MUMBAI: BBC has announced the appointment of Anna Mallett as BBC Studios and Post Production CEO.

Mallett, who will start her new role in Sepetember 2012, will report to BBC Studios and Post Production chairman John Tate who is also the BBC?s Group director of policy and strategy.

She has been part of the BBC?s senior leadership team since 2006.

Since September 2008, she has been Controller of business strategy, responsible for the BBC?s overall commercial strategy. She also developed the BBC?s distribution strategy, ensuring the continuing accessibility and prominence of BBC content.

Tate said, "It is Anna?s wealth of commercial experience and expertise, combined with her energy and vision which I believe will help drive BBC Studios and Post Production forward. I am looking forward to working with Anna to build a strong future for the business.?

BBC Studios and Post Production provides studios and post production services to the media industry. As a separate commercial arm of the BBC, it operates some of the most sophisticated TV studios and post production facilities in the world.

Last year it worked with hundreds of media companies and other customers, creating titles such as ?EastEnders?, ?I?m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!? and ?Deal Or No Deal?.

It also delivers digital media services: preserving, re-mastering and managing content through digital archiving, restoration and distribution services. The business just completed its best ever year with the highest profitability since it was formed in 1998.

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Channels has acquired Titanic ? the lavish new costume drama from the pen of Oscar-winner and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes ? to air exclusively on BBC Entertainment in South Africa, the same day as the UK version concludes.

Created to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the HMS Titanic, the 4 x 60? drama will transmit as double-bills on BBC Entertainment on 15 and 22 April.

The drama features a host of British acting talent including Linus Roache, Geraldine Somerville, Celia Imrie, Toby Jones, Perdita Weeks and James Wilby.

Filmed in Hungary, the mini-series will re-tell the story of the doomed voyage, weaving action, mystery and romantic plots and featuring fictional and historical characters, before coming together in an explosive and unforgettable finale.

Following the different characters travelling on the ill-fated ship - from steerage passengers to upper class guests - each point of view will culminate in a cliff hanger as the ship begins to founder, building to an explosive conclusion which draws together each of the stories. Viewers will be taken on a heart wrenching journey through the Titanic?s last hours, as the drama reveals which of the characters they have come to know so well will survive?and who does not.

BBC Worldwide Channels VP programming for Europe, Middle East and Africa Jon Farrar said, ?We?re delighted to be showing this prestigious drama exclusively on BBC Entertainment so soon after the hugely successful debut of Downton Abbey. As the first channel to bring the hotly-anticipated Downton Abbey to South Africa, it?s a thrill to be the only channel to show Julian Fellowes? latest project
too.?

MUMBAI: Big Magic, Reliance Broadcast Network?s variety entertainment channel for the core Hindi heartland, said it will introduce two new daily shows, Hum Hai Bajrangi and Police Files, that will premiere on12 March at 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm respectively.

Aimed at providing locally relevant and insightful programming, these new shows have been developed on the back of research and identifying local consumer insights. The research indicated high affinity of audiences in this region to both mythology and crime- related programming.

Hum Hai Bajrangi is a mythology-cum-fantasy sitcom based on local relatable characters. It is a story based on beliefs related to Lord Hanuman. Bajrangi is a powerless and meek person to a powerful hero who transformed with help of Lord Hanuman?s knowledge and teachings. The show offers a blend of mythology and comedy.

Police Files features real life stories from incidents that have taken place in the Hindi heartland that are used to empower audiences to protect themselves from such crimes. The Hindi heartland is known for its high crime rate ranging from crime against women, drug trafficking, extortion, murder for hire, homicide, kidnapping, theft, land mafia and more. This new show brings to life, real high profile cases through recreation and also goes a step further by empowering audiences to be better equipped to deal with these criminal situations.

The show features a psychiatrist, real lawyers and the real police officials, who discuss the reason, rationale, signs to look out for and more, when it comes to dealing with crime in the region.

The new shows will be promoted through a multi-media campaign, featuring TV, Radio, OOH, Print, Digital, Cable, Cinema across the Hindi Heartland to ensure that audiences quickly sample these new offerings on the channel.

An official communiqu? from the channel said, "Both these shows have been conceptualised based on local understanding and entertaining preferences of audiences in this region. We are confident that audiences will enjoy this content, and marketers will see even greater value in associating with the channel."