Time for me to Claire off

CLAIRE Byrne is leaving RTE to go to Newstalk in a shock exit, it was announced yesterday.

- BY LARISSA NOLAN

Claire - one of the biggest names in Irish broadcasting - will make the move early next year, taking over from Pat Kenny on the station's mid-morning show.

The news came as a surprise to bosses in RTE, with a move not on the cards.

Early signs may have been there when she left her television show Claire Byrne Live in 2022, saying she wanted to focus on her radio show.

Insiders say RTE's salary cap may also be a big factor, with pay capped at €250,000 in the wake of the payments scandal.

Claire was previously earning €350,000 while hosting both radio and TV shows, but this dropped to €280,000 in 2023, and a standard €250,000 following the new pay rules.

CONTRACT

Commercial station Newstalk has no such salary limits, so Byrne has the potential to earn more there.

Late last year, she said she would have "a conversation" with RTE Director General Kevin Bakhurst when her contract came up for renewal.