Peter John Kerridge, who has died aged 63, will be remembered as the man whose vision and leadership transformed Premier from a struggling radio station into Europe’s largest Christian media organisation.
Born in Gateshead, he started training for the Baptist ministry in 1986 and then read theology at Oxford University. He was appointed associate minister at Avenue Baptist Church, Southend-on-Sea and also worked as a presenter at Essex Radio, where he became religious and community affairs manager.
Premier Radio launched in London to great fanfare in 1995. But six months later it was in financial trouble. Former stockbroker David Heron stepped in and one of his first decisions was to appoint Peter as managing director.
Premier’s ‘digital first’ ethos was a hallmark of his leadership, under which it gained a forward-thinking reputation, adopting new technology, pioneering video-on-demand and becoming one of the first radio stations in the UK to stream content online. It also became a leader in print media with a range of popular magazines: Christianity, Youthwork and eventually Woman Alive.
Peter became Premier’s CEO in 2004 and remained in the role until his death. In May 2023 he announced that he had acute Leukaemia and was undergoing chemotherapy.
In an interview some years ago, Kerridge was asked: ‘Tell us something about yourself we wouldn’t expect,’ to which he answered: ‘I played football with George Best.’ He did not elaborate further!
