ABC News Taps BBC Veteran to Lead International Coverage

ABC News has tapped BBC News veteran Jon Williams to lead the network's international coverage.

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Williams has been the BBC's world editor based in London since 2006. As ABC's managing editor for international news starting in March, he will be based at ABC News headquarters in New York.

The announcement came Thursday from ABC News president Ben Sherwood, who characterized Williams as a "dynamic and forceful leader in breaking news situations" and "an expert at assessing risk and moving teams into and out of the most dangerous places on Earth."

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Like many news organizations covering the tumultuous Arab Spring that began more than a year ago, ABC News crews have found themselves in dodgy territory; in 2011 a crew was briefly abducted during the demonstrations in Cairo. 

Before he was named the BBC's world editor, Williams was the pubcaster’s U.K. news editor in charge of domestic coverage including the terrorist bombings in London in July 2005. From 2001-03, he worked as deputy editor of the U.K.’s popular Six O’ Clock News.
 
He has spearheaded the BBC’s Middle East coverage including in Syria, Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan, Israel, Lebanon and Iraq. 

In an email to ABC News staffers, Sherwood wrote, "With his storytelling prowess, programming expertise, digital savvy and a passion for international coverage, I’m confident Jon will build on the finest traditions of ABC News and chart a bold new course in our global news gathering efforts."