YTTV lures BSkyB chief

BSkyB sales and marketing director Tony Vickers is understood to be leaving in the new year and is close to becoming marketing director of Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television.

Vickers worked with YTTV’s chief executive Bruce Gyngell when he held the same position at morning TV station TV-am. Vickers joined TV-am in 1983 and was its sales director. He is widely credited with turning the fledgling company round – TV-am was crippled with debts of 20m when he joined.

Behind the move is a determination to build YTTV revenue to ward off an anticipated takeover bid by Granada. Last summer YTTV put Laser Sales, which is owned by Granada, on public notice that it would lose the company’s business if YTTV’s share of ITV revenue did not increase. Insiders at YTTV say the channel wants to boost its profile among advertisers and audiences because of the Granada threat. Granada Group holds 14.3 per cent of YTTV and wants to buy a majority stake. Gyngell recently stated that the shadow of takeover was unsettling staff morale.

Vickers joined BSkyB in 1992 and has previously been involved in talks with other satellite channels about setting up a Sky-run advertising sales operation which he would have headed. Before joining TV-am he had worked at Capital Radio.

The news comes as BSkyB confirms that it will enter the digital TV race next year with BT.

Telecoms regulator Oftel and the Government will set out conditions this week to pave the way for up to 200 new channels to be launched. Midland Bank is also understood to be getting involved.