View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
March 25, 2004updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Hayling to head BBC documentaries

By Press Gazette

The BBC has appointed a head of documentaries, bringing back a role scrapped four years ago when the factual and learning division was overhauled.

Documentary-maker Alan Hayling, former Channel 4 commissioning editor and editorial director of the short-lived News on Sunday newspaper, takes up the post after a fivemonth search by the BBC.

Reporting to Anne Morrison, controller of documentaries and contemporary factual, he will have editorial responsibility for documentaries made in London and will work closely with the Birmingham and Bristol centres.

Of the selection process Morrison said: “We’ve taken our time in making this appointment because we knew we had to hold out for the right person, and I know Alan is that person.

He’s got a fantastic track record in making and commissioning documentaries and I’m sure he will bring with him an injection of freshness and creativity to our talented team.”

Hayling is currently director of development at Mentorn, which produces BBC One’s Question Time and some editions of the Channel 4 current affairs documentary strand Dispatches. He began his career as a BBC general trainee before leaving to set up his own production companies.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

In 1992 he co-directed Drowning by Bullets, a film exposing the untold story of the murder of Algerians by the Paris police in 1961.

At Channel 4, he commissioned documentary series such as Secret History, Secret Lives, Short Stories, Undercover Britain, Football Stories and Hidden Love.

By Wale Azeez

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network