TV3 poaches new chief executive from Eircom

Eircom’s commercial director David McRedmond is to quit the telecom and take up the post of chief executive with TV3.

Mr McRedmond, who will join the broadcaster in December, takes over from Rick Hetherington. Mr Hetherington had been chief executive since the station’s launch in 1998 and was on secondment from TV3’s former owner CanWest.

In May, TV3 was bought by British private equity group Doughty Hanson for €265m.

Prior to joining Eircom, Mr McRedmond, aged 44, worked with Waterstone’s and also with WH Smith, the newsagents and bookseller, as head of their US operations.

TV3 chairman James Morris, said yesterday: “David’s background in private equity along with his strong commercial sense and a proven track record in management and leadership make him the ideal candidate to lead the company forward.”

Mr McRedmond will inherit a station that has become profitable and attracts a 15% share of its target audience of 15 to 44-year-olds. Mr McRedmond, who has been with Eircom since 1999, had previously been linked with the top job at An Post. The Eircom takeover netted him €833,000.