BBC Confirms Root To Depart On Voyage Of Discovery
The BBC has confirmed that Jane Root is stepping down as controller of BBC Two to take a newly created role at Discovery Networks in the US following weeks of speculation over her departure.
Root has been appointed executive vice president and general manager of the Discovery Channel and will leave the BBC in mid-May after more than five years at the helm of the Corporation’s flagship arts and documentaries channel.
The move is being seen as something of a coup for the Discovery Channel, which has been trying to tempt Root away from the BBC for some time. It is understood that she has visited the broadcaster’s American headquarters several times over the last few months.
Commenting on her departure, Mark Byford, acting director general of the BBC, said: “Jane Root has been an outstanding creative leader of BBC Two spearheading a wide range of outstanding landmark programmes and events and original work across drama, factual, comedy, current affairs and music. We all wish her well with her new job and thank her for her brilliant contribution while here at the BBC.”
Root added: “BBC Two is a very hard channel to say goodbye to: it’s got such a strong personality and so many brilliant people contribute to it. I’ve completely loved the past five years. But Discovery is also a great place, and a special partner to the BBC, so I am really excited about the challenges ahead.”
Root was appointed controller of BBC Two in January 1999 in a move saw her become the first female channel controller in the Corporation’s history. Acclaimed programmes screened on BBC Two during her tenure include Restoration, Great Britons and Simon Schama’s A History Of Britain.
BBC Two has seen its share of viewing remain fairly stable over the last ten years, despite increased competition from multi-channel broadcasters. BBC One has seen its share dip by almost a third over the same period and ITV1’s share of viewing has virtually halved.
Earlier this week the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race bowed out to a massive audience of nearly nine million viewers as the BBC aired its last ever broadcast of the prestigious annual event. Unofficial overnight figures from BARB show that a peak of 8.9 million viewers tuned in to see Cambridge secure a controversial win over Oxford in what was the 150th Boat Race to take place on the Thames (see BBC Sinks Competition With Boat Race Coverage).
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