| MUMBAI:
UK pubcaster the BBC's commercial arm BBC Worldwide has appointed Bun Scrase-Dickins
as VP, acquisitions for its 'channels' division.
Scrase-Dickins will assume charge from 2 March and will reporting to senior VP,
programming David Weiland. Prior
to this, Scrase-Dickins was head of Pay TV acquisitions at Viasat Broadcasting,
where she oversaw the acquisition of all programming for 17 channels across Scandinavia
and Eastern Europe. In
her new capacity, Scrase-Dickins will take on the responsibility for acquiring
new programming for BBC Worldwide's portfolio of five BBC branded thematic channels
– BBC Entertainment, BBC HD, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies. Scrase-Dickins
says, "This is a fantastic time to be joining the BBC Worldwide channels
team. They've built an impressive portfolio of channels over the last two years,
offering an exciting alternative to the big US channel brands." Based
in London, she will oversee the acquisition of programming for all BBC Worldwide
channels around the world, working closely with the regional programming teams. Weiland
says, "I am delighted to announce the appointment of Scrase-Dickins as our
new VP of acquisitions. Her experience and contacts will prove invaluable as we
look to secure more compelling programming across our network of global channels." Talking
about the company's future plans, Weiland adds, "We've had an incredible
2008, launching 19 channels in the last 12 months, and our aim is to keep building
on that momentum in 2009, with a continued commitment to acquiring the best of
British and global programming for our network." Prior
to joining Viasat in July 2005, Scrase-Dickins spent seven years at the Paramount
Comedy Channel, where she held various positions, including acquisitions head. | 
