Kim Shillinglaw
Kim Shillinglaw (born 1969) is a British media executive who is controller of BBC Two and BBC Four. Following the merger of the BBC's channel controller posts in January 2016, Shillinglaw will be made redundant later in the year.[1]
Shillinglaw spent her early years in Cameroon and Spain, countries in which her parents worked during the 1970s.[2] After her family's return to Britain, she attended Holland Park Comprehensive and then read history at Wadham College, Oxford.[3] After her graduation, she joined Observer Films in 1990 (for a time part of the Guardian Media Group) as a researcher, eventually becoming a series producer.[4] Following this, Shillinglaw worked for ITV and Channel 4.
From 2006, Shillinglaw worked as an executive producer for BBC London Factual and the commissioner of independent productions for CBBC.[4] Working under Karen O'Connor from late 2007, she then became one of ten "creative leads" in London Factual.[5]
From May 2009, she was the BBC's commissioning editor for science and natural history[6] responsible around 2012 for 200 hours of programming per year.[7] The proportion of science broadcasting on BBC One is reported to have risen during Shillinglaw's period in charge of the department.[8] During 2012 and 2013, she was executive producer of Bang Goes the Theory.[9]
Shillinglaw assumed her posts as controller of both BBC Two and BBC Four in April 2014 in succession to Janice Hadlow.[10] During her period as the 13th, and final, controller of BBC Two,[11] Shiilinglaw is reported to have increased the hours of science on the channel as well as the number of female presenters and experts on screen.[12] Shillinglaw was reported less keen to commission programmes about environmental issues.[13]
The posts of BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four controllers were abolished by the BBC's director general Tony Hall in January 2016, with the current BBC One controller Charlotte Moore being appointed to the overall post. Shillinglaw is to leave the BBC, but according to The Guardian, she will work through her six month notice period.[1]
Shillinglaw is married to the television producer Steve Condie who has worked on Newsnight and other programmes. The couple live in West London and have two children.[3]
References
- 1 2 Sweney, Mark; Conlan, Tara (19 January 2016). "BBC scraps BBC1 and BBC2 controller roles after more than 50 years". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ↑ Rachel Cooke "Kim Shillinglaw: 'The BBC is there to be distinct. Not highbrow or lowbrow'", The Observer, 2 August 2014
- 1 2 John Plunkett "Kim Shillinglaw: the straight-talking new controller of BBC2", The Guardian, 20 April 2014
- 1 2 Katherine Rushton "Kim Shillinglaw, BBC science and natural history", Broadcast, 21 January 2014
- ↑ Chris Tryhorn "BBC restructures London factual arm", theguardian.com, 27 November 2007
- ↑ Leigh Holmwood "BBC appoints first Muslim head of religious programming", theguardian.com, 11 May 2009
- ↑ Catherine Neilan "Kim Shillinglaw, BBC, science and natural history", Broadcast, 26 April 2012
- ↑ Ian Burrell "Beeb announces Kim Shillinglaw as new controller of BBC 2", The Independent, 11 April 2014
- ↑ "Kim Shillinglaw Controller, BBC2 and BBC4: BBC", Variety website
- ↑ John Plunkett "Kim Shillinglaw named as new controller of BBC2 and BBC4", The Guardian, 11 April 2014
- ↑ Lawson, Mark (17 April 2014). "Fifty years on: how BBC2 lost its way". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ↑ Conlan, Tara (19 January 2016). "BBC2 controller Kim Shillinglaw's exit deprives corporation of a rising star". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ↑ Monbiot, George (22 January 2016). "George Monbiot meets David Attenborough: ‘You feel apprehensive for the future, of course you do’". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Janice Hadlow |
Controller of BBC Two 2014–2016 |
Succeeded by Abolished |
| Preceded by Richard Klein |
Controller of BBC Four 2014–2016 |
Succeeded by Abolished |