Capital And GWR Name Team For Single Sales House

Capital and GWR have named the senior management team that will run the single sales house created as a result of the proposed £711 million merger of the two broadcasters.

NewsLine can reveal that Capital Radio’s commercial director, Linda Grant, will take on a similar role at the merged entity, which will sell airtime across 55 local analogue radio stations, 93 digital stations and one national radio station.

Meanwhile, Opus managing director, Duncan George, will move from his current position as head of GWR’s sales team to become managing director of national sales at the newly formed company. The rest of the senior management line-up is yet to be announced.
The proposed all-share, no cash merger of Capital and GWR is still subject to tough regulatory scrutiny and objections are likely to centre around the fact that a single sales operation will control more than 40% of the total radio advertising market.

Both ISBA and the IPA have already expressed their concern that the merged entity could use its dominant position to push up prices for advertisers. Rival broadcasters are also more likely to merge in a move that could distort competition in the market for airtime sales (see Advertisers Express Concern At Radio Merger Plans).

Similar concerns were raised last year when Carlton and Granada announced plans to create a single ITV capable of competing more effectively with the BBC and BSkyB. The deal was scrutinised by the Competition Commission, but the two companies were cleared to merge without selling off their sales houses.

Capital Radio: 020 7766 6000 www.capitalradiogroup.com GWR Group: 020 7284 3000 www.gwrgroup.com

Recent Radio Stories from NewsLine RAJAR To Upgrade Audience Measurement System Clear Channel Circles As Radio Merger Talks Advance Ofcom In No Rush To Set Switch-Off Date For Radio

Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive