Jay Hunt (BBC)
Encyclopedia
Jay Hunt is a United Kingdom
-based television executive, appointed to the new post of Chief Creative Officer, Channel 4
. She is a former controller of BBC One
.
, and lived in Pittsburgh and Crete
before moving permanently to London. Hunt's father John is Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the London Business School
. Her sister is the BBC presenter, Kristina Murrin.
Hunt was educated at the independent Lady Eleanor Holles School
in Hampton
in West London
, followed by St John's College
at the University of Cambridge
, where she read English.
in 1989 as a researcher, working on BBC Breakfast News. She went on to work on Newsnight
and Panorama
, subsequently becoming editor of first the BBC One's One O'Clock News and the Six O'Clock News
.
Hunt became BBC Birmingham
's Executive Producer for Daytime in 2002, being promoted to Senior Commissioning Executive for Daytime in 2003 and then Controller of BBC Daytime and Early Peak with responsibility for programming across both BBC One
and BBC Two
between 9am and 7pm. In this role, she commissioned Great British Menu, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, The Heirhunters, Misssing.
Hunt briefly left the BBC for six months in 2007, to replace Dan Chambers as Controller of Programmes for Five, from where she poached Natasha Kaplinsky
from the BBC.. At Five, she commissioned Cowboy Builders, Extreme Fishing with Robson Green, Police Interceptors, Breaking into Tesco and Britain's Best Home.
On 3 December 2007 it was announced that she would be returning to the BBC to take up the vacant post of Controller of BBC One
in early 2008, replacing the resigning Peter Fincham
following criticism over the handling of A Year with the Queen. After handling fallout with regards to her support of Jonathan Ross
after the Sachsgate incident she underlined her objections to use of the word golliwog
by Carol Thatcher
, while still condoning the consumption of alcohol
in the BBC workplace. In 2009 Hunt was accused of a conflict of interest
after it was revealed she was secretary of a production company owned by her husband which had a contract with the BBC. The BBC said this did not breach their conflict of interest policy.
In 2008 and 2009 BBC One won MGEITF Terrestrial Channel of the Year. At BBC One her commissions included Sherlock, Criminal Justice, Five Daughters, Come Fly with Me, Mrs Brown's Boys, The Day the Immigrants Left, Famous, Rich and Homeless, Let's Dance for Comic Relief.
In September 2010, Channel4 announced Hunt's appointment to the new post of Chief Creative Officer. Immediately placed on "gardening leave
" from the BBC, she joined Channel 4 in January 2011. While on leave, Hunt was a witness at the employment tribunal
of former-Countryfile
presenter Miriam O'Reilly
, who accused Hunt of ageism
, sexism
and that she "hated women." In January 2011, the day after Hunt began working at Channel 4, O'Reilly's claims for age discrimination and victimisation were upheld. As part of her startegy to improve the quality of Channel 4 News
, from spring 2011 Hunt hired Matt Frei
(Washington), Jackie Long (Social Affairs) and Michael Crick
(Political Correspondent) from the BBC.
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based television executive, appointed to the new post of Chief Creative Officer, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. She is a former controller of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Early life
Hunt was born in Sydney, AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and lived in Pittsburgh and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
before moving permanently to London. Hunt's father John is Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the London Business School
London Business School
London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...
. Her sister is the BBC presenter, Kristina Murrin.
Hunt was educated at the independent Lady Eleanor Holles School
Lady Eleanor Holles School
The Lady Eleanor Holles School is an independent school for girls in Hampton, London, England. The school was founded in 1711.-Admissions:...
in Hampton
Hampton, London
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500...
in West London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, followed by St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where she read English.
Career
Hunt joined the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1989 as a researcher, working on BBC Breakfast News. She went on to work on Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
and Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
, subsequently becoming editor of first the BBC One's One O'Clock News and the Six O'Clock News
BBC Six O'Clock News
The BBC News at Six is the evening news programme broadcast each night on British television channel BBC One and the BBC News channel at 18:00. For a long period the News at Six was the most watched news programme in the UK but since 2006 it has been over taken by the BBC News at Ten...
.
Hunt became BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham is one of the oldest regional arms of the BBC, located in Birmingham, West Midlands. It was the first region outside of London to start broadcasting both the corporation's radio and television transmissions, the latter from the Sutton Coldfield television transmitter...
's Executive Producer for Daytime in 2002, being promoted to Senior Commissioning Executive for Daytime in 2003 and then Controller of BBC Daytime and Early Peak with responsibility for programming across both BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
between 9am and 7pm. In this role, she commissioned Great British Menu, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, The Heirhunters, Misssing.
Hunt briefly left the BBC for six months in 2007, to replace Dan Chambers as Controller of Programmes for Five, from where she poached Natasha Kaplinsky
Natasha Kaplinsky
Natasha Margaret Kaplinsky is a British newsreader and television presenter, currently employed by ITV having previously worked for Channel 5, Sky News and the BBC...
from the BBC.. At Five, she commissioned Cowboy Builders, Extreme Fishing with Robson Green, Police Interceptors, Breaking into Tesco and Britain's Best Home.
On 3 December 2007 it was announced that she would be returning to the BBC to take up the vacant post of Controller of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in early 2008, replacing the resigning Peter Fincham
Peter Fincham
Peter Fincham is a British television producer and executive, currently the Director of Television for the ITV network. He was also formerly the Controller of BBC One, the primary television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation, until his resignation on 5 October 2007, following...
following criticism over the handling of A Year with the Queen. After handling fallout with regards to her support of Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
after the Sachsgate incident she underlined her objections to use of the word golliwog
Golliwogg
The "Golliwogg" was a character in children's books in the late 19th century and depicted as a type of rag doll. It was reproduced, both by commercial and hobby toy-makers as a children's toy called the "golliwog", and had great popularity in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and...
by Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher is a British journalist, author and media personality. She is the daughter of Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, a former British Prime Minister, and Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt....
, while still condoning the consumption of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
in the BBC workplace. In 2009 Hunt was accused of a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
after it was revealed she was secretary of a production company owned by her husband which had a contract with the BBC. The BBC said this did not breach their conflict of interest policy.
In 2008 and 2009 BBC One won MGEITF Terrestrial Channel of the Year. At BBC One her commissions included Sherlock, Criminal Justice, Five Daughters, Come Fly with Me, Mrs Brown's Boys, The Day the Immigrants Left, Famous, Rich and Homeless, Let's Dance for Comic Relief.
In September 2010, Channel4 announced Hunt's appointment to the new post of Chief Creative Officer. Immediately placed on "gardening leave
Gardening leave
Garden leave describes the practice whereby an employee who is leaving a job is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll...
" from the BBC, she joined Channel 4 in January 2011. While on leave, Hunt was a witness at the employment tribunal
Employment tribunal
Employment Tribunals are tribunal non-departmental public bodies in England and Wales and Scotland which have statutory jurisdiction to hear many kinds of disputes between employers and employees. The most common disputes are concerned with unfair dismissal, redundancy payments and employment...
of former-Countryfile
Countryfile
Countryfile is a British magazine-style television programme produced by BBC Birmingham, first aired on 24th July 1988, which reports on rural and environmental issues within the United Kingdom. For its first 20 years it was fronted by broadcaster John Craven, until he stepped back from the role of...
presenter Miriam O'Reilly
Miriam O'Reilly
Miriam O'Reilly is a television presenter, best known as a former presenter on the BBC One rural affairs show Countryfile.-Early life and career:...
, who accused Hunt of ageism
Ageism
Ageism, also called age discrimination is stereotyping of and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their age. It is a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age based prejudice, discrimination, and subordination...
, sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
and that she "hated women." In January 2011, the day after Hunt began working at Channel 4, O'Reilly's claims for age discrimination and victimisation were upheld. As part of her startegy to improve the quality of Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:...
, from spring 2011 Hunt hired Matt Frei
Matt Frei
Matthias Frei better known as Matt Frei is a German-born British television news journalist and writer, presently the Washington, D.C. correspondent for Channel 4 News.-Personal life:...
(Washington), Jackie Long (Social Affairs) and Michael Crick
Michael Crick
Michael Crick is a British journalist, author and broadcaster. Crick was a founding member of the Channel 4 News Team in 1982. He worked on the BBC's Newsnight between 1992 and 2011, acting as the programme's political editor from 2007 to his departure...
(Political Correspondent) from the BBC.
Personal life
Hunt married Ian Blandford, a former BBC News employee who now works for the BBC College of Journalism and Brightspark TV, in June 2005 in Kensington. They have a son and daughter and live in ClaphamClapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
.