Emap chief in sudden departure: management set to step into breach as architect of cross-media strategy quits after 20 years.(Media)

Emap Performance's senior management team were preparing to step into the breach following the shock announcement of chief executive Tim Schoonmaker's departure from the group last Thursday.

The company announced Schoonmaker was leaving after 20 years' service for Emap, which covered the purchases of Magic (formerly Melody) and one-time pirate radio station Kiss, and the launch of a portfolio of TV music stations including Kerrang! as well as Smash Hits. His exit comes as the radio industry this year faces the prospect of a radical programme of consolidation after the Communications Bill became law last summer.

Emap chief executive Tom Moloney has yet to announce a successor, or indeed if the role will continue in its current form. In the interim, Emap Performance managing director Dee Ford and Marcus Rich, responsible for FHM and brought in to take charge of music magazines and music TV, will assume Schoonmaker's immediate responsibilities in conjunction with the rest of the senior management team.

Schoonmaker will continue in his position until the end of this month before moving to a consultancy role for Emap from March, specifically in the development of its digital radio and digital music TV interests "as long as I don't decide to do something that will conflict with that", he says.

He cites the reason behind his leaving as a desire to seek fresh opportunities. "It has been a lot of years and Emap has been good for me and I have been good for Emap," says Schoonmaker. "I have been building a business and personally I am going to keep growing and I have to do that somewhere else," he says.

While not signalling an explicit move away from his current field of work, Schoonmaker adds, "The world of media content and digital distribution of all descriptions is bursting with opportunity and UK radio will still be an interesting place for the next couple of years."

The past 10 years have seen Schoonmaker spearhead Emap's emergence in UK radio with the Performance division, which includes radio, ...