Category: 91Èȱ¬;
Daytime
Date: 19.05.2005
Printable version
Jay Hunt is to be the new Controller
for 91Èȱ¬ Daytime, it was announced today (Thursday 19 May) by
Jana Bennett, the Director of Television.
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Currently the Senior Commissioning Executive for Daytime,
Jay is already a key member of the highly innovative 91Èȱ¬ Daytime team
and her appointment signals the ambition to build on and develop its
outstanding success in this competitive area.
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Jay has a proven track record in popular television
across the 91Èȱ¬.
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In her current role, she has developed hit shows like
Missing and Beat the Burglar and played a key role in introducing new
territories to daytime with titles like Mind Your Own Business.
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As editor of the One O'Clock News and Six O'Clock News,
she reinvented daytime news coverage by tailoring the output more closely
to the audience.
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Her experience ranges from current affairs to live magazine
shows, from news to documentary.
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Jana Bennett said: "I'm really pleased that Jay will
be stepping up to the Controller role as she has a very strong track
record in developing and bringing to the screen highly original and
enjoyable programmes for the daytime audience.
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"For me she was the perfect choice - she instinctively
understands the daytime audience and is bursting with fresh, new ideas
for an even greater range of high quality programming."
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Speaking of her appointment, Jay Hunt said: "I am incredibly
excited about my new role. I have always been passionate about daytime
television and want to broaden the range of what is on offer across
91Èȱ¬ ONE and 91Èȱ¬ TWO.
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"The mix of live event coverage, news specials,
drama and innovative factual entertainment has made daytime the market
leader.
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"I now have an opportunity to push the boundaries
even further with lively, topical output and entertainment that speaks
to this very discerning audience."
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Jay joined the 91Èȱ¬ in 1989 as a researcher on Breakfast
News and worked her way up to output editor before joining Newsnight,
where she stayed until 1998.
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She then moved to Panorama as a senior producer, becoming
Editor of the One O'Clock News and then the Six O'Clock News in 2003.
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At the One O'Clock News, she was given a remit to change
the programme to fit more comfortably with the stay at home audience.
She changed the programme agenda fundamentally and introduced ground-breaking
studio graphics which, though controversial at the time, have now become
a feature of news programming across the board.
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She chose to leave News to work in Daytime because of
her passion for popular programming.
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As Executive Producer for Daytime in Birmingham she
reinvigorated the output, overseeing the production of many successful
returning brands such as Trading Up and Call My Bluff.
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From there she took on her current role - Senior Commissioning
Executive for Daytime - and has been key to Daytime's ambition and success
in developing and executive producing new, distinctive programmes which
surprise and challenge the audience.
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These include Critical Condition, Weighing In, and European
Nightmare.
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In the last two years 91Èȱ¬ Daytime, led by outgoing controller
Alison Sharman, received plaudits from viewers and critics for its distinctive
range of programmes, including The Afternoon Play; Beaten, starring
Robson Green; Britain's Secret Shame, Daytime's first ever foray into
campaigning current affairs; and the documentary strand Strutting Our
Stuff.
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Following Alison Sharman's move to become Controller
of C91Èȱ¬, Jay will take up her new role in June.
