BBC Future Media & Technology (FM&T) director Erik Huggers (pictured right) and chief operating officer Kerstin Mogull are shuffling some chairs, in what looks like further multimedia integration and a response to BBC.co.uk overspending.
The move will extend FM&T execs in to each of the BBC's other content units (Vision, Audio & Music and Mobile Media), NMA said - though a BBC spokesperson told paidContent:UK it's not quite the "major reshuffle" claimed, just a "realignment" to ensure every FM&T exec post now maps on to an equivalent in the other three units.
That means two FM&T execs get new responsibilities:
• Anthony Rose (pictured left), Huggers' right-hand man who was brought in from KaZaA last year as head of media technology, becomes controller of the Vision & Online Media Group.
• User experience controller Richard Titus (middle) becomes controller of Audio & Music and Mobile Media, following previous mobile head's Matthew Postgate's recent departure to lead R&D.
• Rahul Chakkara remains FM&T's TV controller (responsible for red button interactivity) and Nic Newman remains journalism and digital distribution controller.
The BBC Trust had blamed the 2007/08 overspend on weak management that arose when the formerly centralised BBC New Media unit was splintered across each of the BBC's content divisions in last year's corporation-wide restructure - that restructure meant execs in different silos could not see the extent of expenditure. FM&T appointed a chief operating officer as one response to the criticism; the latest tweaks appear designed to further join up Auntie's overall digital operations and also give Rose more power than he had - his proximity to Huggers beginning to mirror Huggers' earlier deputisation of Ashley Highfield.
