Clive Jones, the ITV news and regions chief executive, is to leave the company later this year.

Jones has been with the company for nearly 30 years, joining as a journalist at Yorkshire TV in 1978. He has spent the past three years running ITV's national and regional news operation since the Carlton/Granada merger that created ITV plc.

He became editor in chief of TV-am, then went on to be deputy managing director of TVS, managing director of LNN and Central, then managing director and chief executive at Carlton.

Jones will also step down as chairman of GMTV, in which ITV owns a 75% stake, but retains some links to ITV, with a new part-time role as editorial strategy advisor to ITN.

He also chairs Skillset and is a director of the Sector Skills Development Agency, roles he will also retain.