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The move comes as a blow to Yahoo! UK & Ireland, which had expected Hazlitt to return from maternity leave later this year and had roundly denied the story when it was first reported exclusively by ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 on Brand Republic on April 1.

Hazlitt has been on maternity leave from Yahoo! since December 2004, with Jon Gisby acting as the managing director in her absence. He will continue in this role for now.

At SMG, she will be responsible for Virgin Radio, along with its sister stations Virgin Radio Classic Rock and Virgin Radio Groove, available on digital radio in London and online.

Hazlitt joins SMG in later summer. Until then, Paul Jackson, Virgin Radio's programme director, will carry out the role of acting chief executive of radio.

Andrew Flanagan, chief executive of SMG, said: "To have attracted someone as experienced and talented as Fru Hazlitt to this job is testament to the strength and popularity of the Virgin Radio brand. I look forward to seeing Fru putting her ideas for Virgin Radio into action."

Before being promoted to the managing director role in January 2003, she was European sales director and sales & marketing director at Yahoo! Europe. She joined Yahoo! in 2000 from Capital Radio, where she was group sales director. Before that, she was head of client development and agency sales manager.

She said: "Virgin Radio is a great radio station, playing the music we all love and backed by an exceptionally good website. This is an exciting time for UK radio right now and I'm looking forward to being part of it with SMG."

She joins Virgin Radio as the station continues to be the subject of bid speculation with Lord Waheed Alli.

SMG has rebuffed a £100m approach for Virgin from the media entrepreneur saying that the business is not for sale. Lord Alli is understood to believe that Virgin Radio, which broadcasts nationally on AM and in London on FM, could be improved with better content and marketing.

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