Pat Kiely appointed managing director of TV3

Pat Kiely, TV3's long-serving commercial director, has been appointed managing director of the broadcaster by its new owners Virgin Media Ireland.

Mr Kiely, who has been a senior executive at TV3 since it launched in 1998, replaces David McRedmond, who departed as chief executive in December shortly after the sale of the group to Virgin was completed.

“Having been part of the TV3 story since launch, I am both thrilled and honoured to take on this role,” Mr Kiely said in a statement.

“I am particularly excited to take up this position as we enter a new era for the business under our new owners.”

Mr Kiely is well known within the Irish advertising industry given his responsibility for maximising TV3’s commercial revenues during both the boom and the recession.

Virgin Media Ireland (formerly UPC Ireland) bought TV3 last year from the private equity group Doughty Hanson. Virgin is in turn owned by the cable giant Liberty Global, which is controlled by Irish-American billionaire John Malone.

Virgin Media Ireland chief executive Tony Hanway described Mr Kiely as "a very experienced leader in television with a wealth of commercial experience" and said TV3 would be well-positioned for growth under his leadership. It is understood other internal candidates were in the running.

Mr Kiely began his career at the advertising group Saatchi & Saatchi and spent a decade at various agencies, rising to media director of the group DDFH&B before joining TV3’s launch management team as director of sales.

After a sharp collapse in the Irish television advertising market, industry revenues have begun to stabilise in the past two years, but TV3 has faced new competitors for its share. These include UTV Ireland as well as Channel 4, which began selling advertising in the Republic, and dozens of Sky channels.

However, the 18-year-old broadcaster is bullish about its future. It is expected to follow its winning of the Irish broadcasting rights to the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations rugby tournament from 2018-2021 by bidding for more sports rights this year, including GAA coverage.