RTÉ has announced the appointment of Mark Simpson to the role of Managing Editor, RTÉ Radio 1.

Reporting to the Head of RTÉ Radio 1, Tara Campbell, Simpson will support the development and management of content for RTÉ Radio 1 across the schedule.

Simpson will also support the Head of Radio 1 in the preparation, monitoring and management of the station’s production schedules, budgets and resource plans, as well as staff performance, while also helping oversee the delivery of RTÉ’s five-year strategy.

He joins RTÉ from Bauer Media Audio Ireland where he was Deputy Managing Editor at Newstalk, playing a central role in shaping the station’s output for over two decades.

Simpson has worked in a broad range of roles, such as researcher, producer, and editor on some of Newstalk’s most high-profile shows, including The Right Hook, The Hard Shoulder, Lunchtime Live and The Anton Savage Show.

He was also a key member of the editorial management team at Newstalk, where he had responsibility for driving and implementing the station’s content strategy across the schedule. 

In 2023, Simpson served as Executive Producer of the acclaimed Newstalk original podcast As I Remember It: Bertie Ahern and the Good Friday Agreement, which explored one of the most significant political agreements in Irish history through the lens of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Simpson holds a BA in History and Politics from University College Dublin and a postgraduate diploma in Journalism and Media from Griffith College Dublin.

Commenting on the appointment, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, Tara Campbell said: “We’d like to extend a very warm welcome to Mark Simpson as he joins the management team in RTÉ Radio 1.

“The leadership skills and wide experience he brings from many years working at a senior level in Newstalk will be in demand as we navigate our way through a period of significant change.

“RTÉ Radio 1 is the biggest radio station in the country with a large and loyal listenership and we look forward to working with him as we continue to deliver for our audiences and embrace the opportunities ahead.”

Simpson added: “I feel really privileged to be given this opportunity to join the RTÉ Radio 1 team and I am hugely excited to work alongside such a talented and dedicated group of producers, researchers, reporters and presenters.

“It is a huge honour to get to play a part in delivering this important public service to the people of Ireland each and every day and I can’t wait to get started.”