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New BBC Worldwide organisational design moves P&L ownership from divisions to geographies

BBC Press Office

22 June 2012

Jana Bennett, President of
Worldwide Networks and the Global BBC iPlayer, has decided to leave BBC
Worldwide in late autumn following implementation of a major reorganisation of
the company, as BBC Worldwide reconfigures the business from divisional to
geographic lines. As a result, P&L ownership will move from the existing
global divisions to a number of market and country facing business units. (For
further details of the reorganisation click here http://bbc.in/LnCZ3R
Jana said: “My time
at BBC Worldwide has been exciting and stimulating. I am delighted to have
grown the BBC’s international channel portfolio at a time when global markets
are so highly competitive and to have brought quality British programmes and
events to new audiences around the world both through our worldwide networks
and the Global BBC iPlayer pilot.
“Today's announcement
about the new organisation of BBC Worldwide, with regions in future holding
P&L responsibility, is an important step in securing the future growth of
BBC Worldwide enabling it to compete more effectively in the global market and
deliver increasing returns to the BBC. I was pleased to have played a
significant role in the organisational design process and fully support the
changes under John Smith's leadership. However with the move of P&L
responsibility under the new structure I feel this is a good moment for me to
work outside BBC Worldwide.”
Since becoming President
of Worldwide Networks, Jana has overseen the channels business, which is the
biggest revenue generator for BBC Worldwide and will report further strong
growth for the year just ended. She has overseen the introduction of 13 channel
services, from New Zealand to Thailand, as well as the launch of channels into
new markets for the first time, including Brazil and Taiwan. She has pioneered
global programming events across BBC Worldwide’s own channels, with broadcasts
such as the Royal Wedding, Sport Relief, as well as the London Calling season
(timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee and the London
Olympics), playing out across four continents simultaneously.
Jana, is responsible for
BBC Worldwide’s 33 owned and operated thematic channels across 100 countries in
EMEA, Australasia, Asia and Latin America. Jana is also responsible for the
Global BBC iPlayer which launched as a pilot in July 2011 and is now in 16
countries. She also has financial responsibility for BBC Worldwide’s 50%
interest in UKTV, the owner of 10 branded channels in the UK; and executive
responsibility for BBC Worldwide’s business development strategy across all its
business in Latin America.
Jana will remain with BBC
Worldwide until late autumn, in order to effect a full handover of her
responsibilities and to complete a number of major commercial deals that John
Smith, BBC Worldwide CEO, has asked her to oversee.
John Smith said: “Jana has
made a hugely positive contribution to BBC Worldwide in her time here. She
deserves our gratitude, and leaves us a great legacy to build on. She has
extended our channels internationally, driven schedule changes which have
translated into ratings and advertising uplifts, and moved forward our digital
offer across several platforms. She has also secured some important market
entries in Latin America, Asia and EMEA, which will form the cornerstone of our
future business there. I am sorry to lose someone of her calibre, as we refocus
our business on regional opportunities, but I am grateful she will remain with
us for a time to deliver a number of strategically important projects across
the world.”
Mark
Thompson, BBC Director-General and Chairman of BBC Worldwide, said: “The BBC
has been fortunate to benefit from Jana’s talents in many ways. As a Director
of Television, and later Director of Vision, she was second to none, with a
record that speaks for itself in both reach and appreciation across the many
services she was responsible for. In that role, she brought to our screens much
loved shows from Strictly Come Dancing, the new Doctor Who and Planet
Earth as well as comedies like The Thick of It and Miranda and
boosted our specialist factual output in science, arts and culture. Over the
past decade, she has played an important role in steering the BBC into the
digital age, building the new channel portfolio with BBC Three and Four and our
much loved children's channels. She's expanded the BBC's global audience at BBC
Worldwide as well. She has been a valued member of our BBC Executive and
Worldwide Boards and the UKTV Board. She leaves with our thanks for all she has
done, and our affection for the principled and visionary colleague she has
been.”
Jana added: “After more
than 10 years with BBC Television both within the UK and internationally, there
is much here that I will miss. I will leave with huge pride in what the
Corporation stands for, both here and abroad. I would like to thank the
talented and dedicated teams I have worked with and wish all the best to an
exceptional organisation while I look forward to bringing my experience to another
area of international media.”

For more information,
please contact:
Tessa Matchett on 07712 077966
Esther Thompson on 0208
433 2506

NOTES TO
EDITORS BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly
owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company
exists to maximise the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the licence
fee payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The
company has five core businesses: Channels, Content & Production, Sales
& Distribution, Consumer Products and Brands, Consumers & New Ventures,
with digital ventures incorporated into each business area. In 2010/11, BBC
Worldwide generated profits of £160 million on sales of £1158 million and
returned £182m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see
our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview

Biographical notes
Jana's programme-making
credentials include Editor of Horizon and Head of BBC Science, where commissions
included Walking with Dinosaurs and The Human Body. She was
awarded an OBE in 2000 for services to science broadcasting. From 1999 to 2002
she was Executive Vice President and General Manager at Discovery
Communications in the USA and grew TLC to become a top 10 US pay TV channel.
She returned to the BBC in
2002 as Director of Television (later Director of Vision). As Director of
Television between 2002 and 2006 Jana led the BBC’s digital television
strategy. During her tenure, BBC television reached 85 percent of the British
population each week, with a 38 percent share of all TV viewing. BBC one was
acknowledged at the “UK’s favourite channel”, whilst BBC HD was recognised as
the “best quality HD channel”. CBeebies and CBBC were the most popular channels
for pre-school and 6-12 year olds respectively while BBC Three became a home
for new UK comedy and drama, and hard hitting documentaries such as 'Our War”
while BBC Four established itself as a high quality, innovative cultural
channel.
Under Jana,
BBC Television launched a raft of much-loved programmes. She and her
commissioning team relaunched Doctor Who in 2004 as part of a new BBC
one drama strategy. She brought The Apprentice to the BBC, and Strictly
Come Dancing was invented and launched by her entertainment team and rolled
out across the world as Dancing with the Stars; one of the world’s most
successful entertainment formats. She spearheaded factual seasons such as
Darwin and Year of Science, Poetry and the Cultural Olympics programmes.
As Director, BBC Vision she helped turn BBC Television into a fully
multi-platform division, supporting iPlayer and digital media production.
During this time the BBC also introduced groundbreaking interactive television
services (BBC Red Button, BBCi), BBC’s HD channels, multi-platform content and
laid out the future archive strategy. During her time at the BBC, she served on
the BBC Executive Board, UKTV Board and Worldwide Executive and as a
Non-executive Director on the BBC Worldwide Board.