BSkyB has appointed James Baker, the controller of Sky One, as the new managing director of Sky Interactive. He will succeed Ian Shepherd, who is leaving Sky to join Vodafone.
As controller of Sky One, James took the entertainment channel upmarket with a range of premium programming.
Reporting to chief marketing officer Jon Florsheim, James will now lead the continued development of the Sky Interactive business, which includes the Sky Active and Sky Gamestar channels and provides a wide range of services to third-party broadcasters and advertisers.
In addition, James will oversee the creation of a unit responsible for the development of a multi-platform content proposition for the Sky One brand. “In a digital entertainment world, more and more viewers look to be immersed and involved in content,” he said. “Interactive TV is a key element of Sky customers’ viewing experience, and a vital part of the rapidly converging digital content jigsaw.”
Sky Interactive is the hub of interactive television products and services for the UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB. The Sky Active and Sky Gamestar interactive portals are visited by more than a million individuals each week.