Airey to Leave Sky

LONDON, December 11: Dawn Airey is stepping down as the
managing director of Sky Networks at BSkyB in the spring to join the new
British media company Iostar as chief executive.

Airey will leave her position at Sky, which she has held for
the past four years, sometime in the spring. Sky’s COO, Mike Darcey, will
assume responsibility for ad sales, the broadband Internet portal, joint
ventures, channel distribution and relationships with third-party channels.
Airey took on much of those responsibilities following the departure of the
previous COO, Richard Freudenstein. Vic Wakeling, the MD of Sky Sports, will
take over oversight of Sky News. It is not yet clear who will oversee the
remaining channels under Airey’s mandate: Sky
One, Sky Two, Sky Three, Sky Movies, Sky Travel and Artsworld.

According to British media reports, Iostar will be a
rights and distribution firm, encompassing factual and entertainment fare, films,
talent management and international distribution. Its directors include former
Hallmark executive Mark Grenside and former Efdex chairman Tim Carron Brown.

Airey joined Sky in January 2003 after spending more than
six years at Five, including a stint as chief executive.