ITV Rejects Former Vodafone Chief Executive As Chairman
The board of ITV has is understood to have rejected former Vodafone chief executive, Sir Christopher Gent, as its chairman.
Reports suggest the rejection came after bosses at the television company decided the man who build Vodafone into the world’s largest mobile phone company would be ‘too powerful’ for the position.
It was also feared that he would have a tense relationship with Charles Allen, chief executive of the new company formed by the £4.5 billion merger of Carlton and Granada, which is due for completion early next year.
One insider told newspapers: “He appears to have been kept off the shortlist because he would be too strong.” The favourite for the chairmanship is now understood to be former investment banker, John Nelson.
Earlier this year Carlton boss, Michael Green, was forced to relinquish his position as chairman of the newly merged ITV company following pressure from a group of institutional shareholders led by led by Anthony Bolton of Fidelity (see Green Looks Set To Go As Granada Withholds Support).
In other related news, David Mannion, editor of ITV programmes at ITN, is understood to have been offered the newly created job of editor in chief of all the network’s regional, national and international news.
ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com
Recent Related Stories from NewsLine Channel 4 Leads Drive To Promote Television Advertising Dyke Warns Against Americanisation Of British Television Freeview Tempts Up-Market Viewers From Terrestrial
Subscribers can access ten years of NewsLine articles by clicking the Search button to the left