Lucy Murphy to leave Sky Kids, Ian France promoted to head of Sky Kids content

UK satcaster Sky’s director of kids’ content, Lucy Murphy, is leaving the company after 10 years following the announcement in July that Sky would stop commissioning children’s programming.

Lucy Murphy

Murphy will leave at the end of this year, with commissioning editor Ian France taking over as head of Sky Kids content. The news comes as Sky Kids transitions to an acquisitions-only model.

Murphy joined Sky as head of kids’ content in 2015, before becoming director in 2020. During her tenure, she has commissioned more than 150 originals including Pip & Posy and BooSnoo

Prior to Sky, Murphy had a six-month stint as creative director and head of content at children’s platform Azoomee, before which she was an executive producer at Bing prodco Acamar Films for over five years.

Other former roles include creative consultant at Gruffalo prodco Magic Light Pictures, project development and script editor at Aardman Animations and senior producer at Novel Entertainment. She began her career as head of sales and coproductions at EVA Entertainment in 1995.

Posting online, Murphy said: “There is so much I have to be grateful for during these last 10 years as director of kids content. Having the opportunity to collaborate with the biggest global kids brands. Building an on-demand collection of exceptional children’s content. Launching the ad-free Sky Kids linear channel. And of course being so fantastically lucky to work with the UK and global creative industries, commissioning many brilliantly creative and innovative shows and impactful campaigns that have children’s needs at their heart.

“To be able to make positive impact, and to do so during a time of seismic changes in children’s lives and shifts in their media and viewing habits has been, quite frankly, exhilarating both professionally and personally. I’ve loved every minute.”

France, meanwhile, joined Sky as commissioning editor in 2020, before which he was digital development exec at Banijay’s Zodiak Kids for one year. Other previous roles include exec producer at MarcoPolo Learning, BBC Children’s and 7 Wonder Productions.

Last week, C21 revealed that Sky Kids’ commissioning editor Lisa Mackintosh has also left the company, after six years.