In what is one of the biggest broadcast industry stories of the year, Today FM Chief Executive Willie O’Reilly is to rejoin RTÉ on January 1.

O’Reilly, who joined Today FM in 1999, will take up the newly created post of Group Commercial Director. He’ll report to the Director General as a member of the RTÉ Executive Board, and lead all of the divisional and cross-divisional commercial staff and operations in Montrose.

“Leading the commercial effort at Ireland’s leading national media organisation is an exciting challenge which I am very pleased to take on,” O’Reilly reflects. “All of us in media are required to be innovative, vigorous and exceptionally focused in driving revenue performance at this most difficult of times economically. RTÉ’s breadth of service delivery and the popularity of its content provide an excellent foundation for commercial performance that can help maintain and secure Irish public media at the centre of national life.

“My own background both at RTÉ and in the national commercial sector is one which has entailed building the strongest commercial partnerships around consistency and quality in content delivery. I look forward to working with my colleagues in RTÉ’s Sales and Commercial teams to build on the strong commercial performance to date and to grow our performance as the organisation reshapes and restructures into the digital future.”

O’Reilly made his mark as Executive Producer of the Gerry Ryan Show, and together with Programme Manager Tom Hardy has successfully steered Today FM through three changes of ownership.

His tenure was highlighted by the aggressive recruitment of the likes of Ray D’Arcy, Ian Dempsey, Tony Fenton and Matt Cooper who’ve all proved to be ratings winner.

The big question now is who will succeed him at Marconi House?