RTÉ

Event report: Shane Kenny and the Benzodiazepine Medical Disaster

Shane Kenny

Kenny was prescribed a benzodiazepine drug in 2001 to treat Meniere’s disease, a rare inner ear condition. In the documentary he argues that prescribed drugs turned a manageable, relatively mild condition, into a disabling, long-term illness.
 
The event at RTÉ Television Centre drew a large audience of RTS members and guests, including people who claimed that their health had also been adversely affected by the use of benzodiazepines, which include Valium, Xanax and Ativan.
 

Where next for RTÉ?

When Dee Forbes arrives in Dublin to take up the position of Director-­General of Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, she will be the first woman to hold the post and the first to come from outside the organisation in almost 50 years.

Moreover, Forbes, currently on gardening leave as President and Managing Director of Discovery Networks, Northern Europe, will be returning to Ireland on something like half her present salary.

The battle for news viewers

This month, the BBC will unveil a longer version of The BBC Ten O’Clock News. The flagship bulletin will also come with enhanced production values. Even though the changes to the programme, fronted by Huw Edwards, have been under consideration for months, it will be seen as the latest round in the “battle of the bongs”, following the October relaunch of ITV’s News at Ten, with the user-friendly Tom Bradby.

Penguin Random House announces move into children’s TV

Penguin Random House are moving into children's TV (Photo Credit: Michael Beirut/Pentagram)

Publisher Penguin Random House has recently announced the promotion of executive Richard Haines to Head of Acquisitions and TV Development. 

Haines' promotion earlier this week marked a shift in the publisher’s approach to the children’s entertainment market.

Richard Haines previously worked on the successful children’s TV show Puffin Rock which was the publisher’s first venture into television. It was broadcast across the world, in Europe, Australia and on Netflix in multiple territories including Japan and the US.