John McCann, Group Chief Executive, UTV Media plc and Mary Curtis, Head of Channel, UTV Ireland
An improvement in the Irish and UK advertising markets provided a boost for the Belfast-based media group UTV in the first quarter of 2014.
According to the group, revenues were up 7% between January and March to £27.8m. This included a much improved contribution from its Irish radio operations which saw advertising revenues rise by 6% to £5.1m during the period. According to UTV this was better than the market average which grew by around 4%. In the UK, meanwhile, its radio business saw a 10% increase in advertising revenue to end the quarter on £13.3m while TV revenues were up 4% to £11.5m.
UTV is at an advanced stage of launching its new TV station in the Republic of Ireland market. With a launch date of January 2015, the station has announced a raft of new appointments to the station including no fewer than five TV3 staff set to join it over the coming weeks and months. This includes TV3’s director of sales, Daragh Byrne who will become the station’s new commercial director. Elsewhere Joanne King, who was TV3’s direct sales manager and Paula McCarthy, who was head of branded content with the Ballymount-based station, have also joined the broadcaster.
The station has also announced a number of other appointments including David McMunn as head of legal and compliance. McMunn is also ex-TV3 as is Daragh O’Halloran who joins UTV as head of research. Elsewhere Deirdre Stokes has been appointed as head of sales operations; Áine Ní Chaoindealbháin (General Manager), Rowan O’Sullivan (Head of Programme Acquisitions) and David Townend (UK Sales).
“These appointments highlight the wealth of talent and experience now available to UTV Ireland across various business disciplines. Recruitment is going exceptionally well and we plan to announce more appointments in the coming weeks and months,” John McCann, Group Chief Executive, UTV Media plc said.
