BBC Radio 1's head of music, George Ergatoudis is leaving his post at the British broadcasting company and going into the private sector to work for Spotify. He will take up the newly created position of head of content programming in the U.K. This is the second high-profile exit from the top-level BBC Radio 1 employee this year. Zane Lowe left in March to join Apple Music and lead their Beats 1 programming.
"It's been a privilege to have played a key part in the journey of the world's greatest music radio station over the last 10 years. In that time, Radio 1 has successfully moved into a new era of visual and shareable content, helping to drive new young audiences to the BBC," he told the BBC. "Now I'm ready for the next chapter in my career as I take on responsibility for leading Spotify's in-house music curation strategy and content programming for the UK. I can't wait to get started."
Ergatoudis had been with the BBC since 2005. He will leave his post in March to join his new position at Spotify.
As Fact points out, the move to Spotify may have been foreshadowed in a tweet Ergatoudis posted in May. "Make no mistake. With very few exceptions albums are edging closer to extinction. Playlists are the future."
His direct successor has not been named, but it will have an impact on the radio company to lose someone who has backed the likes of Disclosure, Mumford & Sons and Tinie Tempah on their rise.
Spotify will be well served to use someone with Ergatoudis' knowledge and experience at curating playlists for radio and spotting new talent to do the same for them in the UK. As the music market heads towards streaming, there will be a battle for the brightest minds in the business as individuals move from the old guard to the new guard and Spotify appears to have gotten their man in the UK.
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