UK-based Media & Entertainment Group Global has promoted James Rea (pictured) to Director of Broadcasting, effective immediately.
Rea will oversee all programming and brand output for Global’s radio brands – Heart, Smooth, Classic FM, Capital, Capital XTRA, LBC, Radio X, Gold and Global’s Newsroom.
He also takes a position on the main Global Radio Board, the first such appointment in a number of years.
Rea joined Global in 2011 as Managing Editor of LBC, leading the station’s national roll-out and delivering record-breaking audience figures, as well as overseeing Global’s news output.
In 2017, Rea also took over programming of Global’s biggest brand, Heart, with the brand achieving its highest audience figures under his stewardship.
Having spent more than 20 years in the radio industry, Rea succeeds Richard Park who has been with Capital and then Global for nearly 30 years.
James is also a non-executive director of IRN and sits on the Board of the Broadcast Journalism Training Council.
Gareth Andrews will remain as Group Programming Operations Director, GPOD, reporting to Rea, taking on a new wider remit that sees him ensuring the smooth operation of Global’s programming, across all brands.
“James has been at Global for eight years and has done an excellent job running LBC and Global’s Newsroom, as well as Heart, our biggest brand.”
Ashley Tabor-King OBE, Global
Ashley Tabor-King OBE, Global’s Founder & Executive President, said: “James has been at Global for eight years and has done an excellent job running LBC and Global’s Newsroom, as well as Heart, our biggest brand.
“The growth and development of these brands has been superb under his leadership and James steps into his new role with all the credentials, gravitas and experience needed.”
Added Tabor-King: “James will announce his initial team in the coming days. This is the beginning of a very exciting new era for Global and I want to personally welcome James to the Global Radio main board, an appointment that we take very seriously.
“I’d also like to take a moment to again recognise the enormous contribution that Richard Park has made to Global and the entire radio industry, a contribution that will continue in his new role as Senior Programming Advisor.”
“I’m thrilled to be appointed Director of Broadcasting at Global. It is a huge honour and enormous responsibility to be asked by Ashley to lead a new chapter for our formidable programming team.”
James Rea
James Rea said: “I’m thrilled to be appointed Director of Broadcasting at Global. It is a huge honour and enormous responsibility to be asked by Ashley to lead a new chapter for our formidable programming team.
“I’ve been fortunate to work hand in glove with Richard Park for a number of years and I want to thank him for the incredible contribution he has made to me, the industry and to so many of us here at Global.
“We have some of the greatest and most inspirational radio brands in the world and I’m looking forward to working with our brilliant teams to grow them and continue to be best in class in a new era for radio, audio and video.”
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