Richard Eyre, chief executive of the ITV Network, has been poached by international media group Pearson to head its TV division. Eyre is to become Pearson Television’s new chief executive in the new year, only two years after he took the helm at ITV. Since joining ITV Eyre has seen off the News At Ten, revamped the evening schedule accordingly and increased the Network’s peak-time audience to 39%.
Eyre comes from an advertising background, having spent 15 years in the industry before he became chief executive of Capital Radio. At Pearson TV, he replaces Greg Dyke who left the group last month to become director general of the BBC (see Dyke To Be Next BBC Director General). Eyre’s departure leaves ITV without a chief at a time when the Network has been rescheduling, improving its peak-time audiences and luring key personalities such as Des Lynam away from the BBC (see Des Lynam Leaves BBC To Present ITV Football).
Commenting on his new appointment, Eyre said: “Pearson Television is poised to take advantage of the huge opportunities offered by digital expansion and the internet. The challenge of leading the company and its team of talented people in this new world, while building relationships in its current markets, is irresistible. I leave ITV with a brilliant management and commissioning team fully able to sustain the momentum of the turnaround of the last two years.”
Pearson’s chief executive, Marjorie Scardino, added: “Richard is a great leader and manager of talent, with a sure touch for successful and popular programmes. We are very pleased to have been able to lure him to Pearson.”
It is has been suggested that Eyre will use the post at Pearson TV to build his experience of programme commissioning and production so that he may be in with a strong chance of taking the director general post at the BBC the next time it is open. Eyre was understood stood to be in the running for the post this time around, but lost out to Pearson’s own Greg Dyke.
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