MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide's audio and music business, under a new five-year strategy developed to drive the exploitation of popular music and capitalise on the corporation's rich archive, has strengthened its team with several senior appointments.
Jon Mansfield who was Emap Music MD has been appointed BBC Worldwide's audio and music business head of content development.
Mansfield will be joined by Stephen Davies who comes on board as head of digital ventures and Salim Mukaddam, who has been promoted to head commercial affairs.
Mansfield will develop and deliver unique content for the commercial Audio & Music business for exploitation on various platforms both in the UK and internationally.
His role will involve working closely with colleagues from BBC Radio and TV to maximise the potential of audio and music content for commercial purposes as well as looking at new ways of packaging the archives. Mansfield will also seek agreements/partnerships with Talent, record labels and agents to develop mutually beneficial new opportunities. Davies rejoins BBC Worldwide after a two year hiatus steering business development at TK Maxx.
Prior to this he was responsible for BBC Worldwide Audiobook's emerging digital deals. His new role will see him develop and build commercial consumer websites that will deliver music and speech-based content around BBC output.
Although based on archive material from stations such as BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 2, Davies's commercial offerings will be distinct from anything available from the public service.
Mukaddam, meanwhile, has been promoted to head commercial affairs, audio and music. Previosuly of Nabarro and Music Choice, he has been responsible for BBC Music's Legal and Business Affairs for over two years, focusing on putting in place framework deals with record labels to open up the BBC's vast archive of music programming.
Mukaddam is now additionally charged with managing BBC Audio & Music's Content Sales and Track Licensing business (which includes BBC Radio International), as well as taking responsibility for branding & marketing, label and artist relations.
BBC Worldwide director of audio and music Paul Dempsey says, "I'm thrilled that Jon, Stephen and Salim are now in place to help me deliver on an ambitious, but thoroughly realistic, commercial growth strategy for our Audio & Music business.
"With access to an archive and existing content as unrivalled as the BBC's, including Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test, the Electric Proms and Radio 1's Live Lounge to name but a few, we aim to fully and uniquely capitalise on the huge appetite for this kind of special content from consumers."
