Communicorp has announced the appointment of Garrett Harte as Editor in Chief of Newstalk 106-108FM.

As Editor in Chief, Mr Harte will be responsible for the development of the Newstalk brand and content across all platforms. The creation of this new role is in response to the continued and ongoing growth of the station which now attracts over 400,000 listeners every day.

Mr Harte, who has worked in Newstalk for over 13 years, was previously the Editor of the station.

Commenting on the announcement, Gervaise Slowey, CEO of Communicorp Group, said: “The Newstalk brand is continuing to grow and in order to build the brand further we have created a new role of Editor in Chief. This is a vital appointment which will allow the brand to develop across all platforms and I am delighted that Garrett has accepted this senior leadership role within the Group.

"Garrett’s experience and knowledge of both the station and the industry will be vital as the station continues to evolve in response to listeners’ changing demands and preferences," Ms Slowey added.

According to the latest JNLR figures (30^th April 2015), Newstalk now reaches a record 404,000 listeners daily and 711,000 listeners weekly. The station has increased its market share to 6.6%, from 5.6% last year and has seen increased listenership across the country with strong growth in Leinster, Connacht and Ulster and continued growth in Dublin.

Communicorp has commenced the process to appoint a new CEO to Newstalk and it is expected that an appointment will be made later this year.