RTE has announced the appointment of Mr Seamus Crimmins as head of its new Music and Arts Channel, which will begin broadcasting on radio next year.
Mr Crimmins takes charge of the existing FM3 classical radio service, where he is currently commissioning editor, and will have responsibility for establishing the style and format of the 24-hour channel which will replace it.
This channel, he told The Irish Times, "will complete the circle for listeners to RTE radio. It will be an adventure to lead a team in the creation of a new template for a wide range of music from classical through to new age."
He plans, he said, to build on the strengths of FM3 and create a service that will reach a significant audience during its daytime broadcasting hours.
Mr Crimmins began his career in RTE in 1981 as a production assistant in television. He moved to Radio 1 as producer in 1984 and was also a producer with FM3.
He serves on the boards of the National Chamber Choir and the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, and has worked as a conductor in Ireland and abroad.
