BBC America adds unscripted exec

BBC America has poached an exec from Zodiak Media’s Scottish production company IWC Media to become its new VP of unscripted programming.

Ricky Kelehar will oversee the US cable channel’s original programming slate, including shows such as Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, and also be responsible for the development of new unscripted formats.

He will be based in New York and report to Perry Simon, general manager of channels at BBC Worldwide North America, and work with Richard De Croce, senior VP of programming, to develop new original content for the channel.

Kelehar, who takes up the newly created post next month, joins from IWC, where he was head of factual entertainment and US formats. He has previously worked for the BBC in New York as exec editor of factual entertainment, where he oversaw production on Honey We’re Killing the Kids for US net TLC.

Simon said Kelehar, who has worked in the TV industry for 20 years including spells at Tiger Aspect and ITV Factual & Documentaries, would allow the channel to expand its unscripted programming slate.