BBC APPOINT BENSON JOINT DIRECTOR

THE BBC have announced Glewyn Benson as their Joint Director of Factual and Learning.
Benson has been acting in the role since the appointment of Lorraine Heggessey to Controller of BBC One at the end of last year. As Joint Director of Factual and Learning with Michael Stevenson, Benson becomes a member of the BBC’s Executive Committee.
Benson will lead the factual programming departments across television and maintain responsibility for editorial compliance, commissions and development. Jeremy Gibson, Controller of Documentaries, and Anne Morrison, Controller of Leisure & Factual Entertainment, will report to her.
Stevenson will continue to lead Education, Radio and New Media, and will have overall responsibility for strategy, performance and budget.
Director-General, Greg Dyke, said: “Although Glenwyn did not originally apply for the job, she is absolutely the right person for it and I’m delighted that we have been able to persuade her to take on the role permanently.”
Benson said: “Factual and Learning is home to some of the BBC’s world class brands and most talented people. We face many challenges with the advance of multichannel digital television and new media – in particular to understand and invent new ways of engaging and enriching the audience’s experience. That way we will attract the resources from controllers, co-producers and the public to provide a rich and diverse environment for our staff.”
Benson, who is currently Controller of Specialist Factual, began her career in broadcasting at LWT where she became Deputy Editor of ‘Weekend World’ before joining the BBC as Editor of ‘On The Record’. In 1992, she was appointed Editor of ‘Panorama’ and spent three years before taking charge of the BBC’s adult education programming. In October 2000, she took up her new post as Controller of Specialist Factual in the BBC’s new Factual and Learning division with overall responsibility for Science, Natural History, Arts, Business and History output. (CD)