Granada picks Zenith’s Duff to head TV sales

Granada has recruited Zenith Media UK chief executive Graham Duff to run its ad sales operation in place of Mick Desmond, who has been promoted to head a Granada division.

Duff succeeds Desmond as chief executive of Granada Enterprises. Zenith managing director Simon Marquis will replace Duff as chief executive at the agency.

Desmond is to take up the new role of managing director of Granada Broadcasting and Enterprises, overseeing Granada’s six ITV broadcasting franchises, as well as ad sales. He will also become chairman of Granada Enterprises.

Granada chief executive Steve Morrison says: “By bringing together the management of our TV stations and our ad sales house, we are responding to our clients’ needs and bringing the combined business much closer to viewers and advertisers.”

Duff says he does not intend to embark on a major restructure of Granada Enterprises.

Duff’s appointment comes at a difficult time for Granada, whose interim results in June revealed a 5.4 per cent year-on-year downturn in national advertising revenue.