Dee Forbes, the Irish woman who is head of the Discovery Channel in Europe, has been appointed the next director general of RTÉ.

The RTÉ board met yesterday to approve the selection of Forbes, who was successful in an independent competitive process.

The appointment must be formally approved by the Government, and political sources say this is likely to be a formality.

The appointment was greeted with surprise in RTÉ, according to senior figures at the station.

Forbes is the first outsider to be appointed to the role since the 1960s.

Recent director generals have all had a background in journalism or programme-making, whereas Forbes has served in managerial and commercial positions.

Expectations

Many at RTÉ expected the head of news and deputy director general Kevin Bakhurst to succeed the outgoing director general Noel Curran.

Curran’s term ends on a high note after RTÉ’s much-lauded season of 1916 Centenary events.

The station’s finances have also been stabilised during his five-year term.

A statement from RTÉ said Forbes would take up her new role “later this year after a transition period”. Curran is expected to leave at the end of this month.

Currently based at the Discovery Channel’s European headquarters in London, Forbes is a native of Drimoleague in west Cork.

Moya Doherty, chairwoman of the RTÉ board, said "not only is this the first director general in almost 50 years to be appointed externally, but she will also be the first female to hold the role".