Patrick Holland, the BBC’s head of documentaries commissioning, has been appointed as channel editor of BBC2.
The post is a new one, and follows the reorganisation of BBC Television earlier this year which saw the departure of former BBC2 controller Kim Shillinglaw, and the appointment of Charlotte Moore as controller of TV channels and iPlayer.
Holland’s role is to provide creative leadership, manage and run the channel; commissioning and scheduling programmes to enhance its identity in the portfolio of channels.
Holland has been BBC Head of Documentaries since 2015, leading one of the biggest commissioning teams at the BBC.
Before joining the BBC in September 2015, he was the managing director of Boundless (part of FremantleMedia UK).
He will start his new role in mid-August.
Clare Sillery, who is currently a Commissioning Editor in Docs, will be Acting Head of BBC Documentaries until the end of the year.
In a statement announcing Holland’s appointment, the corporation emphasised BBC2’s increased focus on authored programme making and specialist factual: “BBC2 has a unique role in broadcasting, it stretches the mind and takes you to places you haven’t been before. With a new focus on authorship and an unprecedented commitment to factual specialism, it’s a channel that challenges the status quo, inspires original thinking and gives a voice to new perspectives and diverse opinions.”
Charlotte Moore says : "Patrick is the right creative leader to bring confidence back to BBC2and give the channel a greater sense of identity in a crowded TV landscape. He is passionate about authorship and a real champion of the director’s voice and I know he will be committed to making BBC2 a place for creatives to do their most distinctive, signature work. Patrick is a born collaborator who backs risk taking, and whose extensive experience and sound editorial judgement will create a BBC2 fit for the future to drive even higher quality and success. I would like to say a big thank you to Adam Barker who has been utterly dedicated to BBC2 over the last six months. I could not have done without his support and commitment."
Holland said: “It’s a huge privilege to become Channel Editor of BBC2. BBC Two is a unique channel, combining wit and warmth with an unrivalled sense of enquiry and intelligence. More than ever BBC Two needs to be a place that champions creativity and enables authorship. I am really looking forward to working with Charlotte and the team to build on the channel’s great slate of programmes and shape the next stage of its evolution.”
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Staff Reporter
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