Cable television firm NTL Ireland appointed Mr Graham Sutherland as its new managing director yesterday. He will be the firm's third boss in just over 18 months.

His appointment comes at a challenging time for NTL, which is undergoing a major restructuring and is facing strong competition from the digital satellite provider Sky in the Irish marketplace.

Mr Sutherland will take over from Mr Brian Moore, who stepped down suddenly last month.

Mr Sutherland has worked for NTL for just over a year and is currently deputy managing director of NTL's Celtic region, comprising Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Prior to joining NTL, he held a number of senior positions such as finance director of Bombardier Business Jet Solutions and managing director of Maydown Precision Engineering in Derry.

Mr Sutherland said yesterday he was looking forward to being based in Dublin and being responsible for NTL Ireland, which would be an exciting opportunity.

Mr Liam Duggan, who has been acting managing director since July, will continue in the role until September 2nd, when Mr Sutherland joins the firm.