BBCWW promotes two in reshuffle

BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) has reshuffled its senior content team with the promotion of two senior execs.

Tracy Forsyth becomes BBCWW’s genre director for factual entertainment and entertainment, while Mark Reynolds is the new genre director for factual, with their remits covering creative partnerships, content acquisitions, coproduction deals and content strategies.

Forsyth, who was previously VP for commissioning, will oversee shows including Top Gear, Dancing with the Stars and The Great British Bake Off and will also commission for BBC Brit, which C21 revealed is set to launch in Russia later this year.

Reynolds, formerly commercial director for factual, will look after series including David Beckham Into The Unknown, Hidden Kingdoms, Brian Cox’s Human Universe and 37 Days and oversee commissioning for the new BBC Earth-branded channel.

Both will work with Liam Keelan, who was appointed as BBCWW’s director of scripted earlier in the year, and with recently arrived global editorial director George Dixon.

Helen Jackson, BBCWW’s chief content officer, said: “The creation and financing of premium content fuels all that we do, from driving international television sales to bringing our new global genre brands to life. Having a genre focus will be invaluable to ensuring BBCWW content stands out across the board.”

The commercial arm of the BBC is in the midst of ramping up its original content and pledged to increase its spend by over £200m (US$340m) annually. Its new channels – drama-skewing BBC First, male-orientated BBC Brit and factual BBC Earth – are set to be rolled out later this year.