Last updated September 2008
Category: News
Printable version
Stephen Mitchell was appointed Head of Multimedia Programmes in October 2007 and in addition became Deputy Director of News in April 2008.
The Department of Multimedia Programmes was created to meet the new challenges posed by the revolution in the ways in which audiences consume the news today.
It brings together all the major daily and weekly current affairs brands, investigative journalism and major interview programmes including Panorama, Today and Newsnight.
The Department also includes services focused on distinctive audiences, including BBC World Service news programmes such as Newshour, BBC Radio 1 news programmes such as Newsbeat and news on the BBC Asian Network.
Prior to his appointments Stephen was Head of BBC Radio News from December 1999, providing the daily national and international journalism on all the BBC's domestic radio networks, local radio stations and World Service radio in English.
Stephen began his career at Thomson Regional Newspapers as a reporter and sub-editor in Newcastle and Cardiff.
He joined the BBC Radio newsroom in 1974 and also worked as a radio reporter and on the Today programme before becoming a chief sub-editor in 1978, then duty editor in 1981 and senior duty editor in 1986.
In 1992 he become Managing Editor, Radio News, and in 1994 was appointed Editor of Radio News Programmes and worked on the set-up team for BBC Radio 5 Live.
In June 1997 he became Deputy Head, BBC News Programmes – a bi-media department which moved BBC Radio and Television core programmes into the News Centre at Television Centre, London – and helped to relaunch the BBC Radio 4 schedule (with former Controller James Boyle) and the One, Six and Nine O'Clock News on BBC One.
Stephen was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire, in 1949 and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School and Manchester University, where he obtained a BA honours degree in Politics and Modern History.
