Bauer in for Ben

Ben Cooper, one of a number of BBC popsters moved out under the Lorna Clarke regime, has found a berth at Bauer Radio UK. Eight months after leaving the BBC, the former Radio 1 Controller ends up in the specially-created role of Group Director, Content and Music.

Ben, 49, from Bromsgrove via the University of Brighton, will "add further energy to Bauer’s strategy and ambition to develop differentiated creative audio products, grow audiences and offer access to valuable audiences for advertisers".

Bauer brands include Kiss, Magic, Absolute, Gem, Hits, Country Hits, Planet Rock, Jazz FM and Scala. In the last (ever?) RAJAR figures it was reaching just under 18m listeners a week. The parent company started in Hamburg, and boasts that it is Europe's largest magazine publisher.