talkSPORT Appoints Franklin As Managing Director
The UK’s only national commercial speech radio station talkSPORT has appointed Michael Franklin as managing director.
The appointment of Franklin to the newly created position follows talkSPORT’s announcement of record revenues last year, when the station experienced a 42% year on year increase.
Franklin, who has been the station’s operations director since August 2000, has more than 15 years experience in radio having worked as finance director at Southern Radio and as managing director of London’s speech station LBC.
Speaking of the appointment, Franklin said: “It’s a great time to be part of talkSPORT because of its unique offering to listeners; it has a great future and provides a real alternative to the BBC.”
Chairman and chief executive of the Wireless Group, owner of talkSPORT, Kelvin MacKenzie, added: “Much of talkSPORT’s recent financial success is due to the clever manner in which Mike has approached his job.”
According to the latest RAJAR results the station’s weekly reach has slipped by 22.7% year on year to 1,866,000 listeners per week. However, owner Kelvin Mackenzie has railed against the current method of gauging radio audiences and is backing electronic measurement of the medium through GfK (see Speech Stations See Audiences Increase Under GfK Survey).
Under GFK’s measurement, conducted using electronic wrist-watches worn by participants, talkSPORT records a significantly higher weekly reach. However, the accuracy of the system is disputed by RAJAR, which recently announced plans to invest a further £500,000 in testing the latest audiometers (see RAJAR To Invest In Further Electronic Measurement Trials).
Earlier this month Impact, the sales house for the Wireless Group, announced several new promotions to be launched on the back of strong revenues for talkSPORT. New brands advertising on the station included Abbey, Golden Wonder and the Welsh Tourist Board (see Impact Announces Promotions Amid Record Revenues).
Wireless Group: 020 7269 7180
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