RTÉ delayed Ryan news 'out of respect'

The head of 2fm has said RTÉ’s decision to hold off on announcing the death of Gerry Ryan was out of respect for his family.

John McMahon, Ryan’s producer for 11 years, said many of his family and close personal friends had not been informed by the time news of his death had broken on Twitter and other media outlets, including rival radio station Newstalk.

RTÉ did not broadcast anything about his death until 3.30pm, although his colleague Miriam O'Callaghan had confirmed his death in a tweet she sent an hour previously. She later deleted the tweet.

Mr McMahon acknowledged there was a hunger for news about his death, but the wishes of his family came first.

"We'd been advised by the family that there were certain very close members who had not been informed so RTÉ made the decision that we were not going to broadcast news on this. So we did hold off on it. We weren't the first to break a story like this for the very valid reasons that his family and his close personal friends needed to be informed first," he said on 2fm.

"I know everyone has a hunger for news and other stations did mention it first, but we felt his immediate family had the right to have his dignity respected."

Mr McMahon said Ryan's off-air persona was "exactly like you heard every day only worse".

He was "better craic, bigger bolder naughtier and a bigger pain in the backside and more intelligent than you could ever hear on radio."

Former head of 2fm John Clarke said despite his public persona, Ryan took his career as a broadcaster very seriously.

"One of the qualities of Gerry was his empathy, his ability to do light and shade on radio, to empathise with people's problems, take them on board and champion causes."