Bill Malone has been appointed to the position of TV3 Group Director of Programming – a new role that reflects the increasing strength of the group since its purchase by Virgin Media – and takeover of UTV Ireland.

Malone became Channel Controller of RTÉ 2 in 2013, after nearly two years as Entertainment Commissioning Editor for RTÉ Television. The Waterford man had previously produced some of RTÉ's must popular shows including The Late Late Show, Reeling In The Years, The Saturday Night Show and was executive producer of programmes such as Don't Tell The Bride and ICA Bootcamp.

He has also been involved in documentary making and Young People's Programmes and was a producer with Prime Time. As RTÉ 2 Channel Controller, Bill oversaw a serious repositioning of the youth-focused station, showing significant gains in the 15-34 year old audience.

With three channels in the group, TV3 is in a far stronger position to challenge RTÉ’s market dominance – and as the former controller of RTÉ2, Malone knows all about the ins and outs as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the approach to scheduling in Montrose.

Malone will report directly to TV3’s Group Managing Director, Pat Kiely.

“Bill has a wealth of experience across a range of programming disciplines,” Pat Kiely said today. "This appointment will ensure our programming strategy can continue to deliver great, high quality content especially as we enter a growth phase for the business. Bill is a very strong addition to the team and joins at an exciting time for TV3 Group.”