James is a radio futurologist, and is Managing Director of Media UK, the UK's free media resource.

James has worked in radio since 1989 as an award-winning copywriter, presenter, and internet advisor. In 2001 he joined the original Virgin Radio in London, where he was Digital Media Director. In 2007 he joined the BBC to work on the BBC iPlayer for radio, achieving a dramatic increase in the service's audio quality. Since leaving the BBC in 2009, he has worked for a variety of businesses, including the receiver manufacturer PURE, audio blogging platform Audioboo, UK Radioplayer and a variety of European media companies, helping them focus on the benefits and challenges that new platforms bring to their business.

He is one of the organisers of nextrad.io, the radio conference for 'people that do' in September.

He is Trustee of the pan-industry body The Radio Academy. He He is Secretary-Elect of the hybrid radio RadioDNS project, and has served as a judge for a number of industry awards including the Sony Radio Academy Awards, where he has also served on the committee.

Under James's direction, the Virgin Radio website scooped both judged and people's choice awards in the 2005 Webby Awards radio category. In September 2006, under James's direction the station redesigned its website to boast an innovative music-based social-networking system, which delivered record traffic levels and improved audience retention.

James lives in North London, and likes beer. He blogs about the future of radio on his own website at james.cridland.net.

Updated June 2011