Roger Parry
Encyclopedia
Roger Parry is a media entrepreneur based in the UK. He is Chairman of a number of media groups quoted on the London Stock Exchange
including Mobile Streams plc and YouGov
plc.. He is Chairman of the Trustees of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
. And a Visiting Fellow of Oxford University.. He was a pupil at Sutton Grammar School for Boys, and educated at the Universities of Bristol
and Oxford
.. He is the author of four books and writes extensively on the media and associated topics.
International which, at the time, was the World's largest operator in radio broadcasting, live entertainment and outdoor advertising. The live entertainment business was spun out in 2005 to become Live Nation
.
From 2001 to 2009 he was Chairman of Johnston Press
plc, the UK's largest regional newspaper group. Based in Edinburgh it owns more than 300 titles including The Scotsman and Yorkshire Post. From 2001 to 2011 he was Chairman of magazine publisher Future plc (based in London, Bath and San Francisco) which owns more than 100 titles including Total Film, Digital Camera and Xbox Magazine.
In 1998 Parry was one of the founding directors of Clear Media which has become one of China’s leading outdoor advertising companies. In 2001 Clear Media was floated on the Hong Kong stock market with a value of US$ 450 million. Parry was Deputy Chairman.
From 1995 to 1998 he was CEO of the UK media company More Group plc.
In the 1990s he was part of the team that restructured Aegis Group and built up Carat
the media buying network. In 1993 he was appointed the President of Carat North America.
In the late 1980s he was Development Director of the advertising group WCRS which became The Engine Group.
In the mid 1980's he was a consultant with McKinsey & Co
. He was there at the same time as Adair Turner, Howard Davies
and Archie Norman
.
From 1977 to 1985 he was a television and radio reporter with the BBC
, ITV
and LBC
. He worked on the Today programme
on BBC Radio 4
, BBC News
and Thames News
.
His first job in 1976 was as personal assistant to Charles and Maurice Saatchi the founders of Saatchi & Saatchi
.
Also in 2009 he was appointed as the Chairman of the Local Media Alliance which was a consortium of local newspaper groups lobbying for changes to the UK's competition regulations
During 2006 he was linked with a number of private equity bids including one for the retail chain HMV
and another for the British television broadcaster ITV
. He was twice forced by the UK Takeover Panel to deny rumours that he was about to bid for ITV
.
Between 2000 and 2005, he was frequently mentioned as a possible bidder for the radio station Capital 95.8 and in 2003 the CEO of Capital said that if Parry did make an offer it would be rejected out of hand. According to The Guardian
newspaper, Parry responded to this by saying: It would be like Ann Widdecombe
turning down a date from Brad Pitt
In 2003 it was suggested that Parry as Chairman of Johnston Press might have agreed to the sacking of the editor of a local paper in Hartlepool who had been critical of his local MP Peter Mandelson at the request of the Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mandelson, Blair and Parry had been contemporaries at Oxford University in the late 1970’s. All three men subsequently denied the allegation.
In 2003 as the largest private shareholder in the radio station 102.2 Jazz FM
Parry held the casting votes in a hostile take-over by the Guardian Media Group
which was opposed by the Jazz FM management. He voted for the sale and was criticised by the Jazz FM CEO.
In 1999 Parry and Mark Slater floated a company called Internet Indirect plc on the London Stock Exchange which rapidly achieved a market value in excess of £200 million. In 2000 it was sold to rival technology investment group Newmedia Spark plc with Parry and Slater reported to have made more than £3m
In 1998 during a contested bid battle for More Group plc he referred to the Chief Executive of commercial rival JC Decaux and would-be hostile bidder, Jean- Francois Decaux, as being two baguettes short of a picnic .
In 1984 he was named as one of the people behind the highly successful pirate radio station Laser 558
. Also that year Parry was a member of a consortium including Jocelyn Stevens
and Tina Brown
which attempted, but failed, to win the franchise for the London radio station LBC
. In 1994 he tried again with London Radio which also involved broadcaster John Tusa
and was, this time, successful but sold the station 9 weeks later at a profit of £ 5 million.
He writes numerous book reviews including:
Wikinomics by Don Tapscott in 2007.Crowdsourcing by Jeff Howe in 2008 and Free by Chris Anderson in 2009
His published books are:
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
including Mobile Streams plc and YouGov
YouGov
YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...
plc.. He is Chairman of the Trustees of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
. And a Visiting Fellow of Oxford University.. He was a pupil at Sutton Grammar School for Boys, and educated at the Universities of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
and Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.. He is the author of four books and writes extensively on the media and associated topics.
Career
From 1998 to 2005 he was CEO of Clear ChannelClear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
International which, at the time, was the World's largest operator in radio broadcasting, live entertainment and outdoor advertising. The live entertainment business was spun out in 2005 to become Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
.
From 2001 to 2009 he was Chairman of Johnston Press
Johnston Press
Johnston Press plc is a newspaper publishing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its flagship titles are The Scotsman and the Yorkshire Post; it also operates many other newspapers around the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. It is the second-largest publisher...
plc, the UK's largest regional newspaper group. Based in Edinburgh it owns more than 300 titles including The Scotsman and Yorkshire Post. From 2001 to 2011 he was Chairman of magazine publisher Future plc (based in London, Bath and San Francisco) which owns more than 100 titles including Total Film, Digital Camera and Xbox Magazine.
In 1998 Parry was one of the founding directors of Clear Media which has become one of China’s leading outdoor advertising companies. In 2001 Clear Media was floated on the Hong Kong stock market with a value of US$ 450 million. Parry was Deputy Chairman.
From 1995 to 1998 he was CEO of the UK media company More Group plc.
In the 1990s he was part of the team that restructured Aegis Group and built up Carat
Carat
Carat or karat may refer to:In the gem business:* Carat , a unit of mass for gemstones, equal to 0.2 gram* Carat or karat, a unit of purity for goldIn Judaism:...
the media buying network. In 1993 he was appointed the President of Carat North America.
In the late 1980s he was Development Director of the advertising group WCRS which became The Engine Group.
In the mid 1980's he was a consultant with McKinsey & Co
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...
. He was there at the same time as Adair Turner, Howard Davies
Howard Davies
Howard Davies is the name of:* Howard Davies , Wales rugby union international* Sir Howard Davies , Former Director of the London School of Economics and former British financial regulator...
and Archie Norman
Archie Norman
Archibald John Norman is a British businessman and politician. He is at present the only FTSE 100 chairman to have sat in the House of Commons. On 18 November 2009, Norman was announced as the new chairman of ITV plc...
.
From 1977 to 1985 he was a television and radio reporter with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and LBC
LBC
LBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
. He worked on the Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
and Thames News
Thames News
Thames News was the flagship news programme of Thames Television, serving the Greater London region. It was broadcast between 5 September 1978 & 31 December 1992 and produced from Thames TV's headquarters at Euston Road in North West London and during its last few years in operation, from district...
.
His first job in 1976 was as personal assistant to Charles and Maurice Saatchi the founders of Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...
.
Activities
In 2009 he was commissioned by the UK's Conservative Party to write a report on the future of local media.. His proposals on local TV were subsequently adopted as Government policy by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.Also in 2009 he was appointed as the Chairman of the Local Media Alliance which was a consortium of local newspaper groups lobbying for changes to the UK's competition regulations
During 2006 he was linked with a number of private equity bids including one for the retail chain HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
and another for the British television broadcaster ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. He was twice forced by the UK Takeover Panel to deny rumours that he was about to bid for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
.
Between 2000 and 2005, he was frequently mentioned as a possible bidder for the radio station Capital 95.8 and in 2003 the CEO of Capital said that if Parry did make an offer it would be rejected out of hand. According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper, Parry responded to this by saying: It would be like Ann Widdecombe
Ann Widdecombe
Ann Noreen Widdecombe is a former British Conservative Party politician and has been a novelist since 2000. She is a Privy Councillor and was the Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 1997 and for Maidstone and The Weald from 1997 to 2010. She was a social conservative and a member of...
turning down a date from Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
In 2003 it was suggested that Parry as Chairman of Johnston Press might have agreed to the sacking of the editor of a local paper in Hartlepool who had been critical of his local MP Peter Mandelson at the request of the Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mandelson, Blair and Parry had been contemporaries at Oxford University in the late 1970’s. All three men subsequently denied the allegation.
In 2003 as the largest private shareholder in the radio station 102.2 Jazz FM
102.2 Jazz FM
102.2 Jazz FM was a local jazz and soul music station for London run by GMG Radio. The station was based and broadcast from Castlereagh Street in London to around 15.5 million people within the broadcasting area...
Parry held the casting votes in a hostile take-over by the Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group plc is a company of the United Kingdom owning various mass media operations including The Guardian and The Observer. The Group is owned by the Scott Trust. It was founded as the Manchester Guardian Ltd in 1907 when C. P. Scott bought the Manchester Guardian from the estate of...
which was opposed by the Jazz FM management. He voted for the sale and was criticised by the Jazz FM CEO.
In 1999 Parry and Mark Slater floated a company called Internet Indirect plc on the London Stock Exchange which rapidly achieved a market value in excess of £200 million. In 2000 it was sold to rival technology investment group Newmedia Spark plc with Parry and Slater reported to have made more than £3m
In 1998 during a contested bid battle for More Group plc he referred to the Chief Executive of commercial rival JC Decaux and would-be hostile bidder, Jean- Francois Decaux, as being two baguettes short of a picnic .
In 1984 he was named as one of the people behind the highly successful pirate radio station Laser 558
Laser 558
Laser 558 was an offshore pirate radio station launched in May 1984 by a consortium of British and American business and broadcasting executives, some of whom have never been named. Laser 558 used disc jockeys recruited from the USA. The station was aboard the ship the MV Communicator in...
. Also that year Parry was a member of a consortium including Jocelyn Stevens
Jocelyn Stevens
Sir Jocelyn Stevens, CVO is the former publisher of Queen Magazine; a financier of the first British pirate radio station Radio Caroline; newspaper editor for major London dailies and former chairman of English Heritage.-Career:...
and Tina Brown
Tina Brown
Tina Brown, Lady Evans, CBE , is a journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host and author of The Diana Chronicles, a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales. Born a British citizen, she took United States citizenship in 2005 after emigrating in 1984 to edit Vanity Fair...
which attempted, but failed, to win the franchise for the London radio station LBC
LBC
LBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
. In 1994 he tried again with London Radio which also involved broadcaster John Tusa
John Tusa
Sir John Tusa is a British arts administrator, and radio and television journalist. From 1980 to 1986 he was a main presenter of BBC 2's Newsnight programme. From 1995 until 2007 he was managing director of the City of London's Barbican Arts Centre...
and was, this time, successful but sold the station 9 weeks later at a profit of £ 5 million.
Publications
In July 2006 he wrote an article for the Financial Times about the future of television and the Internet called A Box to transform the media which resulted in a lively debate about the convergence of technologies and the effect on broadcast televisionHe writes numerous book reviews including:
Wikinomics by Don Tapscott in 2007.Crowdsourcing by Jeff Howe in 2008 and Free by Chris Anderson in 2009
His published books are: