MUMBAI: Jana Bennett has confirmed the new management structure for BBC Vision’s multiplatform division.
Following the announcement that Simon Nelson is to step down as BBC Vision controller, portfolio and multiplatform next month, Bennett has restructured the management team who will report to her, to ensure television and multiplatform are streamlined into a more integrated working relationship.
The UK pubcaster is re-shaping all its websites into five product portfolios (combining technology and editorial). Although the exact scale of the BBC’s future online investment will be determined later this year by the Trust, in their response to Putting Quality First, it has been agreed that BBC Vision will take the editorial lead for two of the five key product portfolios in the new-look BBC Online.
As of 15 November, all current Vision multiplatform activity will become fully integrated into one of three areas under single points of overall editorial leadership.
BBC director of archive content Roly Keating will take charge of a new "broadcast" portfolio that combines his current responsibilities with editorial and strategic leadership of the TV & iPlayer product, implementation of Vision’s strategies for IPTV, BBC Red Button and syndication and management of the scheduling and content release teams. He will also continue to represent Vision on the Online Direction Group.
BBC controller of knowledge commissioning George Entwistle will lead the Knowledge and Learning product portfolio on BBC Online and other platforms.
He will build on the established success of brands such as Bitesize and Wildlife Finder and focus on even greater integration between Knowledge and Learning.
Vision Productions chief creative officer Pat Younge will take responsibility for integrating all Vision’s other online and multiplatform activity into Vision Productions – including day-to-day content creation in the programme and genre areas.
There will also continue to be clear points of contact for indie suppliers. Bennett said, "We are moving into a new era of rapid convergence. With the launch of YouView and other IPTV platforms, the re-shaping of BBC Online and the implementation of exciting new BBC strategies for Learning and Archive, we have to ensure that Vision’s management is set up to be able to manage this in the best way possible.
"Our aim is to create empowered production and genre teams with the skills to create and publish great content across multiple platforms. The training that is being set up in association with the BBC Academy alongside changes to the management structures should allow us to do just that".
