BBC Studios to reorganise structure as media and streaming boss Rebecca Glashow exits

BBC Studios’ Rebecca Glashow, who serves as CEO of BBC Global Media & Streaming, is set to depart the company, prompting a structural reorganisation.

Rebecca Glashow

The New York-based exec will leave in October after spending five years with BBC Studios, initially as president of the Americas before being elevated to CEO of global distribution in 2022 and then to her current role in 2023. Her next move has not yet been revealed.

Glashow’s post is not going to be replaced, with her various responsibilities set to be shared by existing members of the BBC Studios team under a new structure.

BBC Studios said it would create a global content studio, to be led by Zai Bennett, CEO and chief creative officer of BBC Studios Productions. Janet Brown, president of global content sales, will now report to Bennett.

Robert Schildhouse, president and general manager of BritBox International in North America, will now report directly to BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell.

BBC Studios’ channels and catch-up services outside of North America will now fall under Marcus Arthur, CEO of UKTV and president of BBC Studios in the UK and Ireland. Robi Stanton, who leads the team in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, and Arran Tindall, who oversees Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will both report to Arthur.

Tara Maitra, who was recently promoted to president of global news and streaming, will continue in that role, now reporting to Fussell.

Glashow has played a key role in BBC Studios’ growth over the past five years, which has included its full buyout of streamer BritBox International, the expansion of its AVoD and FAST business and the launch of direct-to-consumer service BBC Select.

Before joining BBC Studios in mid-2020, Glashow worked at Awesomeness TV, initially as chief strategy and distribution officer and then as co-head when the company was acquired by Viacom. Prior to that, she spent more than nine years with Discovery, most recently as senior VP of digital distribution and strategy.

Trade publication Broadcast was the first to report news of Glashow’s exit.