MUMBAI: George Entwistle has been named as the new BBC Controller of Knowledge Commissioning.
In this role, Entwistle will be responsible for delivering the recently launched knowledge building strategy across the BBC on TV and on the web, from landmark series to documentaries; across specialisms from arts to history, natural history, business, science and religion; to consumer journalism and contemporary factual.
He will head BBC Vision's Knowledge and Learning commissioning teams who commission programmes and multi-platform content from Vision Productions and the independent sector, which together produce over 1,600 hours of output a year.
BBC Vision director Jana Bennett said, "As a programme maker and a creative leader, George has an impressive track record across a wide range of genres including current affairs, arts and science. This gives him a deep understanding of how to deliver great factual programmes for all audiences.
"He has been an outstanding member of the factual commissioning team and has also had real success leading the creative renewal in current affairs and during his time running BBC Four.
"Knowledge building is a cornerstone of the BBC's future and this is an opportunity to bring the knowledge story together more powerfully across all channels, the web and other platforms, building on the foundations laid by Glenwyn Benson."
Entwistle said, "The BBC's knowledge output – on TV and every other platform – is right at the heart of our public purposes. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to play my part in taking forward our new Knowledge Strategy – in partnership with the exceptional talent across the BBC and the independent sector – to deliver factual content our audiences will find outstandingly valuable, compelling and enriching."
In 1999, after ten years in current affairs, he joined the science department as Deputy Editor of BBC One's flagship science show Tomorrow's World.
He went from there to become Deputy Editor and, in 2001, Editor of Newsnight – which won five RTS awards during his editorship.
In 2004 he moved to BBC Arts to become Executive Editor of Topical Arts. There he launched The Culture Show for BBC Two.
He also spent several months as Chair of the Knowledge Building workgroup on Mark Thompson's Creative Future strategy review.
