Liam Keelan joins BBC Worldwide as Global Editorial Director

Click to tweet: Liam Keelan joins BBC Worldwide as Global Editorial Director http://bbc.in/VP78QP via @BBCWpress

Reporting to Chief Content Officer, Helen Jackson, Keelan will be responsible for developing a strong editorial and creative vision for BBC Worldwide across its entire global channels and branded services portfolio.

Keelan will oversee the editorial direction of BBC Knowledge, BBC Entertainment, CBeebies and BBC Lifestyle and shape the editorial vision for new channel brands.  In addition, he will work with BBC Worldwide’s Genre Directors and Brand teams to identify and galvanise creative partnerships with the BBC and independents as the company looks to grow new brands and franchises around the world. 

The new Content Group at BBC Worldwide will bring together the content demands, desires and priorities for all BBC Worldwide’s regions and as Global Editorial Director, Keelan will ensure this is done in a way that enhances and cherishes the values, standards and quality of the BBC brand.

“This is a job I've always wanted to do,” said Keelan. “The opportunity to take part in extending the BBC brand - with its suite of channels across the globe - is too exciting to pass up.”

Commented Jackson: “For our success to continue it will increasingly require us to create, co-produce and commission content.  Liam brings with him huge experience and the results he produced in ratings for BBC ONE speak for themselves.  Having a strong central editorial direction for the company in our new regionalised structure is absolutely paramount and in Liam we undoubtedly have the right man to deliver this.”

Last year, BBC Worldwide announced it will reconfigure the business from divisional to geographic lines of management. The three global divisions of Consumer Products, Channels, and Sales & Distribution will cease to exist in their current formats, and the P&L for these divisions will move to Regions. At the same time, three core global business functions will be established in Content, Brands and Digital to set the strategic framework and parameters for the activities of the regional businesses.

Liam has been Controller, BBC Daytime since February 2006. Under Liam's tenure, the schedule has been revamped, with a stronger emphasis on drama, consumer/current affairs and event-led programming.  His commissions for BBC One and Two have included factual events with drama tie-ins such as The Week We Went To War and Land Girls; Rewind The 60s and The Indian Doctor; The Story Of Us and Brinkburn Street. Other highlights have included Great British Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo, the Jimmy McGovern drama Moving On, the Alexander Armstrong-fronted quiz, Pointless, and Rip-Off Britain (with Gloria Hunniford, Jennie Bond and Angela Rippon) which has recently transferred to peak-time BBC One attracting audiences well in excess of 5 million.