Photo:
BBC Radio 1’s head of music, George Ergatoudis, is to leave his current post and join streaming giants Spotify as the company’s first head of content programming.
Ergatoudis, also ending his tenure as head of music at sister station 1Xtra, will team up with Spotify’s UK division in a newly created position. According to BBC Newsbeat, he will “be responsible for leading Spotify’s in-house music curation strategy and content programming team for the UK.”
In a statement, he said: “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.”
Ergatoudis started his career as a Radio 1 producer in 1997 and has been the station’s head of music for the past ten years. He also managed 1Xtra’s music policy – playing a key part in developing urban UK talent like Dizzee Rascal and Ms Dynamite.
In a keynote speech in May, he blasted Apple – branding them a “huge disruptive beast.” Discussing the future of radio, particularly Apple’s new streaming and radio service, Ergatoudis described the tech giants as “sharks taking our audience away.”
Meanwhile, Spotify have returned with their Year in Music 2015. The feature offers a comprehensive insight into your most listened albums, artists and tracks as well as how much you listened to this year compared to last.
