Mr Feargal Sharkey (40), the ex-Undertones singer and solo performer from Derry, has been appointed by the British Culture Secretary, Mr Chris Smith, to the Radio Authority which oversees independent radio in the UK.
For the first time vacancies were advertised in the national press and Mr Sharkey, now a music consultant, applied. "What he can bring to this is the role of the practitioner," Mr Smith said. "He's got hands-on experience which very often people sitting on these regulatory bodies don't have."
Mr Sharkey said he was keen to bring his love of music and radio to bear in his new role. "I was that nine-year-old child under the bedclothes listening to faraway voices when I should have been asleep. I still work in one form or another in the recording industry and hopefully I'll bring that on board."