Sky and RTÉ Hit by Bomb Threats in Same Day
Hours apart, the British and Irish broadcasters evacuated staff after receiving similar security alerts.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Sky announced a security threat on Friday, hours after Irish broadcaster RTÉ evacuated its building following a bomb alert.
The incidents occurred as a series of bomb threats disrupted passenger flights across Europe earlier this week.
Sky, which is owned by Comcast, released a statement read by a presenter on Sky News. The statement confirmed that Sky was among several media organizations targeted. The company said it completed a security assessment and reported the matter to authorities. It stated that the safety of its colleagues was the primary concern. Sky added that it was working closely with authorities to keep its people and operations secure. The broadcaster said it would not comment further at that time.
In Ireland, the situation began with a threat sent to RTÉ by email shortly before 0900 GMT. The message claimed a bomb would detonate within 45 minutes. RTÉ Radio One’s mid-morning news show went off the air from the main building. Programming resumed from an outside broadcasting unit after the interruption ended. A reporter noted that the email appeared to come from the same group behind the recent airport disruptions. The group was not named in the excerpts read on air. RTÉ’s campus in south Dublin remained closed while police inspected the buildings.
Newstalk, an Irish radio station, also evacuated staff. Claire Byrne, a presenter, said on air that the threat was deemed a hoax. Staff were allowed to return to the central Dublin office at 1000 GMT, and programming resumed. The Irish Independent newspaper group reported that its offices in the capital were also evacuated.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin spoke to RTÉ by telephone shortly after the programming interruption ended. He described the event as worrying but said the country was taking the threat seriously. Martin said the incident showed how simple it could be to cause disruption and undermine normal operations through unconventional activities. He added that the goal of such acts is to create fear and anxiety. He urged the public to remain calm and focused.
Sky has not confirmed whether its specific threat was linked to the group targeting airports across Europe.
