Raphoe man Garrett Harte has announced that he is to leave Newstalk Radio.
Harte joined Newstalk 15 years ago and, according to a statement released by the station today, has decided to leave to pursue other interests.
He joined Newstalk when it launched in 2001 and has helped steer it from a local Dublin station to the success that it is today with over 700,000 people listening every week.
He will remain with the company until the beginning of 2017.
Mr Harte leaves the company on good terms, with management at the station paying tribute to Mr Harte and wishing him well in his future endeavours.
The Chairwoman of Communicorp, Lucy Gaffney said: “I would like to thank Garrett for his immense contribution to the station for the last 15 years.
“He has been a phenomenal editor for our station and was instrumental in building the station from a start-up radio station to the success that it is today.
“On a personal level I would like to thank Garrett and wish him all the best in his future career.”
Commenting on the announcement Garrett Harte said: “After 15 years with Newstalk I have made a decision to leave the company to concentrate on other media projects.
“I am very proud to have contributed to the development of Newstalk from its launch in 2001 to its development into a significant and influential media outlet. I would like to thank Denis O’Brien, Lucy Gaffney, Gervaise Slowey, and the members of the Newstalk board for their support over the years.
“I have worked with some of the most passionate and ambitious people at Newstalk and I would like to wish them, Tim Collins and the station every success for the future.”
Tim Collins, Chief Executive of Newstalk, has commenced a process to identify a replacement for Mr Harte who will commence employment early next year.
It is expected that Harte will stay on for a period of several months to ensure a smooth handover with his chosen successor.
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