Farr to control BBC branding

The BBC has appointed Sue Farr, BBC Radio’s head of marketing and publicity, as its first marketing chief for TV and radio. This is the first time someone has been given overall control of the BBC brand.

Farr will fill the newly-created role of controller of marketing for BBC Broadcast – the new TV and radio directorate created by a restructure in June. BBC Broadcast covers scheduling, commissioning and transmission of all TV and radio programmes.

Farr will report to Will Wyatt, chief executive of BBC Broadcast, and sit on the directorate board. She will handle the marketing of all BBC TV and radio services.

Farr, a former business development director at WCRS and launch marketing director of UK Gold, joined the BBC in 1993 as its first head of marketing and publicity. She has had to work through a period of high-profile audience loss for BBC Radio 1 and made increased use of ad agencies for off-air promotion. She appointed Chiat Day to boost Radio 1’s image and Saatchi & Saatchi to promote Radio 3’s Proms coverage.

“I will decide on the need for off-air promotions for TV,” says Farr of her new role. “The first thing will be to ensure we make the best use of the BBC’s own air waves.”

Farr has been connected with a number of high-profile jobs outside the BBC in the past year, including marketing director of Channel 5.