Biographies

Head of Children's, Scotland

Simon Parsons started his broadcast career as a film editor at BBC Manchester in the mid-Eighties before leaving to pursue a freelance career for 15 years.

He worked around the ITV network, variously at Granada (World In Action), TVS (The Ruth Rendell Mysteries) as well as Tyne Tees, Border TV and various independent companies in London.

In 1990 Simon settled in Glasgow where he directed documentaries for Channel 4 and numerous factual series for STV before joining the BBC in 1997 to work in Children's TV to produce titles such as Live And Kicking, 50/50 and The Saturday Show.

In 2005 Simon became Head of Children's Production in Scotland and joined the board of BBC Children's.

He also joined the Creative Futures working group to help develop a new strategy for the BBC's children's and teenagers' services. Implementation of the strategy meant leading the department in Scotland to develop an almost entirely new slate, redefine its purpose and develop new core skills.

Simon lives near Glasgow with his family. He is 47.