TV3 names Ford replacement

Irish commercial broadcaster TV3 has named its replacement for director of content Jeff Ford, who is leaving to join Fox International Channels UK.

Lynda McQuaid, one of the Republic’s leading TV producers and directors, will take up the position next month. During her career, she has produced a string of major shows including The Apprentice, MasterChef, The Voice and You’re a Star.

TV3 Group CEO David McRedmond said: “I have long wanted to bring Lynda into TV3 as one of Ireland’s most creative TV producers.

“Her appointment further emphasises TV3’s commitment to origination and production standards, and she was the outstanding candidate to deliver TV3’s brand proposition We Entertain.”

McQuaid’s career began in Granada Television’s entertainment division, where she worked on Stars in Their Eyes, You’ve Been Framed! and This Morning, among other programmes.

She subsequently joined the BBC in 1997 and produced the then unknown Peter Kay on The Sunday Show. Later that decade she returned to Granada as launch producer for the newly formed ITV2. Most recently she worked as executive producer for CBBC in Media City, and with Communicorp in Dublin.

“I look forward to developing TV3 Group beyond its current channel line-up and to launching major hit shows in the years ahead,” she said.

“TV3’s role is to delight audiences and reward advertisers, and that is what I intend to deliver through the talented production and programming teams in Ballymount.”

Last month, Ford announced he was returning to the UK for family reasons following the birth of his grandchild, and would take up the general manager position at Fox International Channels UK.

He joined TV3 at the beginning of 2013, effectively swapping jobs with previous incumbent Ben Frow who took the director of programmes role at the UK’s Channel 5, a role from which Ford had stepped down in October 2012.