John Simons

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John Simons
Born	Darlington^[1]
Occupation	Radio executive
Employers	GMG Radio

John Simons is a British radio executive, the current group programming director for GMG Radio.^[2]

Simons began his career in 1979,^[2] before fronting the Breakfast Show on Radio Tees from 1983 to 1985 (where was also head of music), and moving to BBC Radio Nottingham.^[3]

In 1994 he launched Century Radio in Gateshead as programme director, alongside managing director John Myers.^[4] The brand became successful, with stations subsequently launched in Nottingham and Salford.^[5] At the North East Century he co-presented a Sunday lunchtime light-entertainment show called The Gardening Show with gardening experts Adam (Malcolm) Edon and Gary Philipson

In 1997 he became programme director of national speech station Talk Radio, attracting a record 2.8 million listeners,^[5]. He left when Kelvin MacKenzie took over the station after CLT sold to the Mirror Group in November 1998, and was escorted from the building by security officers on the takeover.^[6] He then moved onto London's LBC and then BBC Radio 2.^[5]

In 2000 he became group programme director for GMG Radio, whose chief executive is former Century colleague Myers.^[5]

GMGR's first launch, Real Radio in South Wales, became the most successful regional radio station launch in history, and its Scottish equivalent became the most listened to radio station in Scotland in just two years.^[5]

In May 2004 he was awarded the Sony Radio Academy Gold Award for Programmer of the Year.^[5] In October 2006, the group acquired the Century brand from GCap Media, and in December 2006 Simons received a Fellowship from The Radio Academy, "an award to recognise individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the industry."^[2]