Casting production talent is probably one of the most difficult jobs in the world. It really is an arranged marriage. You’ve found the groom – now you need to find a bride. Not only do they need to be good at their jobs, but they need to get on with the presenters they work with. Many such marriages do not work out as the two are individually great, but don’t get on. Like marriages too, the dear presenter and producer couple have to be able to honest with each other, take tough decisions and yet know that, at the end of it all, they care for each other and only want what’s best. Breakfast producers? Well, it’s all that times about ten. You really have to have a pretty good relationship to be able to be cheerful in each other’s company at the crack of dawn for years, and still to be firing on all cyclinders in long meetings at the other end of the day.

Christian found exactly that in Roque, and now I’ve stolen him to help me bring on some of the new talent. After seven years with Christian, his will be a tough act to follow.

I’m pleased that we’ve been able to move quickly, so that the new person can be in post as we move the station into ‘crossfade’ into the new brand. So, I can now announce that Richie Firth is joining us next week. Richie meets all the criteria above, and I know that his relationship will be a happy one. Richie comes from GCap Media, and brings a wealth of experience, actually, on both sides of the mic. He helped to take the station he was at most recently to record audiences. Although he won’t be on-mic much here at all, that part of his career is invaluable in helping him understand what makes a great show. Most importantly, Richie is a fund of great ideas and expert at engineering them to reality. That’s great news for taking the Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show to even greater award-winning heights and growing the audiences further; and his inventiveness will be great news for the commercial team too. He has jumped out of planes and things too, as seems a pre-requisite for radio producers now.

Richie, welcome to your new role.

Clive