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Bob Shennan announces BBC departure
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 11 January 2023
Long-time BBC exec Bob Shennan – who previously headed up both music and radio operations at the broadcaster – has announced he is leaving the Corporation.
Shennan first joined the BBC all the way back in 1987 and he held a number of senior roles there over the decades, initially within BBC Sport, and later music and radio.
Along the way he was Controller of 5Live, Asian Network, Radio 2 and 6Music, before taking on the wider Director Of Music role in 2014, which was further expanded to Director Of Radio And Music in 2016. He became the BBC’s overall Managing Director in April 2019, and was then appointed as Director Of Audio for BBC Studios last year.
According to Radio Today, BBC Director General Tim Davie informed his senior leadership team of Shennan’s planned departure from the Corporation yesterday.
Davie said: “Bob has been an outstanding leader and a highly valued member of my team – I will miss his wise counsel, extensive knowledge and calm, collaborative approach. Please join me in wishing Bob all the best for the future”.
Meanwhile Shennan himself said in an email to staff: “It has been a great privilege and enormous fun, but to quote Chris Evans it’s time to find a new mountain to climb”.
“The BBC has given me so many opportunities”, he added. “Over 36 years I have had the privilege to run BBC Sport and Radio 5 Live, Radio 2, 6 Music and the Asian Network, as well as BBC Radio and BBC Music. I even got to sit for three years on the top table of the BBC as the Group Managing Director. I know I have been very lucky”.
As for his next move, in a post on LinkedIn Shennan also added: “I’m really looking forward to my next chapter. More on that very shortly. Onwards and upwards…”
