RTÉ has appointed Ann-Marie Power to the new role of group head of arts and culture. The role has been identified as a key one by director-general Dee Forbes under her “One RTÉ” restructuring of the organisation.

Ms Power has been editor of entertainment, music and comedy for RTÉ Radio 1 since 2010 and is also head of RTÉ independent radio production, for which she has commissioned shows such as Pantisocracy, Second Captains, That Baz Thing, Callan’s Kicks and The Poetry Show with Olivia O’Leary.

A producer in RTÉ since 1999, Ms Power is a radio documentary-maker who was also in charge of Radio 1’s Liveline for a period. She was appointed to the role following an external competition and will report to RTÉ’s recently named deputy director of content Niamh O’Connor.

Ms Power said the role would reinforce the broadcaster’s commitment to the arts and “put the arts at the heart of RTÉ’s work”.

Ms Forbes recently said arts and culture had “never been more important for us”, but had “existed in different pockets” across RTÉ in the past and that the broadcaster “hadn’t been joined up” in its approach to it across television, radio, online and its event partnerships. The new group head role is designed to correct that.