Chrysalis Appoints New MD To Head LBC And News Direct

Chrysalis has appointed its operations director, Mark Flanagan, as managing director of the LBC and NewsDirect radio stations, which it acquired from GWR last month for £23.5 million (see Chrysalis Strengthens London Offering With LNR Acquisition).

Flanagan, who was formerly responsible for the group’s Heart and Galaxy branded stations, will oversee the relaunch of LBC on the more popular FM waveband and the transferral of NewsDirect to the AM frequency.

He said: “This is biggest challenge of my career and I am relishing the task of making the new LBC the most talked-about station in London. There’s a real gap in the capital for a populist, accessible, talk station on FM.”

Chrysalis Radio estimates that the acquisition will strengthen its position in the key London market, increasing its share in the capital from 10.4% to 15.9%. The company’s chief executive, Phil Riley, said: “The ability to re-launch LBC on FM will provide us with a radio landscape to our benefit, giving London’s listeners more quality radio programming, and offering advertisers a greater ability to reach London’s upmarket speech radio listeners.”

Chrysalis also recently agreed to sell Galaxy 101 to Vibe Radio Services for £12.5 million, strengthen the group’s existing offering, which includes classic and contemporary dance music station Vibe FM.

Chrysalis: 020 7221 2213 www.chrysalis.com

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