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BBC announces new head of 1Xtra

By | Published on Friday 7 August 2020

Faron McKenzie

The BBC has announced the final of its five new radio head appointments, with Faron McKenzie being appointed as Head of 1Xtra.

All of the Beeb’s pop music stations – so Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music and the Asian Network as well as 1Xtra – now have new bosses in place, all reporting in to the Corporation’s Head Of Pop Lorna Clarke. McKenzie’s appointment completes the Clarke-led rejig of how the BBC’s pop music stations are managed.

He has been with the BBC since 2017, previously working on marketing and content partnership projects, commissioning podcasts for BBC Sounds and leading an event called the Creative Diversity Xperience, which took place last month. Prior to joining the broadcaster he worked in youth marketing for the agency Disrupt.

Confirming her final station head is now in place, Clarke says: “Now more than ever, a bold and creative 1Xtra is needed to reflect the culture of black audiences in the UK across all platforms. Having worked across Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network, coupled with his experience of digital and social media, Faron is well equipped to lead the team into the next era”.

McKenzie himself adds: “I am delighted to be able to creatively mould and steer the most culturally relevant leading digital youth radio brand at the epicentre of black music and culture, BBC Radio 1Xtra. We are in a thriving time for black entertainment in the UK and overseas powered by a surge of creativity from new and legacy talent who are topping the charts and selling out stadiums”.

“We have new audiences with an insatiable appetite for entertaining linear and digital content that is authentic and unapologetic”, he goes on. “I am confident in the proven abilities of my new team, with a brand new forthcoming breakfast show, and our world-renowned DJs. We are set and ready to lead a new dawn in digital radio”.



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