The BBC has restructured its Natural History and Specialist Factual Commissioning department, appointing dedicated commissioners for science, religion and ethics, and for history.
Tom McDonald (pictured) will continue to lead the department. Craig Hunter has been appointed Commissioning Editor for Science and Factual, Scotland; and Fatima Salaria has been appointed Commissioning Editor for Religion and Ethics.
The Commissioning Editor for History will be announced in due course. Two other commissioning editors will also work across the span of the genre.
Hunter has over three years experience in BBC commissioning. His commissions include Big Blue Live, Oak Tree, The Big Life Fix, The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs, Six Puppies and Us and What’s the Right Diet for You? as well as returning specialist factual formats Trust Me, I’m A Doctor and Inside The Factory.
Salaria was previously an Assistant Commissioner on the BBC Content Commissioner Development Programme where she worked on religious content at the BBC including Carols at Kings, Fern Britton Meets and An Island Parish as well as series Muslims Like Us and My Mediterranean with Adrian Chiles; and the Black and British season. Before that, she was a series producer on specialist factual titles including Mixed Britannia, Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain and The 70s.
Alison Kirkham, Controller of Factual Commissioning said: “These two new appointments demonstrate our commitment to genre specialism and to simplifying processes within the BBC to the benefit of our suppliers and our audience.”
McDonald said: “From Planet Earth II to Six Wives with Lucy Worsley, Inside The Factory to Big Life Fix, Muslims Like Us to Black and British, I’m proud of the range, innovation and originality of our output and have no doubt that Craig and Fatima will continue to keep us at the very top of our game in Specialist Factual.”
Staff Reporter
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