BBC Studios has announced a number of new roles aimed at further bolstering its digital news team.
News Corp SVP and Global Head of Product Jennie Baird has been appointed to a newly created position of EVP and MD of Digital News and Streaming. During her tenure at News Corp, Baird was responsible for developing digital solutions for News Corp’s range of media companies including Dow Jones, News UK, News Corp Australia, New York Post, Storyful, Realtor.com, Foxtel, and HarperCollins Publishers. In her new role, she will lead on the development of the vision and investment plans needed to continue driving growth and audiences for the BBC’s digital news products around the globe. Baird will also assume responsibility for the BBC’s recently launched documentary and podcast services – BBC Select and BBC Podcasts, which are available to audiences in the US and Canada.
She will report to Rebecca Glashow, President, BBC Studios Americas, who is responsible for developing and commercializing the BBC’s digital news portfolio outside of the UK. The offering currently consists of the international BBC News app and BBC.com – the BBC’s global news, sport, and features site, which reaches 139 million unique browsers each month.
Glashow said, “Jennie is a digital heavyweight in the constantly evolving news media landscape. As record audiences turn to the BBC for news they can trust, the creation of this role and her appointment reflects our ambitions to further reinforce our global news team and double down on our commitment to providing a world-leading digital offering.”
Baird said, “I’m thrilled to be joining an organization whose very name is synonymous with quality. At a moment in time when impartial, accurate, and trusted information is more essential than ever, I look forward to helping grow the digital reach of BBC News outside the UK, and to exploring innovative ways the BBC might better serve global news consumers.”
In addition, the BBC has announced plans to double its ex-UK digital journalism team, with new roles offering even greater global coverage on the biggest stories from across the world.
According to the latest Global Audience Measure figures, BBC News now reaches 456 million people around the world each week, with digital reach growing by 23% year on year.
