MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has announced that BBC One controller, Danny Cohen has been appointed as BBC Television director.

Cohen?s appointment follows an open recruitment process and is the final addition to new director-General Tony Hall?s senior management team.

He will sit on the BBC?s executive and management boards and will oversee the BBC?s four main channels, BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four alongside BBC iPlayer and online content for BBC Television. He also oversees the drama, entertainment, knowledge and comedy genres as well as BBC Films. In addition, he will be responsible for the BBC Television archive and BBC Productions, Europe?s largest television production group.

Hall said, "Danny Cohen has been the driving force behind an extremely successful period in BBC One?s history. Key to his success has been an ability to provide viewers with a mixture of high quality programmes they enjoy whilst also introducing them to new subjects they might not have considered before. I am looking forward to seeing his impressive mix of creativity and vision being put to great effect across the whole of the BBC Television portfolio."

Cohen said, "I?m honoured to be taking over as director of BBC Television. Our ambition is to be the finest broadcaster and producer in the world and our values will be based on talent, creativity, storytelling and innovation. I?ve had a wonderful time at BBC One and am grateful for the work of all the talented people who have made the channel the most popular in the UK in recent years."

Cohen begins his new role on 7 May. He will be paid a total package of GBP 327,800.

MUMBAI: BBC has said that the London 2012 Olympic Games delivered the biggest television event in the UK since current measuring systems began, with 51.9 million (90 per cent of the UK population) watching at least 15 minutes of coverage. 24.2 million (42 per cent of the UK population) also watched at least 15 minutes of coverage on the BBC Red Button.

The Closing Ceremony was watched by a peak audience of 26.3 million and an average audience of 23.2 million (82 per cent share). This compares to an Opening Ceremony peak audience of 27.3 million and an average audience of 23.4 million (84% share).

BBC One controller Danny Cohen said, "It has been an absolute privilege to broadcast the London 2012 Olympics on BBC One. It?s been a phenomenal Games and Team GB?s amazing achievements have helped draw huge audiences to BBC One and put the channel right at the heart of the action. We?ve had fantastic feedback about the quality of the BBC?s coverage and all the teams involved deserve huge thanks and praise."

Top 10 viewing peaks:
1. Opening Ceremony, Friday 27 July - 27.3 million
2. Closing Ceremony, Sunday 12 August - 26.3 million
3. Men?s 100m Final ? Bolt wins gold, Sunday 5 August - 20 million
4. Mo Farah wins 10000m gold, Saturday 4 August - 17.1 million
5. Jess Ennis wins Heptathlon gold, Saturday 4 August - 16.3 million
6. Tom Daley win?s diving bronze, Saturday 11 August - 15.9 million (inc. BBC One/Three and BBC Red Button)
7. Greg Rutherford Long Jump gold, Saturday 4 August - 15.6 million
8. Men?s 200m Final ? Bolt wins second gold, Thursday 9 August - 15.4 million
9. Mo Farah wins 5000m gold, Saturday 11 August - 12.9 million
10. Sally Pearson wins 110m hurdles gold, Tuesday 7 August - 12.1 million

MUMBAI: BBC One has launched its new Original British Drama campaign to the UK nation throughout the Olympic Games period.

Over the next two weeks audiences will get a sneak preview of the new British drama coming up on the channel. including ?Good Cop?, ?Accused?, ?Doctor Who;, ;Merlin? and ?EastEnders?.

BBC One controller Danny Cohen said, "The London 2012 London Olympics provides a rare and unique opportunity to showcase some of BBC One?s very best forthcoming programmes to our audiences. At approximately 8 pm across the 17 days of The London Olympics, we will give viewers the first exclusive look at a range of brand new original British drama coming up on BBC One - in the form of

specially-made feature length trailers. From Hunted to The Paradise, Good Cop and The Secret of Crickley Hall, Shetland to Ripper Street, these new series highlight the exciting and broad range of tones, stories and worlds we want drama on BBC One to encapsulate.

"Plus viewers will get an exclusive look at what?s coming up on Eastenders, Merlin Accused and Dr Who. It?s a fantastically diverse and ambitious combination of fiction coming up on BBC One in the coming months."

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC?s channel BBC One controller Danny Cohen and BBC controller, entertainment commissioning Mark Linsey have commissioned Initial (an Endemol company), to produce ?Secret Service?, a new six-part comedy series for Saturday evenings on BBC One.

The ?Secret Service? are a team of highly trained operatives (actors and comedians) who are looking for people who need to be pranked, wound up, or tricked into believing something utterly ridiculous while being secretly filmed.

In this hidden camera show, Richard and his elite Secret Service team are here to help the people of Britain. If you have a mission for them, and it needs to be kept secret from someone (and then broadcast to the nation) they are the team for you.

Linsey said, ?Richard has proved to be an enormous treat for the Saturday night audience with his own unique brand of humour, and I think the viewers are going to enjoy his Secret Service as much as they have Total Wipeout."

Initial creative director Nick Samwell-Smith said, "Following on from the great fun we?ve had with ?Total Wipeout?, we?re delighted to be working with Richard Hammond again on this exciting new hidden camera show, which will make for great family viewing on Saturday nights.?

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has announced that BBC One controller Danny Cohen has commissioned a 30-minute special edition of Jim‘ll Fix It, produced by BBC In-House Entertainment.

Hosted by Shane Richie, the programme will be broadcast as part of this year‘s BBC One festive line-up.

Originally devised and hosted by Sir Jimmy Savile and broadcast on BBC One between 1975 and 1994, ‘Jim‘ll Fix It‘ was watched by millions on a Saturday evening. The BBC will now fix it for a new generation of children, whether they want to break a world record, be a superhero for a day, train with an Olympic athlete or be the fairy on top of the Christmas tree. And the new programme will even feature the original theme tune, with a modern twist.

Cohen said: "I think it will be a great tribute to Jimmy to re-create his famous show as a Christmas treat for audiences."

Richie added, "On being asked what my memories were on the iconic BBC One series Jim‘ll Fix It, the visions of stories and people came flooding back, as it was compulsive television in our house and all my friends would talk about the ‘fix its‘. I even wrote in but wasn‘t one of the lucky ones! I‘m honoured to be part of this Christmas Special and salute Sir Jimmy and fix it for a new generation!"