
Richard Halton, UK MD, Roku, tells TVBEurope why every year feels like a revolution in the broadcast industry
By Contributor
Published: December 18, 2024 Updated: December 19, 2024
Richard Halton, UK MD, Roku, tells TVBEurope why every year feels like a revolution in the broadcast industry
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Richard Halton, UK MD, Roku, tells TVBEurope why every year feels like a revolution in the broadcast industry
https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/people/meet-the-uk-managing-director title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Talk us through an average day in your role There's no typical day, but with a focus on working with partners, it's not unusual to start with a breakfast meeting (ideally in West London!) and if I don't have an early meeting, I'll submit to my training schedule and head out for a run or row before work.
Richard Halton, UK MD, Roku We have a great team and once in the office we'll catch up on the latest goings on in the industry, and if it's early in the week, last week's sales data. The most important meeting brings together the UK leadership group, always at 9:59am Tuesday (I was once told 10am is the most productive hour of any day so start early I say ) or later in the day once a month to involve colleagues in the US. Roku's operation in the UK is a complete snapshot of the business, including engineering and ads team with global responsibility, so it's a good pulse check for the organisation. We might hear from one of the team about the quarterly business review they had with ITV or Channel 4, a second about new Players and Roku TV deals that we've got coming up with retailers, and another about upcoming enhancements to our user interface.
Lunch is normally on the hoof and from 1pm teams in New York are online and the buzz in the office grows, with another step up at 4pm once our HQ in the West Coast wakes up. My boss is based in California and he's happy to start the day in the car as he passes Pismo beach on the way to San Jose.
Part of my role is to keep Roku plugged into what's happening in the industry. This might mean that we're going to an RTS planning meeting for their next convention, or recently meeting with the new team at the Department of Media, Culture and Sport to discuss how Roku can be a positive force in UK broadcasting. Calls continue late into the evening, so I'll try and get home for those, then brace for the inbound email which arrives while I'm sleeping.
How did you get started in the media industry? I spent most of my university career imagining working in journalism; I was editing the newspaper at Warwick University and studying English Literature. After graduating I started work in retail for Andersen Consulting and loved learning about business, but soon realised I really wanted to work in the media industry. I applied for a job at the BBC and for a journalism course at City University and got accepted for both on the same day. I chose the BBC because it took me straight into participating in media and I was gripped from day one. I joined just as the digital TV revolution was kicking off, at this curious crossroads of the new and old world as pay TV took off and digital broadcast launched in the UK. I was hooked by the creative and commissioning side of television, channel planning and later the future of delivery and distribution.
One of my very first projects was trying to find the successor to the 1996 Pride and Prejudice series. The BBC had commissioned author David Lodge to write a treatment of every single major English novel and I was asked to add an opinion on which book could be the next big series. At the same time I was working with NTL on near video on demand' (where I met Gidon Katz, now a colleague at Roku) and I think that was a defining period half of my brain was in a Victorian novel and the other in the future of TV distribution.
What training did you have before entering the industry? The media industry is fascinating because it exercises those two parts of your brain. One is the editorial and content part, and the other is strategy focused. At university I trained the creative and editorial side and then my time in consulting trained the strategy side. Retail consulting also gave me a fantastic view of, and knowledge of, audience trends, the opportunity of big data to improve the customer experience and how that could and should direct innovation and investment into digital media and entertainment.
Now I have the opportunity to help others kick start their careers too, as I sit on the advisory board for the RTS's Mini MBA Program. It's a brilliant multidisciplinary introduction to the industry that will help to create the generation of leaders and innovators.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? Since I started at the BBC, every year feels like a revolution with constant change and innovation in TV. That feeling has stayed for the last twenty-five years. I've been able to witness and take part in huge restructuring, from the traditional four or five channels many of us grew up with, through to YouView, Freeview and the growth of the EPG as we transitioned to digital TV. Now we're into the next phase with a focus on streaming, content, and collaboration. Figuring out what kind of business model can be successful at each of those points and how partnerships help drive better outcomes has been fascinating.
Working in the UK is so rewarding as we have this long, deep history of British broadcasting innovation in content and technology and it remains a privilege to be part of that conversation. Working for a US tech company, having led YouView and working in the ads business at Origin gives a totally new perspective.
What piece of advice would you offer someone look
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
03/02/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/02/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/02/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/02/2026
Berklee Alumni Recognized at the 2026 Grammy Awards Winners took home trophies in nine categories, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Songwriter o...
02/02/2026
SBS's High-Flying Drama The Airport Chaplain casts Hugo Weaving alongside Th...
02/02/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in partnership with the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), is calling for applications from experienced Sou...
02/02/2026
Photo Credit: NASA. Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion Spacecraft rollou...
02/02/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/02/2026
Hewshott, an industry leading global AV, IT, Theatre, and Acoustics consultancy firm has completed a global transition with current UK Managing Director, Daniel...
02/02/2026
Public Media Management (PMM) today announced LTN as the technology partner for PMM Cloud, its new managed, cloud-based master control solution purpose-built fo...
02/02/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/02/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/02/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/02/2026
XR, the leading platform powering advertising operations, today announced the acquisition of Telly Traffic, a UK-based business affairs specialist with nearly t...
02/02/2026
Big Blue Marble, a provider of broadcast-grade, cloud-native video solutions for broadcasters, service providers, and content owners, has become a launch partne...
02/02/2026
February 2 2026, 20:30 (PST) Mahindra launches XUV 7XO as Indias first vehicle ...
02/02/2026
Teaser available to view HERE
Damien Molony as Jim Bergerac
Ahead of the hotly anticipated return of Bergerac to U and U&DRAMA in the Spring, a teaser has bee...
02/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz reshapes mid-range market with new 44 GHz FPL spectrum analyzer ...
02/02/2026
Back to All News
Cesc Gays New Film Premieres March 27 on Netflix
Entertainment
02 February 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the first i...
02/02/2026
In addition to DPA Microphones, the company will also be acquiring Wisycom and Austrian Audio. The acquisition is now being filed for regulatory approval and sh...
02/02/2026
Arvato Systems launches a flexible and standardized billing solution
New SAP S/4HANA Utilities master system combines standardization, economies of scale, and...
31/01/2026
Spotify's annual Best New Artist celebration returned to Los Angeles last ni...
31/01/2026
The Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 launch a Long Range Attack Missile from an AH-1Z off coast of Virginia in late 2025. This demonstration ...
31/01/2026
DigitalGlue, creator of the award-winning creative.space Platform, has announced the release of creative.space OS 3.0.5, the latest software update within the ...
31/01/2026
ES Broadcast Hire, the long-established hire arm of ES Media Group, has spent the last few months busily preparing and sending out high-quality equipment for a ...
31/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
31/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
31/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
31/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/01/2026
Top L-R: The Friend's House is Here, Josephine, The Lake, Bedford Park, Who Killed Alex Odeh?
Second Row L-R: Take Me Home, American Pachuco: The Legend of...
30/01/2026
Spotify, Haziran ay sonunda kadar stanbul'da yeni bir ofis a aca n ve T rkiye pazar n y netmek zere yeni bir atama ger ekle tirdi ini duyurdu. Bu kaps...
30/01/2026
The Artemis II wet dress rehearsal will simulate the launch countdown, fully loading fuel and verifying systems ahead of the first SLS and Orion crewed flight....
30/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/01/2026
Grass Valley , the leading technology provider for live production solutions, and NETGEAR Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR), a global leader in network solutions, today anno...
30/01/2026
tvONE, a leading video processor, signal distribution technology and media server developer, announces the expansion of Amit Singh's role to Regional Sales ...
30/01/2026
With a career that spans four decades across television, film and post-production, Freelance Sound Designer and Post-production Sound Mixer Mike Aiton has built...
30/01/2026
DPA Microphones will feature its new, fully integrated wireless microphone ecosystem, designed to let audio professionals work faster, cleaner and with total co...
30/01/2026
As the Middle East continues to accelerate investment in next-generation media, broadcast, and immersive content technologies, Ventum Tech today announced a str...
30/01/2026
Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC), a Nikon company and global leader in robotic camera systems, today announced its participation at Integrated Systems Europe ...
30/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/01/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Hosts the National Opera Association's 2026 C...
30/01/2026
Student Spotlight: Sriram Narayanan The classical pianist shares his experience growing up with a language disability and finding his voice through music.
Ja...