Fru Hazlitt tipped to join GCap after shock Virgin Radio exit

Former Virgin Radio chief executive Fru Hazlitt is understood to be lining up a job at rival commercial radio company GCap Media following her sudden departure from Virgin at the start of this week.

It is thought Hazlitt had talks with GCap chief executive Ralph Bernard late last year over a potential move to the group.

It is not clear what the role is but industry sources say it is thought to be closely linked to GCap’s flagship London station, Capital Radio.

The radio group was in talks with Birmingham City FC managing director Karren Brady in November last year about the Capital Radio managing director role. It is understood these talks have now ended.

The role has been vacant since the departure of Keith Pringle in April last year, but it is thought the role may be too small for Hazlitt, who has had wider responsibilities including handling digital development and the City at Virgin. Sources suggest that Bernard may take responsibilities from operations director Steve Orchard or commercial director Duncan George to bolster the role. It is also thought Bernard would be keen to use Hazlitt’s popularity with the City.

Hazlitt would also be expected to take on digital and online development for GCap.

City analysts say she is an ‘obvious candidate’ for GCap to approach and ‘comes better qualified than Brady’. One analyst says: “If I were GCap I would be approaching her. The City has a lot of time for Hazlitt, and GCap has not had the success that investors had hoped.”

Hazlitt has been replaced at Virgin Radio by programme director Paul Jackson, who oversaw the role prior to Hazlitt’s appointment in 2005.

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