Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
09/11/2006

New Creative Appointments To Improve BBC Vision

Jon Beazley is to take the top job in BBC entertainment production as Controller, Entertainment Group for BBC Vision Studios, with Karen Smith becoming Creative Director of BBC Entertainment Production, BBC Chief Creative Officer Peter Salmon has announced.
In the first major appointments to BBC Vision Studios, Beazley, currently the BBC's Controller of Entertainment Commissioning, will lead a creative community of about 500 and a business with a turnover over of £50m a year.
He will report directly to Salmon and sit on the Vision Studios Board.
Beazley will also work closely with BBC Scotland on their growing portfolio and BBC Worldwide to grow BBC Entertainment's increasingly successful international format sales business.
Smith is currently the BBC's Creative Head of Format Entertainment.
In her new role she will report to Jon, leading and aligning production and development across the Entertainment brand working closely with multi-media commissioning and building on the heritage and success of Entertainment output in the context of the new BBC Vision model.
Salmon commented: "This is very significant for BBC Vision. Jon is one of the UK's most accomplished entertainment producers and commissioners, and Karen is one of the industry's rising stars.
"Together they will be a double act that can help lead one of the entertainment world's best teams that produces some of TV's biggest hits - shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Dragons' Den and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?
"They will also help drive our new push into multi-platform production and games, and they will build great BBC ideas into entertainment formats that can flourish around the world, bringing income back to the BBC."
Beazley said: "To leave Commissioning for Production was a difficult choice but after five years in Entertainment Commissioning as both Executive Editor and Controller, BBC Vision's Entertainment Studio presents enormously exciting opportunities; Entertainment's current range of distinctive programming and the desire to initiate valuable content across all multimedia platforms was just too tempting.
"I am thrilled to be steering Entertainment Production and look forward to close collaboration with the talented programme makers across the BBC and with BBC Worldwide."
Beazley is due to take up his role before Christmas and Smith will start in January.
Jana Bennett, Director of BBC Vision, added: "Jon has made a fantastic impact on the Independent sector and in-house production as Controller of Entertainment Commissioning - revitalising Saturday nights with huge hits like 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?', and commissioning exciting shows such as Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, The Apprentice and Dragons' Den.
"I'm so pleased that Jon will be heading up Entertainment Production, because he'll bring all that expertise, and his vast knowledge of the channels, commissioners and schedules, to his new role and Karen is destined for great things in the Entertainment world.
"Peter's announcements today mark an important first step for BBC Vision Studios and another milestone in the building of BBC Vision."
With nearly 5,000 programme-makers throughout the UK across drama, entertainment, comedy and factual, learning and children's programmes, BBC Vision Studios will be the biggest integrated multimedia production group in the world when it launches on 1 January 2007.
(DS)
VMI.TV Ltd

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

04/11/2014
Production News - RTS Announces Craft & Design Awards Shortlist
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the shortlist for the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2013/2014. The winners will be announced at a ceremon
02/10/2015
RTS North West Announce Awards Shortlist
The Royal Television Society (RTS) North West Centre has announced the shortlist for its annual awards at an event hosted by CBBC presenter Lauren Lay
13/04/2016
Production News : Nominations Announced For RTS Scotland Awards 2016
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the nominations for this year's RTS Scotland Awards 2016. The awards cover all forms of production in
29/09/2017
RTS Announces Nominations For North West Awards 2017
The Royal Television Society (RTS) North West Centre has announced the nominations for its annual awards, at an event sponsored by Audio Network. Cat
06/02/2018
Nominations For RTS Television Journalism Awards 2018 Announced
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the nominations for the RTS Television Journalism Awards 2018. The awards ceremony, sponsored by Gues
11/04/2017
RTS Announce Scotland Awards 2017
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the nominations for the RTS Scotland Awards 2017. The awards cover all forms of production in Scotlan
21/05/2015
RTS Announces Winners Of Scotland Awards 2014
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the winners of the RTS Scotland Awards 2014. Chaired by April Chamberlain, the awards cover all forms
18/11/2014
Winners Announced For RTS North West Centre Awards
The Royal Television Society (RTS) North West Centre has announced the winners of its annual awards on 15 November at the Hilton, Manchester. The even
23/03/2016
Winners Announced For RTS Programme Awards 2016
The winners of this year's Royal Television Society (RTS) Programme Awards 2016, in partnership with Audio Network, have been announced at a ceremony
04/03/2016
Production News : RTS Programme Awards Nominees Unveiled
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has revealed the nominations for the RTS Programme Awards 2016, in partnership with Audio Network. The RTS Programm
01/12/2015
RTS Craft & Design Award Winners 2014/15 Announced
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the winners of the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2014-2015. The Awards, which are chaired by Cheryl Taylo
24/05/2002
BBC's business-to-business broadband capability launched
BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s main commercial arm, have launched BBC Preview – the first business-to-business broadband application that allows internation
12/10/2010
RTS North West Announces Shortlist For 2010 Awards
The Royal Television Society has announced the shortlist for its 2010 awards in the North West - one of the UK's most respected and celebrated awards
03/12/2014
RTS Announces Craft & Design Winners (Pt 1)
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the winners for the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2013/2014. This year saw TV professionals competing in
29/01/2016
RTS Announces Television Journalism Awards 2016
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the nominations for the RTS Television Journalism Awards 2016.   The awards, for news and current aff