BBC Studios appoints Mark Hedgecoe as Head of Factual Scotland

Factual Scotland is a new production unit within BBC Studios, centred in Glasgow, creating a wide range of specialist factual and broader factual content including arts, history, daytime, documentaries, travel, factual drama and magazine shows. Recent titles include The Marvellous World of Roald Dahl, This Farming Life, The Secret Life Of Sue Townsend, Hairy Bikers: The Pubs That Made Britain, Scotland’s War At Sea, The School That Got Teens Reading, Music Moguls: Masters of Pop, Landward and Silk Road.

Mark Hedgecoe has worked in specialist factual television for over 15 years and has been Acting Head of Arts for BBC Studios for the last year. As an Executive Producer his credits include the award-winning factual drama The Challenger starring William Hurt, The Gamechangers starring Daniel Radcliffe, Operation Iceberg, What’s The Right Diet For You?, Earth’s Natural Wonders and The Girl Who Talked To Dolphins.

Mark will also have a broader non-editorial leadership role covering all BBC Studios activity in the Scotland base, scripted as well as factual. This will involve communicating with Studios’ teams there, liaising with the BBC Scotland management team and being a point of contact for other stakeholders in Scotland.

Lisa Opie, Head of BBC Studios Factual says: “Mark is an exceptional programme-maker and an energetic leader who lives and breathes factual content. He will help grow our cross-genre offering in Factual Scotland, encouraging creative collaboration whilst protecting our unique specialisms.”

Mark Hedgecoe says: “I am thrilled to be taking on this role. Factual Scotland has huge potential, with specialist skills and experience across a wide range of factual genres and a strong track record of working with commissioners and channels internationally and in the UK, as well as in Scotland. We are looking forward to building on this rich programming heritage and existing success to bring our content to new audiences.”

In addition, it is being announced today that BBC Studios’ Religion and Ethics production team will come under the management of Factual Scotland, complementing the range of skills there. This will increase the opportunity for cross-genre collaboration and simplify the existing management structure. The team will be led by Tommy Nagra, an experienced programme maker and creative leader with vast experience within religion and ethics. Tommy will continue in his current role and report into Mark.

Aaqil Ahmed, Head of Religion and Ethics, based in BBC Studios, has decided to leave the corporation. Aaqil began his career at BBC Birmingham working on programmes like Panorama, before becoming Deputy Editor of Documentaries and then Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor for Religion and Head of Multicultural Programming. He returned to the BBC in 2009 and was also responsible for commissioning programmes until 2015.

Mark Linsey, Director of BBC Studios, said: “The BBC has broadcast some outstanding religious and ethics programming under Aaqil and we are grateful to him for the contribution he has made over the last 7 years, both in production and commissioning.”

Factual Scotland is one of six production units in BBC Studios Factual, alongside The Natural History Unit, Popular Factual, Science, Documentaries and Topical and Live.

Subject to regulatory approval, BBC Studios will launch as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2017 and will be able to compete for work with other UK and international broadcasters, as well as the BBC.

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