HEGGESSEY IS FIRST FEMALE BBC ONE CONTROLLER

BBC’s Director of Television Mark Thompson has announced the appointment of Lorraine Heggessey, as Controller of BBC One.
Heggessey (pictured), who will take up the post on November 1, will be the first female controller of the channel in the BBC’s history.
Heggessey, supported by a team of four expert genre commissioners, will be responsible for co-commissioning all of the channel’s output, strategy and schedules.
Mark Thompson said: “Lorraine has tremendous energy and a fierce commitment to the future of BBC One. As well as many outstanding achievements in current affairs, science and other factual programmes, she reinvigorated BBC Children’s programming. She is a programme maker through and through, and has a great knack of recognising the original idea and making it work. I think she will build on Peter’s many achievements with skill and imagination.”
Heggessey was appointed Joint Director of Factual and Learning earlier in the year, responsible for overseeing the management and creative direction of factual programming across BBC’s television channels, radio networks, digital and online services including the new digital TV channel BBC Knowledge.
Heggessey said: “The lure of running a flagship channel like BBC One is irresistible to any programme maker. The challenge, which cannot be underestimated, is to set the standard with BBC One in a multi channel world.”