Radio group Communicorp is standing down the news editor roles at its stations and appointing a single head of news.
Communicorp currently has news editors in place at both Newstalk and Today FM as well as a role covering 98FM, Spin 1038 and Spin South West. The director of news at Newstalk also oversees its supply of news to local and regional radio stations owned by other companies.
It is understood these individuals have been invited to apply for the newly created group role.
Communicorp, owned by Denis O'Brien, recently dropped the chief executive roles for its individual stations as part of a restructuring process, led by the group's chief executive, Adrian Serle.
On Monday, it awarded the tender for all of its advertising sales to the agency Media Central. The company was already the sales house for 98FM, Spin 1038 and Spin South West, while it also sells advertising for Beat 102-103, iRadio and 4FM.
The radio sales operation for Communicorp’s national stations Today FM and Newstalk will now switch from the subsidiary Communicorp One to Media Central and employees of Communicorp One will move to Media Central under a transfer-of-undertakings process.
It was announced earlier this month that former Newstalk editor-in-chief Garrett Harte has returned to the station as a consultant for four days a week until the end of the year.
Communicorp is also recruiting a head of creative partnerships who will be tasked with helping the radio group compete with the newer generation of digital media companies for share of advertisers’ budgets.
