BBC appoints former C4 director

BBC has appointed Bob Shennan, the former director of Channel 4’s scrapped digital radio division, as controller of BBC Radio 2 and digital only channel BBC6 Music. He replaces Lesley Douglas, who was forced to resign last year in wake of the Andrew Sachs phone prank scandal.

Shennan, who left the BBC to join Channel 4 in late 2007, was left without a role after Channel 4 scrapped plans to launch three digital-only radio stations in October last year. The group had been planning to launch E4 Radio early this year but the plans failed following the down turn in the advertising market.

The broadcaster bid for the second national digital multiplex in 2007 and won with a consortium of companies, including Carphone Warehouse and Bauer Media. It is not clear what Ofcom now plans to do with the spectrum.

Shennan is a former controller of Radio 5 Live and oversaw the launch of sister network 5 Live Sports Extra. He is also a former head of sport for the BBC. He will report to BBC director of audio & music Tim Davie, the former director of marketing communications and audiences, who was promoted in June last year.

Jonathan Ross returned to BBC Radio 2 on Saturday (25 January) after a three month suspension following the prank call on Russell Brand’s Saturday night show. Brand has since resigned from the station. However, Ross is already back in the spot light after an apparently offhand lewd joke.