Broadcasting boss Allen takes centre stage
THE former boss of Britain’s biggest commercial broadcaster will add troubled record label EMI to his list of top jobs when he takes over the role of executive chairman at the end of this month.
Charles Allen’s media career began in 1991 when the catering group Compass took over Granada, in a merger that finally brought all the Channel 3 licences in England and Wales under single ownership as ITV.
Over 15 years in broadcasting he emerged as a pre-eminent figure, taking the helm at ITV as chief executive for two years, before being unceremoniously dumped by shareholders in favour of Michael Grade in 2006.
Since leaving the broadcaster, Allen has amassed an impressive portfolio of non-executive roles, becoming chairman of UK commercial radio group Global Radio and non-executive director at TV production company Endemol.
He was appointed to the board of cable group Virgin Media and also became an adviser to Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. He has been a director at supermarket group Tesco since 1999. Allen took on the role of non-executive chairman of EMI in January.
In a statement yesterday, Allen said he would concentrate on delivering a digital platform.