BBC’s Kate Phillips has restructured the pubcaster’s content team with the appointment of Fiona Campbell as director of factual and Ed Havard as entertainment director.
“In Fiona Campbell and Ed Havard we have two inspirational leaders who will ensure that Entertainment and Factual continue to thrive on the BBC,” said Phillips, chief content officer. “They’re both committed to delivering distinctive, world-class content to BBC iPlayer and the portfolio of channels. Crucially, they both put creativity and audiences first and will bring a real energy, clarity, and ambition to their teams. I’m looking forward to working closely with them and empowering them to pursue their ambitions for the BBC. I believe these new roles, allowing more time and focus on individual genres, will bring big benefits to Unscripted, and all the amazing producers, creatives and partners we work with.”
Phillips referenced Campbell’s extensive experience across unscripted, iPlayer, BBC Three, youth audiences, and news and current affairs. “She is an outstanding leader and creative powerhouse with a wealth of broadcasting and digital experience,” Phillips said. “Fiona has a proven track record of innovation, creativity, and an ability to reach young and underserved audiences. She’s committed to the strength of our specialisms and ensuring that we’re in the best possible shape to continue to deliver high-quality, distinctive factual content for everyone across the UK. Fiona will continue to be based in Northern Ireland as she takes on this new senior role.”
Campbell said, “Together with independent suppliers, the commissioning teams across the U.K. are delivering world-class content to audiences, entertaining and inspiring on a daily basis. I really look forward to what everyone can achieve, how we will innovate further, and the impact the content will have on audiences in the UK and beyond in the next few years.”
Havard was head of entertainment at Channel 4 and then SVP and NBCUniversal, leading the co-commissions with the BBC for The Traitors and Destination X. “In a former life, Ed also worked for the BBC in senior roles across news, factual, events, and entertainment,” Phillips said. “With his vast experience of public-service broadcasting, commercial deals, digital strategy and the international market, he is uniquely placed to continue to strengthen the impact of BBC Entertainment for audiences across the U.K.”
Havard said, “The past seven years at NBCUniversal have been a genuine joy, working with some of the most talented and generous teams in global television. I will miss them hugely, but the opportunity to return to the BBC and work alongside Kate Phillips is impossible to resist. The BBC’s Entertainment slate across studio, reality, events, formats, and lifestyle is one of the most ambitious and prolific in the world, and I can’t wait to start working with the world-class entertainment teams across the U.K. to build on that legacy.”
Harvard’s remit includes daytime, factual entertainment and events, and Campbell’s arts and classical music TV, documentaries, Storyville, and specialist factual.
Both posts are effective in the spring, when the director and unscripted editor roles will be abandoned.
