Kangaroo chief exec jumps ship

Project Kangaroo chief executive Ashley Highfield (pictured) is leaving the on-demand broadcaster to join Microsoft as managing director and vice-president. Highfield will leave the venture, a tie-up between BBC, ITV and Channel 4, before it launches.

He will oversee consumer operations across PC, mobile and the internet, with responsibility for sales, marketing, content, programming and business development.

Highfield joined Kangaroo in July this year from the BBC, where he was director of future media and technology.

The launch of Project Kangaroo, which aims to replicate the iPlayer’s success aggregating content from the three broadcasters, has been delayed by regulatory reviews. It had been scheduled to launch over the summer but has been put on hold pending a Competition Commission inquiry.

Rod Henwood, the former new business director of Channel 4 who is Kangaroo’s lead regulatory adviser, take over the chief executive role on an interim basis.