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Roly Keating

Biographies

Roly Keating

Director, Archive Content


Last updated November 2008
Category: Channel Controllers
Printable version


Roly Keating, former Controller of BBC Two, has become the BBC's first Director of Archive Content, with responsibility for maximising public access to the BBC's constantly expanding archive of television, radio and multimedia content.

 


An updated biography will be posted here. His previous biography, when he was BBC Two Controller, follows:


Roly Keating became Controller of BBC Two in June 2004.

 

The channel has recently won Broadcast Channel of the Year and had a very strong 2007, reversing its reach decline, holding its peak share and broadening its audience.

 

Under Roly's tenure, memorable BBC Two programmes have included Andrew Marr's History Of Modern Britain, The Choir, the White season, Jerry Springer The Opera, Rain In My Heart, Shoot The Messenger, The Power Of Nightmares and Stephen Fry: The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive, alongside comedy successes such as Extras, The Catherine Tate Show, That Mitchell And Webb Look and the re-launched Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

 

The channel has also launched a raft of influential and popular returning series, including Dragons' Den, Coast, Tribe, Springwatch, the first two series of Who Do You Think You Are? and The Apprentice. Its top-rating programme, Top Gear, continues to go from strength to strength.

 

Before joining BBC Two, Roly was the Controller of BBC Four, leading the launch of the channel in March 2002.

 

With programmes ranging from The Falklands Play to The Alan Clark Diaries, the channel under his Controllership won numerous awards, including non-terrestrial Channel Of The Year at the 2004 Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival and a BAFTA for The National Trust.

 

Roly joined the BBC as a general trainee in 1983.

 

As a producer and director in Music and Arts he made films for Omnibus, Bookmark and Arena, including documentaries about Ealing Studios, VS Pritchett and Philip Roth.

 

He was a founder producer and subsequently Editor of the long-running arts and media magazine The Late Show.

 

From 1992 to 1997 he was Editor of Bookmark, winning the Huw Wheldon BAFTA for Best Arts Programme in 1993.

 

In 1997, Roly became Head of Programming for UKTV, overseeing the launch of the BBC's joint-venture channels with Flextech, including UK Style, UK Horizons and the re-launched UK Gold.

 

In 1999 he was made BBC Controller of Digital Channels, with overall editorial responsibility for BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge, as well as UKTV and BBC Prime.

 

The following year he became Controller, Arts Commissioning, with responsibility for music and arts programming across BBC Television, before moving to BBC Four in December 2001.

 

In 2003 he was seconded for six months to act as joint leader of the BBC's Charter Review project.

 

From October 2007 to May 2008 he combined his job on BBC Two with the role of acting Controller, BBC One.

 



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