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Page 1 of 8 Today we publish the full listing of the 2009 edition of How-Do's Media 100. The list in its entirety, offers the definitive compilation of the most influential and powerful media, creative and digital folk based in the North West.
How-Do would like to thank our judges for their time and enthusiasm in helping to shape and define this compilation. Further information on the judging panel follows the ranking but can also be found here.
How-Do would also like to acknowledge the generous support it has received from three organisations, each with a keen interest in supporting and helping the media and creative sectors develop, as our partners for the Media 100 this year. The three organisations are: Lucas Fettes, Gorkana and Brabners Chaffe Street.
Lucas Fettes & Partners are leading insurance brokers with a substantial client base across the media sector, media relations service Gorkana helps journalists and PRs work more effectively and build better relationships while Brabners is recognised as a leading North West law firm.
A major European centre of media excellence
There are reported to be approximately 130,000 people working in the broader media industries of the North West: TV, radio, the press and publishing, film and production, new media, PR and advertising. Collectively this grouping represents one of the largest concentrations of media activity in Europe.
Criteria
The compilation of such lists is clearly neither a science nor an art and our various criteria for inclusion included seniority, influence, number of staff employed, impact on the region, together with various other criteria we felt relevant.
Taken in the round, we are confident that this list of 100 folk represents the definitive compilation of the most influential and powerful media, creative and digital folk based in the North West.
Because the compilation reflects a dynamic market, it is hardly surprising that this year there are over 20 new names. The greater impact that the imminent arrival of five BBC departments will also increasingly colour the rankings and of course the growth of digital underpinning much of the media and creative output of the region.
Departures
Some of the notable names who have fallen out of the list include former Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, MediaCity’s Brian Greasely, Michelle Surrell of Bauer Radio, Paul Horrocks and Liz Page (respective departures from the MEN and Archant) and Dylan Thwaites and Paul Yates – the founders of Latitude and Just Search.
People who our judges feel are worthy of mention as ‘Ones to Watch’ over the coming year include the MEN’s acting editor Maria McGeoghan, Charles Tattersall and Mike Perls of Citypress and MC2, Quentin Ashby of Virtual Surveys, Fresh's Nick Porter, Alastair Sim – who’s resurfaced at The Chase - and Sinead Greenaway at MediaCity.
But that’s next year. In the meantime, here you have it. A celebration of our region’s substantial media and creative talent.
The 2009 How-Do Media 100 - numbers one to six 1. Peter Salmon. Director, BBC North. A shoo-in for the top spot...the judges basically took it as read. Appointed last December on a salary of circa £350k to lead and manage the BBC’s move north of five currently-London based departments. He is also due to join the BBC’s executive board next year. Lancastrian (Burnley born and bred) programme maker who’s worked in Manchester for the BBC and Granada. It has been said that the BBC move will potentially amount to the region’s biggest-ever inward investment decision, greater even that of Ford when it chose Trafford Park as its first manufacturing plant outside the US.
2. Carolyn Reynolds. Chief executive, Lime Pictures. The All3Media subsidiary, with around 400 full time staff, is the largest drama production independent in the UK. Hollyoaks is prospering and new commissions have been won from the BBC and MTV with several further decisions pending. A new factual division was launched in the summer. Elsewhere the new media operation Conker is developing new revenue streams for the company and also picking up projects from the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV. Reynolds joined Lime in 2005 following years spent controlling drama at YTV and then Granada and Corrie.
3. Alex Connock. Chief executive, Ten Alps plc. MGS lad made good. Co-founded the company with Bob Geldof and floated it on AIM. Turnover is circa £80m and there are over 550 staff. Cost-cutting helped increase profits by 5% with the next interims due in December. Two thirds of sales are generated by the communications division based in Macclesfield. Acquisitions have continued and a Singapore base was opened. Aggregation of the company’s huge output signals a new digital drive. He commutes between London and Manchester and lives in Alderley Edge with his ITV commissioning editor wife Sumi Connock (qv). Joined the board of NWV&M to add to his MMU position.
4. Paul Abbott. A year when he chose to raise his profile a little more. Having publicly panned the previous series of Shameless, the last series won over most critics while viewing figures held steady. Abbott Vision is actively looking for and developing projects. His national and indeed international connections are something that Peel Media and the BBC are keen to exploit and subject to his compliance, expect to see more of him in a regional context. Unquestionably the biggest ‘national’ broadcasting industry name in the North West.
5. Richard Deverell. Chief operating officer, BBC North. His appointment was announced in March. Presently the controller of BBC Children’s but he will be stepping down next year. Deverell’s new role is much broader and more senior as deputy to Salmon (qv) and he has responsibility for developing and implementing the strategic and operational infrastructure for BBC North. Joined the BBC in 1992 in the strategy department. He has variously been head of strategy and marketing at BBC News and head of news interactive, responsible for the BBC News website.
6. Robin Burgess. Chief executive, CN Group. In common with his peers, it’s been a year facing up to redundancies and difficult trading conditions allied to a period of structural change. However, as with most CN activities, its house-keeping issues attracted less publicity than other regional press groups. The Cumberland News remains an outstandingly successful example of regional publishing at its best while in the magazine world, Cumbria Life managed to see off encroaching competition from Archant. The recent flooding disaster saw the CN group deliver a raft of community engaging initiatives across all its platforms. Privately-held CN is one the UK’s largest regional independent publishers. Awarded an OBE in January.
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