SCOTTISH broadcaster STV has unveiled ITV veteran Simon Pitts as its new chief executive.
Mr Pitts, who has held a range of roles with ITV since joining in 2000, will replace Rob Woodward as head of the Glasgow-based media firm in January.
Mr Woodward announced in April that he would be stepping down from the position within the subsequent 12 months, having served 10 years in the role. Both Mr Woodward and Mr Pitts were recently lined with the top jobs at ITV and Channel 4. ITV recently named former easyJet boss Carolyn McCall as its new chief executive, replacing Scot Adam Crozier who announced his resignation in May, while Channel 4 turned to Alex Mahon as its replacement for David Abraham.
Mr Pitts, who was appointed to the ITV management board in 2011, is currently managing director of the Broadchurch and X-Factor broadcaster’s online, pay TV and interactive and technology divisions, a role he has held since 2014. He is credited as being one of the main drivers behind the recent transformation of ITV, spearheaded by Mr Crozier, which has seen it grow revenue from its own productions and expand its international footprint while reducing its reliance on advertising.
Mr Pitts’ role at ITV includes responsibility for SDN, the company’s digital multiplex business. He also sits on the board of news broadcaster ITN and YouView, the television joint venture owned by BT, Talk and Arqiva, and is vice-chair of the trustees of the Royal Television Society.
ITV is a former shareholder in the Scottish business, having inherited the stake through former Granada, a former ITV company. It sold off its stake in 2013. The two companies have had at times testy relationship, having reached an £18 million settlement in 2011 after a series of complex legal disputes over programming. The Scottish firm pays ITV for the right to broadcast programmes such as Downton Abbey, Britain’s Got Talent and Coronation Street, on a “pay as you go basis”.
Mr Pitts said: “I have got to know STV well during my time at ITV and I’m excited by the opportunity to lead a company with such a strong brand and relationship with its audience.
“I’m looking forward to working with everyone at STV to make the most of its great potential in the future.”
Baroness Margaret Ford, chairman of STV, said: “After a thorough and rigorous search process we are delighted that Simon has agreed to join STV as chief executive officer. The combination of Simon’s sector experience, drive and track record in delivering strategic change make him an ideal candidate to lead STV’s next phase of growth. I am looking forward to working with him.”
Mr Woodward, who has yet to reveal his next move, said he was “ready for new challenges” when he announced his resignation from STV at the company’s annual meeting in April. The decision came just two days after he presided over the launch of STV2, a new commercial channel claimed to be the first to offer a “distinct schedule in Scotland”.
When asked to pinpoint the highlights of his tenure at STV, Mr Woodward said: “When I joined the company was in an extremely weak position. It had an over-stretched balance sheet, we had debt we were unable to service and we were paying no dividend. Now that position is transformed.”
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