Longtime UK kids’ content exec Joe Godwin is vacating his office as director of BBC Children’s to become director of BBC Academy, the Beeb’s center for media and tech training. He will join the Academy at the start of next year.
Godwin has been at the helm of BBC Children’s for five years, leading kids’ channels CBBC and CBeebies into the digital age with new apps and online products. During his tenure, he’s helped propel both channels to number-one rankings with their target demos. He also led BBC Children’s co-pros with Sesame Workshop (CBeebies/Sesame’s The Furchester Hotel) and ZDF (CBBC/ZDF/ZDFE’s Wolfblood), and its five-year partnership with FremantleMedia to develop kids and family TV content.
At the BBC Academy, Godwin replaces Anne Morrison, who stepped down earlier this week. The BBC is looking to recruit his successor at BBC Children’s in the coming weeks.
A 25-year kids TV veteran, Godwin was BBC Children’s head of news, factual and entertainment from 2008, and head of kids entertainment from 2005. He also served at Nickelodeon UK in such positions as head of original programming and VP of interactive. Prior to that, he worked at the BBC as editor of children’s presentation, working his way up the ranks to assistant producer, studio director and producer on shows including Blue Peter, Going Live and Record Breakers.