Universal Music taps BBC's Douglas

Exec involved in Brand prank named director

By STEVE CLARKE

BBC radio topper Lesley Douglas, who resigned over the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross prank phone calls, has been tapped as Universal Music’s U.K. director of programming and business development.

She will run Universal’s fledgling TV division, Globe Prods., reporting to Universal Music U.K. chairman-CEO David Joseph.

Joseph said Universal had “huge respect and trust for her as a broadcaster and as someone who lives and breathes music.”

Douglas, who spent 22 years at the BBC, including five running Radio 2, resigned after Brand and Ross’ lewd calls to actor Andrew Sachs ran in the former’s Radio 2 show unedited, pulling in 42,000 complaints.