Scott Taunton
{{short description|Australian businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Scott Taunton
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1971
| birth_place = Canberra, Australia
| education = Canberra High School
| alma_mater = Lake Ginninderra College
| occupation = Chief executive of Wireless Group
| employer = News UK
| website =
}}
Scott Taunton (born 1971){{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/oct/26/talksport-radio-head-interview|title=Big noise in radio: interview with Scott Taunton|last=Plunkett|first=John|date=26 October 2009|work=The Guardian|accessdate=18 September 2021}} is an Australian businessman who has been the chief executive of the Wireless Group since November 2016.{{cite news|url=https://completemusicupdate.com/article/news-uk-confirms-scott-taunton-as-ceo-of-its-recently-acquired-radio-business/|title=News UK confirms Scott Taunton as CEO of its recently acquired radio business|last=Cooke|first=Chris|date=9 November 2016|work=Complete Music Update|accessdate=18 September 2021}} He is also the EVP and President of Broadcasting of News UK.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/talktv-how-watch-piers-morgan-uncensored-show-donald-trump-tyson-fury-b996108.html|title=TalkTV: How to watch Piers Morgan’s new Uncensored show|last=Morris|first=Seren|date=29 April 2022|work=Evening Standard|access-date=1 May 2022}}
Career
Taunton began his career as an IT training manager at the Australian Government's Department of Health in 1992. He later moved to Belfast, where he co-founded the internet service provider DNA Internet in 1995. He was general manager of DNA Internet until March 2000, when the company was acquired by Northern Ireland-based broadcaster UTV Media.{{cite news|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/media-headliner-amiable-australian-taunton-targets-profitability/561295|title=Media Headliner: Amiable Australian Taunton targets profitability|last=Darby|first=Ian|date=26 May 2006|work=Campaign|publisher=Haymarket}} He was later appointed chief executive of UTV Radio following its acquisition by UTV Media in June 2005. In August 2014, he became UTV's chief operating officer.{{cite news|date=11 August 2014|title=Scott Taunton appointed COO at UTV Media|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/08/scott-taunton-appointed-coo-at-utv-media/|author=Duty Reporter|access-date=18 September 2021|website=RadioToday|language=en-GB}} UTV Media was acquired by Rupert Murdoch's News UK in February 2016 and changed its name to Wireless Group,{{cite news|last=McDonnell|first=Francess|title=UTV rebrands as Wireless Group and shifts focus to radio|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/utv-rebrands-as-wireless-group-and-shifts-focus-to-radio-1.2554535 |accessdate=18 September 2021|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin|date=29 February 2016}} with Taunton continuing as COO.{{cite web|url=https://www.wirelessgroup.co.uk/getmedia/cb4d16aa-1210-473b-a3a5-750116b6e5f0/2015-Wireless-Group-Results-Presentation.pdf|title=Preliminary Results 2015|date=29 February 2016|publisher=Wireless Group|access-date=18 September 2021}}
As Wireless's chief operating officer, Taunton oversaw the relaunch of Virgin Radio in March 2016,{{cite press release |url= https://www.virgin.com/news/virgin-radio-uk-reveals-launch-plans |title=Virgin Radio UK reveals launch plans |publisher=Virgin Radio |date=16 March 2016 |first=Natalie |last=Clarkson |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161024232305/https://www.virgin.com/news/virgin-radio-uk-reveals-launch-plans |archive-date=24 October 2016 |url-status= dead |accessdate=18 September 2021}} before being promoted to chief executive eight months later.{{cite news|date=8 November 2016|title=News UK names Taunton as chief executive of Wireless Group|url=https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/appointments/broadcasting/2016/11/news-uk-names-taunton-chief-executive-wireless-group|last=Prior|first=David|access-date=18 September 2021|website=Prolific North|language=en}} In June 2020, with Taunton at the helm, another talk radio station was launched, Times Radio.{{cite news|last=Ponsford|first=Dominic|date=29 June 2020|title=Times Radio launched: Boris Johnson gives News UK station exclusive|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/times-radio-launched/|access-date=18 September 2021|website=Press Gazette|language=en-US}} Taunton said of the station, "Since Wireless joined the News UK family, we have been working more and more collaboratively with The Times, lending our radio and podcasting expertise to develop an audio strategy for one of the world's pre-eminent newsbrands."{{cite news|last=Warrington|first=James|date=28 January 2020|title=Rupert Murdoch's News UK confirms launch of Times Radio|url=https://www.cityam.com/rupert-murdochs-news-uk-confirms-launch-of-times-radio/|website=City A.M.|access-date=18 September 2021|language=en-GB}}
In April 2021, News UK revealed that its planned television channel had been scrapped, with new plans to launch a streaming service instead.{{cite news|url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/exclusive-news-uk-kills-long-awaited-tv-channel|title=Exclusive: Murdoch pulls News UK television channel|author=Steerpike|date=27 April 2021|work=The Spectator|accessdate=18 September 2021}} David Rhodes, who was due to spearhead the project, departed as chief executive of News UK Broadcasting and was replaced by Taunton.{{cite news|last=Tobitt|first=Charlotte|date=27 April 2021|title=News UK broadcast boss David Rhodes departs as publisher scales back TV ambitions|url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/david-rhodes-news-uk-tv-streaming/|access-date=18 September 2021|website=Press Gazette|language=en-US}} On 16 September 2021, it was announced that News UK had reversed their decision and would launch its news channel, talkTV, in 2022. According to Taunton, "talkTV will provide a rich mix of entertaining and informative shows that no other service provides."{{cite news|url=https://advanced-television.com/2021/09/16/news-uk-to-launch-talktv/|title=News UK to launch talkTV|last=Mann|first=Colin|date=16 September 2021|work=Advanced Television|accessdate=18 September 2021}}
Personal life
On 13 October 2014, Taunton became engaged to Georgia Mcguffie.{{cite tweet|user=scotttaunton|last=Taunton|first=Scott|number=521609530443304960|title=With a simple 'yes' the gorgeous @Georgiam43 just made me the happiest, luckiest, and most excited man on Earth.}}
References
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Category:21st-century Australian businesspeople
Category:Australian chief executives
Category:Australian radio executives
Category:Australian television executives
Category:Chief executives in the mass media industry
Category:Chief operating officers