at time of opportunity and change for RTÉ. With my fellow board members, I look forward to working with Kevin in our shared commitment to a thriving and financially sustainable RTÉ.”

Ms Martin said: “I wish to congratulate Kevin Bakhurst on being appointed by RTÉ as its next director-general. Mr Bakhurst will take over this role at an important and challenging time for RTÉ. He has a proven track record of leadership at the highest levels and will bring a wealth of experience to the role.”

The appointment comes after controversy erupted behind the scenes involving members of the RTÉ board who raised questions over the selection process.

Last weekend, Mr McRedmond, who was also previously chief executive of Virgin Media Ireland, confirmed he had been asked to interview for the position last month, but was no longer interested.

This led to Ms Ní Raghallaigh being asked to appear before the Oireachtas Media Committee tomorrow, when she is expected to be asked more about the recruitment process.

Given his previous high-profile roles at both the national broadcaster and the BBC, Mr Bakhurst (57) was deemed the best candidate for the job. He started with RTÉ in 2012 when he was appointed managing director of news and current affairs.

He said at the time it was one of the few jobs that could have enticed him to leave the BBC. He was described by former RTÉ director-general Noel Curran as having “huge and varied experience, a proven track record and key leadership skills”.

Mr Bakhurst then took over the role of deputy director-general at RTÉ for two years and, in 2016, went for the role of director-general  but lost out to Ms Forbes.

A graduate of modern languages at St John’s College, Cambridge, he began working at the BBC in the late 1990s, producing its coverage of major news eventsincluding the Hong Kong handover in 1997, and has worked extensively in Brussels and Washington.

He was editor of the BBC’s Ten O’Clock News between 2003 and 2005, during which time the programme won several awards.