Ray D’Arcy’s shock exit from RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday came after a fractious exchange with station bosses, Extra.ie can exclusively reveal.
Mr. D’Arcy said he is ‘hugely disappointed’ with the way RTE has handled his departure after he was taken off air yesterday.
In an interview with Extra.ie, Mr. D’Arcy hit back with a blistering shot-across-the-bows, saying: "I am hugely disappointed with RTÉ management and how my departure from Radio 1 has been handled.
"I’ve been with Radio 1 for the past 11 years. In that time, I have worked with some brilliant people… I look forward to the opportunities ahead."
His exit from RTÉ came after a "fractious meeting" with station bosses, we can reveal. Extra.ie understands that Mr. D’Arcy believed he was going to be on air to say farewell yesterday and had his normal 10am call with the producer.
However, by 11 am, he was told that Shay Byrne would be presenting instead. RTÉ sources said they believed there was a fear he would use the farewell to have a pop at RTÉ.
The broadcaster then rushed out a statement thanking the presenter for his service.
Moments later, D’Arcy did an interview with Extra.ie in which he disputed the friendly nature of RTÉ's press release.
Over the course of the past few weeks, a number of heated meetings were held between the presenter and Montrose bosses, where he was told that RTÉ were not in a position to renew his contract, which was due to expire in December.
Murmurings began to circulate just after lunchtime yesterday when D’Arcy was not on air.
In response to queries by Extra.ie, RTÉ put out a statement, saying: "After over 11 years on RTÉ Radio 1, The Ray D’Arcy Show is set to come to an end this week. Ray presented his show for the final time yesterday.
"During its tenure, Ray and his team produced thousands of hours of live radio, capturing real life stories and a huge range of personal experiences."
Shay Byrne will present the Ray D’Arcy show for the remainder of the week.
The dramatic departure of D’Arcy comes as newly installed RTÉ Radio boss Patricia Monahan is said to be to instigating a "clean sweep" of the station and will implement a series of personnel and schedule changes in the coming weeks.
RTÉ sources told Extra.ie the changes are likely to include David McCullagh taking over the Today programme at the new time of 9 am to 11 am, while Oliver Callan is being provided with an extra hour in the morning and to be scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm. Louise Duffy was variously linked to the D’Arcy and Rising Time slots.
It is understood Mr. D’Arcy had a tense meeting with Ms. Monahan earlier this week.
Staff at RTÉ had been aware of a series of on-going interactions involving Mr. D’Arcy, Ms. Monahan, and other senior members of management.
"There’s been a series of meetings with Ray and management the past few weeks," said a station insider. "This ended in a fractious meeting this week between Ray and Patricia."
RTÉ has dismissed this version of events, telling Extra.ie that while "meetings were held with Ray" that may be considered "uncomfortabl," there was no row. However, they did confirm that management had formally informed Mr. D’Arcy, 61, that his contract would not be renewed.
"These types of meetings are never nice and they can of course be uncomfortable but there was no bust-up," RTÉ stated. However, they failed to account for the presenter’s immediate departure, and why he was off air despite the fact that he was due to report for duty as normal for his daily show.
RTÉ's version of events is further disputed by a number of individuals who informed Extra.ie that there were a number of rows. "Ray was meant to be on air for at least two more weeks to allow for a soft goodbye," said a second station source.
"But there was a fractious meeting with senior management including Patricia. This has all been handled very, very badly. Ray’s team is reeling, as are a lot of people."
The source said that management "wants a total clear out of the old people."
Since Ms. Monahan was hired by RTÉ from rival independent station Newstalk, there has been a growing sense of unease at the national broadcaster.
"There’s massive anger with management amongst grassroots RTÈ staff who feel it’s a Newstalk takeover and staff concerns are not being listened to," the source added.
Since Ms. Monahan took up the controlling position, the entire Radio 1 schedule has seen a generational shake-up.
"Joe Duffy is gone, Claire Byrne is gone, and now Ray. It seems as if she [Ms. Monahan] wants to get rid of everyone to bring in her own loyal crew," said an informed source.
RTÈ sources said that "the writing was on the wall" for Mr. D’Arcy for quite some time. "His contract was up with no prospect of it being renewed," they said.
Another member of staff, who worked closely alongside Mr. D’Arcy over the years, spoke to Extra.ie on condition of anonymity. They said they believe Ray’s refusal to toe the management line could have drawn ire. "Ray was always unapologetically himself. He never stopped staying true to himself, he never followed the crowd and he outright refused to play the game, and that perhaps, was his downfall."
"Ray wasn’t an a***-licker like a lot of others," our source stated, adding that some of Mr. D’Arcy’s more entrenched positions were considered by higher-ups as "difficult."
"He would say no to things that he felt weren’t right or were gratuitous.
"He would say things as they are even if it wasn’t the popular opinion."
The sudden exit of the popular presenter has sent a shudder through rank and file staff at Montrose who feel it has a "chilling effect" on morale.
"Many in RTE feel really sorry for him but people are afraid to say it in case they’re next in the firing line. There’s a real culture of fear now," the source said.
In his comments to Extra.ie, Mr. D’Arcy paid tribute to colleagues and guests he has worked with over the years. "I want to thank all the regulars on the show, the guests and the wonderful loyal listeners… I love radio and daily radio is part of who I am."
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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