Telegraph plans move into TV news bulletins

by Sarah Crawley-Boevey, Media Week 17-Oct-06

The Telegraph has hired Shaun Gregory, former managing director of national brands at Emap Radio, in a move that is expected to see the newspapers' new multi-tasking newsroom contribute bulletins to linear TV news programmes.

Gregory takes up the role of development director for Telegraph Media
Group and will oversee new ventures in broadcasting, mobile and
online.

In September, the Telegraph announced a partnership with TV news service

provider ITN to produce video content for telegraph.co.uk and other

electronic media. However, this arrangement is expected to be expanded
into linear TV programming. ITN produces news programmes for ITV and
Channel 4.

It is understood that a new television channel, featuring Telegraph
content, is likely to be broadcast online initially with a view to
securing carriage on the Freeview and Sky digital platforms.

Since leaving Emap in March, Gregory has been working with his former
Emap Radio boss, Tim Schoonmaker, for Macquarie Radio UK Holdings, a
division of the Australian investment bank. They were respectively chief
executive and chairman, but both are believed to have left the
company.

The pair worked on a range of UK media deals including pitches for
Plymouth's Diamond FM, Macquarie's first and only venture into British
radio.

Of the company's three attempts to move into local radio, only its
Plymouth bid was successful and, to date, the station has yet to launch,
with speculation rife that Macquarie is looking to ditch the licence
either before or after it is brought to air.

Schoonmaker is now said to be working for Credit Suisse, heading its
European private equity arm, focusing on media.

Gregory, who helped make Magic 105.4 the number one radio station in
London during his 11 years at Emap, will report to Dave King, executive
director of The Telegraph Group, and chief executive, Murdoch
MacLennan.

Insiders believe Gregory will be working closely with the commercial
teams to accelerate the migration of traditional revenue to online
solutions.

In recent weeks there has been speculation in the industry that Gregory
was on his way to News Corporation, and he was also linked with a move
to run the European expansion plans for MySpace.

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