The appointment will take effect next month. Felgate is a former Reuters Television broadcast journalist and the founding general manager of Cambodian TV channel CTN.
He also spent the past year setting up a public relations and TV production company Quantum Publicity in Phnom Penh.
“MMU’s aim is to become the country’s premier digital-media platform,” said Dr. Kyaw San, MMU managing director. “The appointment of a Western CEO is the first step in the process of building a solid and successful entertainment group.”
MMU has a 10-year licence to operate five digital channels, which are connected to national broadcaster Myawady TV (MWD) and are currently free-to-air.
It is also looking for international investors to form a partnership or joint venture, and is already having preliminary talks with media companies in Southeast Asia.
“The potential for media is enormous,” Felgate said. “We are currently conducting research, but all the indications are that there is a large population hungry for entertainment.”
MMU was founded in November 2011, and it was awarded a licence to operate TV in Myanmar in May 2012.