A new job
So I’ve just started a new job — as Executive Editor of BBC Ideas. In fact I haven’t started it yet — officially that’s not until July 17 — but I thought it was worth popping in and saying hi, as it were.
So what is BBC Ideas? My colleague Lloyd Shepherd described it beautifully here. But if you can’t be bothered to click on the link, it’s a short-form mobile video platform, which will be full of interesting, thoughtful content from across the BBC and beyond.
Lloyd and I will be working together on BBC Ideas for the next few months. He’s leading the product build and I’m in charge of the editorial vision, building a small team and getting the content pipelines up and running.
As well as creating short-form digital video, we’re going to be ‘reversioning’ existing BBC TV and radio content, and working closely with colleagues who commission long-form broadcast content to see if we can make shorter digital versions.
Further down the track we’re hoping partners from external bodies and institutions will be interested in working together on co-productions or delivering to a BBC Ideas ‘spec’.
My current role as Digital Editor for BBC World Service radio means I’m also very interested in how we can utilise and repurpose BBC radio content on BBC Ideas. At World Service we’ve been experimenting with audiograms and other kinds of radio visualisation but I’m interested in taking this in different directions. My colleagues at Radio 4 have been doing some very interesting work in this area.
And then of course there’s social media. What’s the most effective way of building up a presence for BBC Ideas on social media? Which social platforms should we be on? How can we both engage the audience and drive traffic back to our main proposition?
BBC Ideas is, initially, a 12-month trial. We want to learn continuously during that time, using data and audience insights to see which content works … and which doesn’t. At the end of the year the BBC will make a decision as to whether to continue with this format, or do something else.
So lots to do, lots to think about. But there’s one thing that’s already keeping me awake at night… where are we going to sit?
