RTÉ announces new presenters for flagship Six One News show

Keelin Shanley and Caitriona Perry will be the new presenters of the RTÉ Six One News from January, the State broadcaster announced on Thursday.

Shanley currently presents News at One on RTÉ Radio 1 and Crimecall on RTÉ One while Perry is RTÉ's Washington Correspondent.

They will replace Bryan Dobson and Sharon Ní Bheolain are moving to new roles within the RTÉ newsroom.

Ní Bheolain will present the Nine O'Clock News on rotation with Eileen Dunne, and remain as a presenter of Leaders Questions. She will also be the new presenter of Crimecall on RTÉ One.

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Dobson joins Morning Ireland, RTÉ Radio One's main morning current affiars show, from November 1st.

A controversy erupted in the summer over the low representation of women on a list of the top 10 highest-paid RTÉ presenters . At the time it emerged Dobson was being paid up to €80,000 more than his colleague Sharon Ní Bheoláin on Six One News for doing the same job. Dobson, ninth on the list, was paid €195,816. Ní Bheoláin did not feature in the top ten.

RTÉ brought forward the publication of its highest paid presenter list for the year 2015 following the disclosure of a gender pay gap at the BBC and public comments by several female RTÉ presenters and journalists about a similar gap in RTÉ.

A spokeswoman for RTÉ said it was not the broadcaster’s policy to disclose any salaries outside the top-10 list. The spokeswoman added that the Washington post would be advertised internally in RTÉ soon.

Announcing the new appointments on Thursday, Director of RTÉ News & Current Affairs Jon Williams said: "I'm thrilled that Keelin and Caitriona will bring their intellect, competitive drive, and focus on storytelling to RTÉ's Six One News. In a news environment where we are bombarded by opinions and half-truths all day long, there's no bigger challenge than to make sense of it all on Six One - and no better new presenting team to do so."

Shanley originally studied biochemistry in Trinity College before switching to journalism and presenting a number of science and technology TV and Radio shows.

She worked as a reporter and presenter with RTÉ’s Prime Time programme for over 10 years and she made a number of award-wining documentaries. She previously presented special budget and election coverage, Morning Edition, The Consumer Show and documentary Hacked on RTÉ One, as well as Morning Ireland, Today with Sean O’Rourke and The Late Debate on RTÉ Radio 1.

Perry joined RTÉ in 2007 and was appointed Washington Correspondent in late 2013. Prior to joining RTÉ, Caitríona worked for Today FM and Newstalk. She also holds a degree in journalism and a masters degree in International Relations from DCU and has written a book on the rise of President Donald Trump.