Absolute Radio has appointed James Wigley to the position of Head of Digital Sales where he'll recruit and lead a digital team at the station.
James – who joins from Channel 4 television later this month – is being set the target of doubling revenue growth by the end of the year as well as improving engagement and accountability for commercial partners.
He's previously worked at MediaCom and News International and will take up the position with Absolute from 24th May.
Absolute Radio had a record 12.2m live streamed hours in March – up a quarter compared with the previous month – and also saw its podcasts downloaded 3.6m times. The station says James' appointment comes at a time where their in-stream advertising strategy is set to offer commercial partners targeted advertising opportunities through digital platforms.
James says: "Absolute Radio is a one of the few traditional media owners that have been quick to understand and respond to the latest digital consumer trends; their recent focus on mobile applications and audio in-streaming are a testament to that. The challenge now is to understand how these pioneering developments can further benefit our commercial partners, as well as to continue to recognise and embrace new platforms and innovative ways of delivering content to our audience. It's an exciting time for radio and an exciting time to join."
Absolute Radio Advertising Director Paul Carolan told RadioToday.co.uk: "We were looking for a brilliantly inspirational individual to lead our digital commercial future, and James knocked our socks off. The team he will lead is doubling in size, and we will be coming to market with increased accountability and highly targeted, personalised advertising opportunities for commercial partners."