Ray D’Arcy media company records €134,000 profit

Ray D'Arcy's media company recorded a profit of €134,025 last year, according to new accounts filed by the radio and TV presenter's Whatnext Productions Ltd.

Figures released last year by RTÉ revealed that Mr D'Arcy was the broadcaster's second-best-paid presenter in 2015 with a salary of €400,000. The recently filed accounts show his company's cash pile increased by €57,135 to €131,075.

Last year’s profit followed a €55,054 loss in 2016, which coincided with remuneration increasing by 52 per cent to €418,674. Remuneration for 2017 wasn’t disclosed.

Accumulated profit last year increased from €11,621 to €145,646, with two people employed by the company.

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On the prospect of RTÉ publishing his earnings, Mr D’Arcy has said previously: “I would prefer if people didn’t know what I was earning.”

The most recent JNLR radio listenership figures showed Mr D’Arcy’s RTÉ Radio 1 programme increased listenership to 219,000, up 14,000 on the previous survey and up 2,000 year on year.

Defended

RTÉ has previously defended Mr D’Arcy’s remuneration, with former RTÉ group commercial director Willie O’Reilly claiming the presenter represents good value for money.

He said: “He is now on less than he was when he was in his previous employment [on Today FM] and he is doing radio five days a week and television on a Saturday night,” Mr O’Reilly said. “RTÉ has got Ray to our station at less than he was getting elsewhere.”

Mr D’Arcy returned to RTÉ in 2015 and he said at the time that his return after 14 years with Today FM “definitely wasn’t motivated by money”.

He said at the time: “I’m getting paid less than I was. I am very well paid. That’s the nature of what I do.”