MUMBAI: The BBC has merged commercially-funded bbc.com/news and BBC World News services into a newly created company BBC Global News Ltd.

BBC has appointed Jim Egan as the Chief Operating Officer of the newly created company.

Multimedia journalists will work on broadcast and digital output alongside each other in the newsroom, broadcasting in 27 different languages.

Its state-of-the-art new studios for BBC World News go live this autumn; HD transmission has rolled out to Asia-Pacific; and the BBC‘s news website continues the roll out of ‘responsive design‘ which optimizes the BBC site for smartphones and feature phones.

BBC Global News will also oversee the weather and sport areas of bbc.com. Jim will run this business alongside Richard Porter, Controller of English for BBC Global News who takes editorial responsibility.

Jim Egan said the aim of the changes was to unlock new multimedia opportunities by bringing the BBC‘s expertise in digital, social media and TV together in one place and running the operation as a single entity focusing on audiences, not platforms.

Egan, who will report to the BBC‘s Director of Global News, Peter Horrocks, also made a number of other announcements strengthening the digital focus of the BBC‘s international news services:

BBC World News will broadcast live from new state of the art studios in Broadcasting House from the autumn. The studios will include enhanced technology including virtual reality capability, significantly improving the look and feel of BBC World News.