Telewest Broadband axes former marketing chief

Telewest Broadband has axed its former marketing chief David Hobday as part of an ongoing restructuring and cost-cutting exercise.

Hobday was promoted to the role of deputy managing director of the consumer division from sales and marketing director last year (MW September 26, 2002). During the past ten months, Hobday has been responsible for driving customer growth and revenue, improving operational efficiency and reducing costs, but Telewest claims that his job came “to a natural end”.

John Petter remains marketing director and now reports to Gavin Patterson, managing director of the consumer division.

Hobday joined Telewest in 1999 from Procter & Gamble, where he oversaw the company’s marketing relationship with Sainsbury’s.

He oversaw the rebranding of Telewest’s consumer cable operation to Telewest Broadband and the introduction of a blue logo designed to represent the cables through which the company’s TV, telephone, internet and broadband services pass.

Holding company Telewest Communications last week reported a narrowing of its pre-tax losses to &£208m for the six months to June 30, down from &£239m for the same period last year, with turnover flat at &£674m.

It has still to sign off a rescue package that will shave &£3.5bn from its &£5.3bn debt, leaving its shareholders with a 1.5 per cent stake in the company. But the cable operator continues to lose customers – 24,000 in the last quarter.

Telewest Broadband has launched a wireless installation pack allowing customers to connect to broadband internet services anywhere in the home, without wires.