Chairman and SCA CEO of Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) Grant Blackley announced today that Ford Ennals, the current CEO of Digital Radio UK, has been appointed as the new CEO of CRA. This comes in response to current CEO Joan Warner stepping down at the end of March.
Ennals experience in media transformation and digitization stood out when CRA was looking for a new CEO, as the former CEO of Digital Radio UK was responsible for the conversion of UK homes to digital TV through work with the UK government and broadcasters.
He also led the UK radio industry in transitioning to digital, working with the BBC, Global, Bauer and Arqiva, as well as the automotive and tech industry. As a result, digital listening equates to almost two-thirds of all radio listening in the UK. Thanks to the work of Ennals, radio is a platform still alive and well in the UK.
It is for this reason that Ennals was appointed CEO of CRA. Chairman Grant Blackley believes that digital mediums are the future of radio and keeping audience engagement high and responsible for revenue growth opportunities.
“Ford brings a unique combination of skills and experience to the role having worked with major global brands with a deep understanding of marketing and customers, and leading both the television and radio sectors into the digital age in the UK with great success. He is an entrepreneurial change agent and leader in digital transformation, both of which will be valuable skills at CRA as the audio industry is well on its way to digital transformation. After a rigorous global search for our new CEO, we are delighted to have someone of Ford’s calibre joining the Australian industry at a very exciting time,”
“I would also like to pay tribute to Joan Warner for an outstanding tenure at CRA, her dynamic leadership over the past 21 years has been instrumental in the growth of commercial radio in Australia. Joan has guided the organisation through the development of several important projects including the industry-wide ad buying platform RadioMATRIX, the development of podcasting and voice tech initiatives, the launch of DAB broadcasts, the launch of our industry app, and the move to a new audience measurement system. CRA is well positioned to embrace its digital future.”
In response to his new role, Ennals commented that “Australia is one of the most advanced and dynamic radio and audio markets in the world and I am truly excited to be joining the Australian radio sector at what is an inflection point in its history. It’s an honour to be appointed to the role of CEO of Commercial Radio Australia and I look forward to working with the radio industry and all stakeholders to ensure radio, podcasting, and the broader audio ecosystem continues to thrive and achieve its potential with both listeners and brands.”
As of April 4, Ennals will take up the role after relocating from London to Sydney.
