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January 31, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 6:08pm

Senior editorial promotions at BBC

By Press Gazette

By Caitlin Pike

BBC News has announced two new appointments within its senior editorial teams in current affairs and newsgathering.

Karen O’Connor, currently editor of BBC TWO’s This World, has been appointed to the new post of creative director, television current affairs, and Jon Williams has been announced as the new world news editor.

O’Connor, a former deputy editor of both Panorama and Newsnight and executive producer in BBC Factual and Learning, will take responsibility for the creative leadership and day-to-day management of the current affairs department in London and Manchester. She will report to head of current affairs, George Entwhistle.

Entwhistle said:”Karen has an incredibly strong track record in Current Affairs, and I look forward to working with her enormously. I know her energy, commitment and imagination are going to be crucial to the way we restructure and reinvigorate the department over the months ahead.”

Current TV newsgathering editor, Jon Williams succeeds Jonathan Baker as world news editor. He is a former home news editor and deputy editor of the Six o’Clock News and editor of the BBC’s live political programmes. Prior to this, he was at ITN, where he played a central role in the launch of Channel 5 News in 1996.

The BBC’s Head of Newsgathering, Fran Unsworth said: “Jon will bring great energy, strong organisational and editorial skills and vast experience of both newsgathering and programming to the job.”

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