4Radio set to appoint ex-GCap Media Daglish to director role

4Radio is poised to announce Simon Daglish, currently GCap Media national sales director, as its first commercial director. The role will include responsibility for sales and advertising across the broadcaster’s three planned radio stations.

It is understood that Daglish intends to resign from GCap imminently. Daglish has long been the frontrunner for the role, although Chris Bennett, previous digital director at Starcom. Karen Stacey, broadcast sales director at Bauer, was also linked to the job.

Daglish has been at GCap since it was created by the 2004 merger of Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. Previously, he was the sales director for GWR flagship station, Classic FM. He was appointed as director of national brands and trade marketing following the merger.

He is the second key appointment to be made at 4Radio following Bob Shennen, the former controller of Radio Five Live, who joined as head of radio earlier this year. He took over from Nathalie Schwarz, who was promoted to chairman of 4Digital Group, which led the bid to win the second national commercial multiplex last summer.

Despite earlier promises of a station launch this summer, 4Radio plans remain unclear. It is understood that Schwarz has been in discussions with GCap over the possibility of combining with Digital One, the first national commercial multiplex, in which GCap has a majority share.

It is understood that Ofcom has given 4Digital until the end of August to develop a launch plan, although the group has yet to sign a transmission contract with Arquiva and is understood to be in talks.