Darren Childs

Darren Childs is the CEO of UKTV, a major media company and one of the most important and successful multi-channel media providers in the UK. Attracting 36 million viewers each month, the network offers a broad range of quality programming across its entertainment, lifestyle and factual offerings – Watch, GOLD, Dave, Alibi, Eden, Blighty, Yesterday, Home, Really and Good Food.

UKTV currently operates 24 broadcast streams when multiplexes (+1s) and HD channels are taken into account, and complementary websites for every channel brand. The success of UKTV is based on its programming including award-winning shows from the BBC and an increasing number of original commissions (around 700 hours a year) and acquisitions.

Prior to joining UKTV, Mr Childs was the Managing Director of the BBC Worldwide’s commercial networks/channels business, joining the BBC from Sony Pictures at the inception of the channels division in 2006. He also has responsibility for BBC Worldwide advertising sales activities across the channels business and online digital media.

In 2006, he oversaw the creation and global deployment of a new suite of fully localised BBC-branded thematic channels – BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Knowledge, CBeebies and BBC HD – which have rolled out across Asia, India, Australia, Africa, Latin America, EMEA, and the U.S. The BBC's 42 commercial channels now reach over 300 million unique subscribers and are broadcast in 15 different languages around the world.

Darren sat on BBC Worldwide's Board of Directors, and the Board of UKTV, a joint venture with Virgin Media which runs an 11 channel portfolio including Dave, Alibi, Watch, Yesterday, Gold, Eden and Blighty. Other joint-venture interests include BBC Canada and BBC Kids with CanWest.

In addition, BBC Worldwide Channels acquired full control of Australia's UK.TV in 2008, having previously been a 20% stakeholder, and simultaneously launching three new localised pay channels.

Other wholly owned BBC Worldwide channels include BBC America.

External links

• http://www.bbcworldwide.com/channels.aspx
• http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003120700
• http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/international/cbeebies-to-launch-in-us-in-bbcw-expansion-push/5006056.article#
• http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/interviews/darren-childs-bbc-worldwide-channels/5006317.article
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/worldwide/darren_childs.shtml
• http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/23885
• http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117988794.html?categoryid=1019&cs=1&query=darren+childs

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Name	Childs, Darren
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Date of birth	1966
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