George Ergatoudis leaves BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra for new position at Spotify

Ergatoudis will leave in March 2016; the process to find his replacement has already started.

According to The Guardian, Ergatoudis' will take up a "newly created role... and be responsible for leading Spotify’s in-house music curation strategy and content programming for the UK."

Ben Cooper, Controller of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, has spoken about the move:

“Over the past decade, George has been a key part of Radio 1’s discovery of new music for young audiences and has continued to support British artists, giving them a platform for success. He has built a strong team at Radio 1 and 1Xtra with excellent contacts across the industry. We would like to thank him for all his hard work, and wish him all the very best for the future.

“Radio 1 has a rich history of developing presenters, producers and leaders, and we see this as being a key part of what we bring to the industry.”

Ergatoudis also released a statement about the move:

“It's been a privilege to have played a key part in the journey of the world's greatest music radio station over the last 10 years. In that time, Radio 1 has successfully moved into a new era of visual and shareable content, helping to drive new young audiences to the BBC. Now I'm ready for the next chapter in my career as I take on responsibility for leading Spotify's in-house music curation strategy and content programming for the UK. I can't wait to get started.”

Earlier this year, long time new music champion Zane Lowe left BBC Radio 1 for Apple Music - putting Ergatoudis in direct competition with his former colleague. Other BBC employees have also followed Lowe to Apple Music in recent months, including well-known producers like James Bursey.

Speaking about Apple back in the Spring, Ergatoudis was less than complimentary, dubbing them a "huge disruptive beast".

Ergatoudis was speaking at the Worldwide Radio Summit in Los Angeles, delivering a keynote speech with Cooper about radio's future. Ergatoudis also said that Apple were "sharks taking our audience away", and that the company's big plans for online radio could alter the medium forever.