{{Short description|British radio executive}} '''Ralph Mitchell Bernard''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (born 11 February 1953)<ref>[https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/NXIeW68upBj0byhtbLcoAG2OwUE/appointments Companies House]</ref> is a British journalist, and a former chief executive of commercial radio group GCap Media.

==Early life== He attended Caterham High School in north-east London.

==Career== He started his career as a journalist at Sheffield's Radio Hallam in 1975,<ref name="mediacsrforum">{{Cite web |title=gcap_media_AR_07 |url=http://www.mediacsrforum.org/_media/documents/gcap_media_AR_07.pdf |website=www.mediacsrforum.org |access-date=2014-02-09 |archive-date=2021-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105062559/http://www.mediacsrforum.org/_media/documents/gcap_media_AR_07.pdf/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> before moving to Hereward Radio in Peterborough.

In 1982 he moved south to launch Wiltshire Radio as programme director, becoming managing director in 1983.<ref name="mediacsrforum" /> From here, he helped develop the GWR radio group which later merged with Capital Radio to form the biggest commercial radio company in the UK, GCap Media. He was chief executive of GWR Group PLC between 1987 and 2001, when he was appointed Executive Chairman.<ref name="mediacsrforum" /> GCap Media's portfolio includes Classic FM and London's Capital Radio.

He was appointed a Fellow of The Radio Academy in 1998.<ref>The Radio Academy [http://www.radioacademy.org/about/fellows/ "Fellows"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024171034/http://www.radioacademy.org/about/fellows/ |date=2014-10-24 }}</ref> He won the Sony Gold Award in 2000 for his contribution to the radio industry,<ref name="bbccharterreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/seminars/bios.pdf |title=BBC Charter Review Informed Seminars |publisher=Department for Culture, Media, and Sport |date=July–December 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203083933/http://www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/seminars/bios.pdf |archive-date=December 3, 2009 }}</ref> and was appointed a CBE for his services to broadcasting in 2002.<ref name="mediacsrforum" /> He left GCap in March 2008 to be replaced by Fru Hazlitt.

He is chair of the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), a partnership between the major broadcasters, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and academics who teach broadcast and multimedia journalism.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bjtc.org.uk/maintenance |title=BJTC Broadcast Journalism Training Council |access-date=2016-11-22 |archive-date=2016-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122221240/http://www.bjtc.org.uk/maintenance |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Personal life== He is married with four children and lives in Wiltshire.<ref name="bbccharterreview" /> He was awarded the CBE in the 2002 Birthday Honours.

==References== {{reflist}}

{{S-start}} {{S-bus}} {{S-bef|before= }} {{S-ttl|title= Chairman of Classic FM |years= 2007 - 2012 }} {{S-aft|after= }} {{S-bef|before= }} {{S-ttl|title= Chief Executive of GCap Media |years= 2005 - 2007 }} {{S-aft|after= }} {{S-bef|before= }} {{S-ttl|title= Chief Executive of Classic FM |years= 1997 - 2005 }} {{S-aft|after= }} {{S-bef|before= }} {{S-ttl|title= Executive Chairman of GWR Group |years= 2001 - 2005 }} {{S-aft|after= }} {{S-bef|before= }} {{S-ttl|title= Chief Executive of GWR Group |years= 1985 - 2001 }} {{S-aft|after= }}

{{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard, Ralph}} Category:1953 births Category:British chief executives Category:British company founders Category:British radio executives Category:British radio journalists Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:GCap Media Category:Living people