BBC Appoints Online Controller

Seetha Kumar has been appointed to the newly-created role of controller, bbc.co.uk.

Reporting to Erik Huggers, BBC director of Future Media & Technology (FM&T), Kumar will lead the overall strategic and editorial development of bbc.co.uk, chairing a new bbc.co.uk board bringing together key executives from across the BBC.

In partnership with the FM&T chief operating officer Kerstin Mogull (see BBC Promotes Mogull To Senior Role In Future Media Department), she will be accountable for the performance of the service to the BBC Trust.

Kumar was previously Head of BBC HD and launched the UK’s first high definition public service free-to-air channel in December 2007.

Huggers said: “Seetha has proven experience working collaboratively to deliver major projects which exploit the scale of the BBC and is ideally suited to overseeing the one service where audiences can experience the BBC in its totality – it’s the BBC on the web.

“I am delighted that a colleague with such a strong editorial background will set the direction of one of the BBC’s most important services and build on the strengths identified by the Trust in their recent review.”

Tony Ageh, the BBC’s controller, Internet, is moving to another senior role within the BBC which will be announced shortly.

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk