NEW SENIOR APPOINTMENTS AT GAELIC MEDIA SERVICE
In preparation for the launch of the new Gaelic television channel Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig (Gaelic Media Service) has announced two new senior appointments: Neil Graham as Head of Operations and Murdo Morrison as Marketing and Audience Communications Executive.
Neil Graham, Head of Operations
Neil has been GMS’s Finance Manager since 1992. Before that he worked for Grant Thornton LLP in Glasgow. Neil (44) is from Coll in the Isle of Lewis and is married with three children. He is also a board member of the Stornoway Trust and a member of several other local voluntary organisations.
As Head of Operations, Neil will take responsibility for the management and application of GMS’ resources, in particular GMS’ finance systems, infrastructure and facilities and broadcasting studios in Stornoway and in the Isle of Skye. This appointment completes the senior management team, the other members of which are Alan Esslemont, Head of Content, and Donald Campbell, Chief Executive. Neil takes up his new post on 1 April.
Murdo Morrison, Marketing and Audience Communications Executive
Murdo comes to GMS from An Comann Gaidhealach, where he has been the Marketing Officer for the Royal National Mòd for the past eight years. His background is in tourism marketing and he has worked in training and development and hotel management. Originally from the Isle of Skye and brought up in Glasgow, Murdo (49) is married with two daughters and lives in Stornoway.
As Marketing and Audience Communications Executive, Murdo will be working with the content team, handling promotions, market research and communication with viewers. He takes up his post on 1 May.
Welcoming the appointments, GMS Chief Executive, Donald Campbell, said: “I am delighted that Neil and Murdo have accepted these important positions. With his knowledge of the broadcasting industry and his track record in the financial management of the organisation since the establishment of the Gaelic Television Committee, Neil has the skills, desire and experience to ensure that GMS will draw the fullest possible value from our asset base and resources.
“We’re also extremely fortunate to have someone with Murdo’s skills joining our content team. The more we understand what the audience wants to watch the better we will be able to build a schedule of programmes that will draw viewers to the new service, and Murdo’s work will be at the heart of this process.
“With Neil and Murdo in post I am confident that we can deliver for our stakeholders and our audience as we take our place with the BBC at the heart of the new Gaelic Digital Service.”
For more information contact Alison Lang on 0770 109 9962.
Notes to Editors:
Gaelic Media Service is the organisation responsible for ensuring that a wide and diverse range of high quality programmes in Gaelic are made available to people in Scotland, by funding, commissioning or producing programmes for television, radio, online and new media, and by engaging in training, development and audience research.
GMS and the BBC have agreed to work in partnership to create a new service that is vibrant, comprehensive, cost-effective and contemporary.
GMS’ management structure gives clear focus to the activities of GMS – creating value for the Gaelic and the wider Scottish audience by ensuring that programming is of the highest quality, reflects the audience and gives voice to Gaelic in the public arena (Head of Content) and ensuring that the available physical, intangible and financial resources of the organisation are applied as effectively as possible so as to meet that end (Head of Operations).
E-mail: fios@gms.org.uk
Website: www.gms.org.uk