BBC staffer joins council as communications chief

BBC Radio Shetland producer Carol Anderson has been appointed senior communications official by the council.

The council set up a communications office as part of its improvement programme following the critical Accounts Commission report in the summer of 2010. It highlighted poor communications as one of the issues the SIC had to address.

Executive manager Peter Peterson, who is in charge of communications, said he felt it was an important appointment.

“It’s taken us a bit longer than I had hoped to get to this point. We have made steady progress over the past year, developing the service and introducing the communications strategy in July. However, our one member of staff has done a great job, but is leaving in March. Tom Morton’s contract as communications adviser has also come to an end, so we need a more permanent arrangement if we’re going to make real improvements.   

“I think that this is a really exciting appointment and one which staff, members and the public will see the benefits of. Carol comes with a wealth of experience. It’s also nice to be appointing someone local who knows a lot about this council and Shetland. I am looking forward to welcoming her to the council.”

Carol, who will start work on 1st March, said: “It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to work for Radio Shetland for almost a decade-and-a-half. Over those years I’ve been an avid observer of the council, and I’m excited now to have the chance to make my own contribution to its development, as it faces some of the greatest opportunities and challenges in its history.”