Salmon unveils BBC Studios set-up

BBC Studios chief Peter Salmon has revealed how the UK pubcaster’s proposed production arm will look and named the execs who will run it.

Peter Salmon

The new division, announced by BBC controller Tony Hall in March, is aimed at producing programming for broadcasters in the UK and abroad as part of its ‘compete and compare’ strategy.

Four genre divisions will be created: scripted; factual; entertainment, music and events; and natural history.

Scripted will be overseen by Mark Freeland, whose remit at BBC Productions currently covers entertainment, while Natalie Humphreys, who now looks after natural history, will handle factual.

Katie Taylor will head entertainment, music and events and Wendy Darke natural history. All four will sit on the BBC Studios board.

The pubcaster is looking for a head of digital and a development chief for the new division, along with a chief operating officer. Salmon said BBC Studios would also need “a stronger global commercial focus and we’ll be working closely with BBC Television and BBC Worldwide to make sure we are fit for purpose.” Further details will follow.

BBC Studios will operate independently of BBC Television and is set to launch in April. The pubcaster then plans to establish the division as a commercial subsidiary, assuming it is approved during the royal charter renewal process due in 2016.

Salmon, previously the BBC’s director for England, was brought in during July to head the new division. Its creation is part of plans that will see the end of the current requirement for 50% of the BBC’s programming to be produced in-house, to provide further opportunity for indies.

However, the move has attracted criticism that it will actually damage UK indies, with UK trade body Pact amongst those demanding clarity about how it will operate.