BBC Merges News Operations To Unlock 'Multimedia Opportunities'

LONDON – The BBC has appointed Jim Egan as COO of its newly-created BBC Global News division, to oversee the merged BBC’s commercially-funded bbc.com/news and BBC World News services.

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Egan will oversee a news-gathering empire that combines the two previously separate businesses.

BBC Global News will also oversee the weather and sport areas of bbc.com. with Egan tasked with running the division alongside Richard Porter, controller of English for BBC Global News who takes editorial responsibility.

Egan said the aim of the changes is to "unlock new multimedia opportunities by bringing the BBC’s expertise in digital, social media and TV together in one place and running the operation as a single entity focusing on audiences, not platforms."

Egan will report to the BBC’s director of global news Peter Horrocks.

The amalgamation of the two old divisions will mean BBC World News will broadcast live from studios in Broadcasting House in central London from the autumn. The studios promise enhanced technology including virtual reality capability.

BBC’s news website will continue roll out of "responsive design"  technology which can detect and adapt to different types of mobile devices such as smart phones.

Egan said: "This isn’t simply about running our TV channel and website together. We are entering an age where old definitions of channels and websites are breaking down – this is about the BBC’s commitment to delivering the world’s best quality international journalism, in text and in video, in an integrated way to all the screens our audiences use for their news."