RTÉ 2fm announced today that John McMahon, Head of 2fm, has decided to stand down as head of the station, confirming that he has not sought a renewal of his contract.

In a statement, RTÉ said that during Mr. McMahon’s time as Station Head, RTÉ 2fm had “repositioned itself in the national radio market and seen an influx of new presenters, with household names like Hector Ó hEochagáin and Ryan Tubridy, as well as a focus on developing new talent such as Paddy McKenna and Cormac Battle”.

Mc Mahon has held the post at the national station since October 2009.

Speaking today, Mr. McMahon said: "Running 2fm has been both challenging and rewarding. Working with the great 2fm presenters and production teams during my time as station head has made every day an entertaining one. Events like the 2fm Toy Appeal for St Vincent de Paul, and the arrival earlier this year of live Champion’s League commentary and a nightly sports programme, have been notable high points. Just this week we saw the power of 2fm with Colm Hayes’s Cycle Against Suicide campaign. Days like that show me just how important this station remains. I want to pay tribute to the talented production staff, presenters and crew who make up 2fm. I’d like to thank them for a very exciting three years. As my time as station head ends, I am looking forward to getting back to the coal face of programme making and getting to work more directly with the hugely creative staff making programmes on RTÉ Radio.”

Speaking of Mr. McMahon’s decision Clare Duignan, MD RTÉ Radio, said: ‘’John’s time as Head of 2fm has been one of the most turbulent in the station’s history, from the death of Gerry Ryan to the enormous revenue challenges which the recession has presented, not to mention the relentless competition of the Irish radio market. John kept a steady hand at the helm of 2fm throughout these years. He re-positioned the station, brought great on-air talent to 2fm and more recently initiated the move of 2fm into major live sports events and introduced a new nightly sports show, Game On. I thank John for his unrelenting efforts at 2fm and look forward to his continued contribution to RTÉ Radio into the future.’’ 

No successor has yet been announced, with a statement from RTÉ Radio saying that a new Head of RTÉ 2fm would be named “in the coming weeks”.