BBC Worldwide Channels Names First General Manager for CEE

LONDON: BBC Worldwide Channels has appointed Jacek Koskowski as general manager for Central and Eastern Europe.

Koskowski’s role is a new position for BBC Worldwide’s EMEA business; it is part of BBC Worldwide Channels’ strategy to establish a local office in the market, emphasizing a long-term commitment to Poland as a priority for its business. Koskowski will be responsible for the daily management of BBC Worldwide’s channels operations and will lead the distribution of BBC channels in the market. Koskowski will be based in Warsaw and will report to Ian McDonough, senior VP and general manager of BBC Worldwide Channels for EMEA.

Koskowski joins BBC Worldwide from Poland’s TV Polsat SA, where he was the director of thematic channels and was responsible for the distribution and marketing of Polsat’s channel portfolio, among other duties. His experience in Poland’s media industry also includes his work as a presenter and news editor for Radio Zet and NTW. He also served as the sales and marketing manager for Zone Vision, which is now Chello, where he worked with brands such as Discovery, MTV and Eurosport.

McDonough said: "I am delighted to have Jacek join the team. Jacek has a proven track record for delivering growth and his experience and understanding of the market will be essential as we look to expand and develop our channels’ presence in Poland and the CEE in general. It has always been our ambition to have a local team on the ground to ensure that we are best serving local audiences and I look forward to working closely with him to enhance the offering of our channel portfolio for both new and existing audiences.”

McDonough continued: “I would like to also take this opportunity to thank Program for their hard work over a number of years as representatives for the BBC channels. The team have had a vital role in establishing the BBC thematic channel portfolio in the Polish market and have played an instrumental part in their success.”

Commenting on his new role, Koskowski added: “I am delighted to be joining BBC Worldwide Channels at such an exciting time for the business. I have admired the BBC for many years, so to become part of an organization that is so well-respected and renowned for bringing fantastic programming to audiences around the world is a dream come true. I am really looking forward to working with the team and relish the thought of the opportunities and challenges ahead.”