BBC to launch U.S. kids' channel

Pollack to set up American CBeebies

By STEVE CLARKE

LONDON -- BBC Worldwide, the U.K. pubcaster's commercial arm, has moved a step closer to fulfilling its long-held ambition of launching a tyke web in the U.S.

Susanna Pollack, becomes senior vice prexy, children's and children's business development, charged with spearheading the launch of an English-language CBeebies channel in the U.S.

The New York-based topper will also be responsible for growing BBC Worldwide's children's program brands in both North and South America.

Pre-school web CBeebies is a huge success in the U.K. and Worldwide is keen to roll out the channel in the potentially hugely lucrative U.S. market but finding distribution is not easy.

In a related move another BBC Worldwide exec, Matt Forde, will also relocate from London, where he is director of content acquisitions, to join BBC Worldwide's New York-based sales and distribution team as executive vice prexy of sales and co-pros.

Working to Steve Macallister, managing director of BBC Worldwide sales and distribution, and Garth Ancier, prexy of BBC Worldwide America, Forde will lead sales and co-production activity across all genres in the U.S. and Latin America.