MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has appointed British journalist James Harding as BBC News and Current Affairs director following an open recruitment process. Harding begins his new role in August.

Harding, who will sit on the BBC?s executive and management boards, will oversee the BBC?s News and Current Affairs programming.

BBC News provides news and analysis to audiences in the UK and internationally. The division employs over 8,000 staff working across Network News, English Regions and Global News.

Harding previously worked at The Times where he was editor from 2007 until 2012. Before that he held a number of international posts at the Financial Times. He replaces Helen Boaden who has taken up the role of BBC Radio director.

Dedicated teams work together to reach over 80 per cent of people in the UK every week. BBC News is responsible for daily bulletins on the BBC?s main TV channels and radio stations, as well as flagship programmes like ?Today?, ?Newsnight?, ?Question Time? and ?Panorama?. It also produces and runs regional TV and radio news programmes in England, the BBC News website, the BBC News Channel, BBC Parliament and BBC Radio 5 live.

BBC DG Tony Hall said, "I am delighted that James will be joining as the new Director of BBC News and Current Affairs. High quality journalism sits right at the heart of the BBC making this is an absolutely critical role.

"James has a very impressive track record as a journalist, editor and manager. I believe he will give BBC News a renewed sense of purpose as it moves away from what has been an undeniably difficult chapter. As an organisation, the BBC will also benefit from his external perspective and experience which he will share as a member of the BBC?s Executive team."

Harding said, "The BBC?s newsroom strives to be the best in the world, trusted for its accuracy, respected for its fairness and admired for the courage of its reporting. I am honoured to be a part of it."

PANAJI: Doordarshan has, in principle, agreed to revive the slot for screening the films of the Indian Panorama though details have to be worked out.

This was conveyed to 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) director Shankar Mohan, by Doordarshan director general Tripurari Sharan during his visit to Panaji.

Addressing a press meet here, Mohan stressed that this was an industry-driven festival and so the stress was on artistic merit and technology, and not market driven. 

Though he emphasised that filmmakers had come all over the country, both he and producer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra admitted that only filmmakers who were invited and paid for agreed to come and few came on their own.

They were responding to a question on why film personalities failed to turn up despite the fact that the Festival was supported by the industry.

He said that the Festival was already touching its optimum with the infrastructure available, and would grow as the years go by.

Mohan defended the choice of films in the Competition, saying he would like the festival to come up to a level where it could attract world premieres. However, all foreign films shown at the Festival in all sections are Indian premieres.

He and IFFI Steering Committee Chairman Mike Pandey said in reply to a question that the Panorama films will be taken all over the country.

He refused to comment on the inauguration at Margao, saying this was a policy-level decision taken at the local level.

Pandey said the festival had reached a high level with 167 films from 65 countries, and a large number of films came on their own.

Chopra said the guest list showed some of the best names were in India and the Indian Panorama was very popular with foreign directors.