Virgin Radio’s new media division, Ginger Online, has been renamed Virgin Radio New Media and has gained a new managing editor in the form of James Cridland. The name change has been made to align the division more closely with what the station sees as its core activities. Cridland’s responsibilities will include the expansion of the site including the brokering of new content partnership deals.
Virgin Radio’s listening figures have not fared well in recent Rajar reports – the last revealed a year on year drop in weekly reach of 8.3% – thanks to the decreasing popularity of the AM frequency. However, the station has previously made its intentions clear that it will attempt to redress the balance with its online radio efforts, and says it is now the most listened-to online stations in the world, a claim backed by research earlier this year.
Michaela Smith, previously head of Ginger Online is moving up to report directly to SMG in the newly created role of head of new media services (South), where her brief is to develop the online and new media interests of SMG companies in England.
