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Mick Desmond, Chief Executive of ITV Broadcasting, announced today the appointment of Classic FM’s Roger Lewis as the new Managing Director for ITV Wales.
Roger Lewis will be responsible for all broadcasting matters including the commissioning of the ITV Wales regional schedule and will manage the Regional Affairs department liaising on all compliance, training and broadcasting issues.
Based in Cardiff, he will report to Ian McCulloch, Managing Director for ITV Broadcast Operations, and will co-ordinate with the sales division on the commercial aspects of the schedule.
Mick Desmond said: “Roger Lewis clearly has a great creative talent for understanding audiences and reaching into to the heart of the community. His track record in the music and radio businesses is unparalleled. These skills will transfer to television seamlessly and under his direction we know the quality of our original programming will continue to strengthen and attract the broadest range of viewers. Roger also comes with the strongest possible credentials as a business leader and we look forward to the contribution he will make to the ITV Broadcasting senior management team.”
Roger is credited with bringing Classic FM record audiences as well as revenues in his dual role as Managing Director and Programme Controller and main board director of parent company GWR Group plc. Under his leadership, the station has been named UK Station of the Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards, Media Brand of the Year at the Media Week Awards and Brand Development of the Year at the Marketing Week Awards.
The increase in younger listeners to Classic FM during his six year tenure has been significant and he has won the Arts and Kids Award alongside the Arts and Business Champion Award. He has been named Radio Programmer of the Year at the ntl Radio Awards and this year was voted Managing Director of the Year at the British Radio Awards.
“I am delighted to be joining ITV at such an exciting time in the company's development. ITV has a long tradition of producing innovative and compelling services to the people of Wales and I look forward to building on this heritage in the future,” he said.
The son of a South Wales steel worker, Roger was born in Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend. Prior to university, he played with the Glamorgan Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and the Welsh Jazz Orchestra. Following his graduation, Roger spent four years as a musician, composer and musical director.
Five years as a producer at Radio Tees and Capital Radio in London culminated in him joining the BBC in 1985 where he became Head of Music at BBC Radio 1. He left in 1990 to become Managing Director of EMI’s Classical Division, then World Wide President of the Decca Record Company. He stayed in the record industry for eight years before joining Classic FM in 1998.
”Wales has always been an important part of my life. I have a home in the Vale of Glamorgan and I have returned home often over the years to support causes dear to my heart. I am delighted to have this opportunity now to play an even more active part in the life of Wales. “From radio to records and now TV; I am very lucky to have been given the opportunity to engage with audiences across so many platforms,“ he added.
Roger Lewis will be responsible for all broadcasting matters including the commissioning of the ITV Wales regional schedule and will manage the Regional Affairs department liaising on all compliance, training and broadcasting issues.
Based in Cardiff, he will report to Ian McCulloch, Managing Director for ITV Broadcast Operations, and will co-ordinate with the sales division on the commercial aspects of the schedule.
Mick Desmond said: “Roger Lewis clearly has a great creative talent for understanding audiences and reaching into to the heart of the community. His track record in the music and radio businesses is unparalleled. These skills will transfer to television seamlessly and under his direction we know the quality of our original programming will continue to strengthen and attract the broadest range of viewers. Roger also comes with the strongest possible credentials as a business leader and we look forward to the contribution he will make to the ITV Broadcasting senior management team.”
Roger is credited with bringing Classic FM record audiences as well as revenues in his dual role as Managing Director and Programme Controller and main board director of parent company GWR Group plc. Under his leadership, the station has been named UK Station of the Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards, Media Brand of the Year at the Media Week Awards and Brand Development of the Year at the Marketing Week Awards.
The increase in younger listeners to Classic FM during his six year tenure has been significant and he has won the Arts and Kids Award alongside the Arts and Business Champion Award. He has been named Radio Programmer of the Year at the ntl Radio Awards and this year was voted Managing Director of the Year at the British Radio Awards.
“I am delighted to be joining ITV at such an exciting time in the company's development. ITV has a long tradition of producing innovative and compelling services to the people of Wales and I look forward to building on this heritage in the future,” he said.
The son of a South Wales steel worker, Roger was born in Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend. Prior to university, he played with the Glamorgan Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and the Welsh Jazz Orchestra. Following his graduation, Roger spent four years as a musician, composer and musical director.
Five years as a producer at Radio Tees and Capital Radio in London culminated in him joining the BBC in 1985 where he became Head of Music at BBC Radio 1. He left in 1990 to become Managing Director of EMI’s Classical Division, then World Wide President of the Decca Record Company. He stayed in the record industry for eight years before joining Classic FM in 1998.
”Wales has always been an important part of my life. I have a home in the Vale of Glamorgan and I have returned home often over the years to support causes dear to my heart. I am delighted to have this opportunity now to play an even more active part in the life of Wales. “From radio to records and now TV; I am very lucky to have been given the opportunity to engage with audiences across so many platforms,“ he added.
