News & Events

Birkett given new role in Sky News

Date posted:

5th August 2008

Chris Birkett, executive editor at Sky News is to be given a new role within Sky, as head of a new multimedia production team responsible for combining TV, online, radio and interactive departments.

Chris Birkett, executive editor at Sky News is to be given a new role within Sky, as head of a new multimedia production team responsible for combining TV, online, radio and interactive departments.

The 130-strong team of Sky employees will create a shift from individual departments to a new dedicated team aimed at integrating Sky's various forms of broadcast.

Mr Birkett will take on his role as combined head of Sky News on September 29, the date for the newsroom restructure, and will also work alongside Steve Bennedik, soon to be the head of a new Sky News new technology unit, aimed at increasing Sky News' use of new technology across all forms of broadcast.

"Sky News' audience is changing and we must change too," said John Ryley, head of Sky News.

"We need to accelerate the pace of change into digital media."

The shift of focus onto digital media reflects the nervousness present in the press, which is concerned with the falling readership of newspapers and a rise in online news sources.

So far however a shift from broadcast news to digital media has been slow to take on, with BBC's iPlayer and 4od being used more for non-live programmes.

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