TWO NEW PROMOTIONS AT GRANADA FACTUAL

GRANADA Television have announced two key promotions from within their factual programme division.
Restructuring will create two separate controller roles for current affairs and documentaries at Granada. Jeff Anderson, Editor of ‘Tonight with Trevor McDonald’ has been promoted to controller of current affairs and features, while Head of Documentaries Bill Jones becomes controller of documentaries, history and science.
These two appointments replace Charles Tremayne who moved to New York last month as Senior Vice President of Granada Factuals USA.
Grant Mansfield, Director of Programmes at Granada said: “Our whole area of factual programming has grown so large that in order to respond to current market forces it makes much more sense to have two distinct and separate departments. As both appointments are based here in Manchester it also strengthens the network production base in the North West.”
While Anderson will be appointed as Executive Producer on ‘Tonight with Trevor McDonald’ he will continue as series editor until a successor is found.
Anderson said: “There are great opportunities to expand the departments output but my first priority will be to find the right person for the editor’s job.”
Sarah Chaplin, currently Executive Producer, Features becomes Head of Features in the new department. Her current slate of programmes includes the ‘From Hell’ brand and Rattrap. She will report directly to Jeff Anderson.
Jones is currently Head of Documentaries, Executive Producer of the ‘Savage’ brand of programmes. Jones said: “In the last five years we have accumulated huge experience in the popular science area with large commissions here in the UK and some major international projects in the US. Our talent base here in the North West is extraordinary and includes everyone in the production teams. I’m really looking forward to running this new structure which will enable us to concentrate on growing and expanding these developing specialist areas.”
Both appointments will be based in Manchester and will take immediate effect.