BBC’s Gale Joins Five

LONDON, March 25: British
terrestrial Five has appointed Ben Gale as its new director of programs.

In his new role, Gale will
oversee programming for Five. Gale, currently the BBC’s commissioning editor
for features and formats, will take up his new post at a date to be announced
shortly.

As the BBC’s commissioning
editor for features and formats, Gale was responsible for Nigella Express, Heston Blumenthal’s Perfection and Indian Food Made Easy on BBC Two, and for relaunching Crimewatch on BBC One. Before being promoted to his current
role at the BBC in January 2007, Gale was the executive producer for features
and documentaries. His credits included The Baby Borrowers, Mischief, The Real Hustle and
BAFTA-winner The Choir.

Gale joined the BBC in
November 2004 from independent production outfit Wall To Wall, where he served
as the series editor of the first season of Who Do You Think You Are? Prior to that, he spent five years at Lion
Television making factual entertainment series for networks in the U.K. and the
U.S.

—By Irene Lew