Reporting to Baxter will be teams who are responsible for Kerrang! 105.2 in the West Midlands, which is due to launch later this year, and the team responsible for Kerrang!'s digital output, as well as networked programmes from the station.
Dee Ford, Emap's group managing director of radio, said: "We aimed high and we got our man. We needed a big player with launch experience, as well as a robust track record with national and local radio output."
Baxter is well known in radio circles for launching and running the radio station Atlantic 252. He quit his role as general manager there in 1999 and subsequently worked for BBC Radio 2; as the managing director of the Radio Development Company; and as a consultant to Scottish Radio Holdings. Most recently Baxter was reported to have taken a stake in the Dutch radio station Radio 538.
He said: "I am immensely enthusiastic about the opportunity of leading the team responsible for the development of such a fantastic radio brand. Emap Performance is a very exciting place to be right now."
Kerrang! started life as a magazine for heavy metal devotees but has really seen its circulation take off after the rise in popularity of nu-metal. The current playlist at Kerrang! radio includes Courtney Love, The White Stripes and Blink 182, with nary a Deep Purple track in sight.
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