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UTV makes hire as prep gets underway for all new Virgin Radio
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 5 August 2015
UTV Radio has hired former Magic 105.4 Content Controller Liam Thompson as Programme Director for the all new Virgin Radio.
As previously reported, UTV revealed earlier this year that it had agreed a deal with the Virgin Group to relaunch the Virgin Radio brand in the UK if its bid to run the second national DAB digital radio network was successful.
Media regulator OfCom awarded the licence to run that very DAB network to the consortium involving UTV back in March, so now prep is underway to launch the new Virgin radio station, which may or may not be a clone of the original Virgin Radio in the UK, which morphed, of course, into Absolute Radio (ironically now owned by UTV’s partner in the new national digital radio network, Bauer).
Confirming Thompson’s appointment, UTV Media COO Scott Taunton told reporters: “The launch of Virgin Radio is hugely exciting for us and we’re really pleased to welcome Liam Thompson on board. He has extensive experience in launching radio stations, building solid audiences and understands the potential of the Virgin Radio brand in this market”.
Thompson himself added: “I’m very excited to be joining the talented team at UTV Media with a brief to launch Virgin Radio next year. It’s a huge opportunity to create an iconic national radio brand and I look forward to building a team of great talent in advance of our 2016 launch”.
