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Press Releases
Controller, Entertainment, Multi-Platform Commissioning completes BBC Vision's lead genre
commissioning team
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Elaine Bedell has been appointed Controller, BBC Entertainment, Multi-Platform Commissioning by Director of
Vision Jana Bennett, completing the four-strong BBC Vision genre controllers'
team.
As Controller, BBC Entertainment, Multi-Platform Commissioning, Elaine will lead the group that commissions
entertainment across BBC One, Two, Three and Four and for different platforms
such as broadband and mobile.
The role covers entertainment formats, light
entertainment, entertainment events and archive
entertainment.
Elaine will seek new ways to collaborate with other genres such
as Knowledge to develop exciting new formats and multi-platform innovation.
Commissioning Editor for Features and Factual Entertainment since 2005, Elaine
has managed and commissioned such popular factual programmes as Top Gear, The
One Show, the new What Not To Wear and Rogue Traders.
Jana Bennett said: "Elaine is a strong creative figure with a great track
record in entertaining, enriching programmes, and I'm delighted she is taking
this role.
"BBC Entertainment is on a high and will be an important growth area
for the BBC in future.
"From Strictly Come Dancing to The Apprentice, and Friday
Night with Jonathan Ross to QI, BBC Entertainment has broken the mould in many
ways, and our innovative formats are beating all comers around the world.
"Getting all four genre controllers in place is an important step in building
the new BBC Vision Group, which will help us meet audience expectations in the
digital age.
"Alongside the Channel Controllers, Elaine and her fellow
commissioners will make sure the BBC seeks the best, biggest and most creative
programme ideas on all platforms."
Elaine Bedell said: "I've loved factual entertainment commissioning, but I'm
really looking forward to getting in the driving seat with the BBC's impressive
entertainment slate.
"Thanks to Jon Beazley, it's in great shape, and I look
forward to working with him at BBC Vision Studios, as well as with the best
creative talent in the independent sector.
"But the biggest lure for me is the
opportunity to take on multi-media commissioning and to find and develop
entertainment projects that work on many different platforms."
Elaine will report directly to Director of Vision Jana Bennett.
She takes up
her post in December 2006 and will start by building her team to be ready for multi
platform commissioning.
The Vision genre controllers already in place before today's announcement were
Controller, BBC Fiction Jane Tranter; Controller, BBC Knowledge Glenwyn Benson; and Controller, Children's Richard Deverell.
BBC Vision launches formally on
Monday 20 November 2006.
Remaining appointments to the BBC Vision board will be the
Controller of Multi-Platform and Portfolio, the Director of Operations and the
Head of Executive Unit.
Elaine Bedell: biography
Elaine Bedell has been the BBC's Commissioning Editor for Features and Factual
Entertainment since 2005.
In that role she has managed and commissioned many of
the BBC's most popular factual programmes, including The One Show, Celebrity
Masterchef, Rogue Traders, the new What Not to Wear, Top Gear, The Great
British Village Show, Castaway and Nigella's Christmas Kitchen.
Previously BBC Independent Executive, Elaine was instrumental in helping to
deliver a more effective working relationship between the BBC and the
independent sector.
She started her career at the BBC as a trainee and produced programmes for
Radio 4 (including Start the Week, Newsstand, Midweek and You and Yours) as
well as series for BBC One and Two (The Late Show with Clive James, the
Postcard series, the BBC One New Year's Eve Reviews of the Year, and
Assignment).
Elaine left the BBC to become Head of Factual Entertainment at Tiger Aspect
where she produced It's Just a Ride with Bill Hicks (Channel 4) and Paul
Merton's Life of Comedy (BBC).
She went on to become Managing Director of Watchmaker, the independent
production company she set up with Clive James and Richard Drewett.
There she
executive produced factual entertainment for all the main channels - including
Clarkson and Mondo Rosso (BBC Two), all of Clive James' output at ITV, Meet the
Neighbours (BBC Two), The Unforgettables (ITV), Football Stories (Channel 4),
Collins and Maconie's Movie Show (ITV), Rich Kids (Sky One), The Candidate
(Radio 4) and The Showbiz Set (Channel 4).
When Watchmaker was bought by the Chrysalis Group, Elaine became MD of
Chrysalis Entertainment and oversaw its comedy and sitcom output (Sam's Game
and Black Books).
She has won a Bafta and a British Comedy Award.
JB3
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