Liam Keelan opts for BBC Worldwide over Sky

Liam Keelan has opted to take a new role at BBC Worldwide over the position as director of Sky1 he accepted late last year.

Worldwide, the commercial arm of the UK public broadcaster, announced yesterday that Keelan will become its global editorial director.

In that role he will report to chief content officer Helen Jackson and develop the editorial and creative vision for Worldwide’s channels and services around the world. The channels include BBC Knowledge, BBC Entertainment, CBeebies and BBC.

“This is a job I’ve always wanted to do,” said Keelan. “The opportunity to take part in extending the BBC brand – with its suite of channels across the globe – is too exciting to pass up.”

Keelan has been Controller, BBC Daytime since February 2006.

Last December he was announced as boss of UK pay TV operator BSkyB’s flagship entertainment channel Sky1, replacing Stuart Murphy. However, he accepted the Worldwide role before he could start at Sky.