My move into the BBC took me closer to program-making and program-makers, the people with whom I have partnered in a career to fulfill the value of that content.

The sole purpose of the U.S. operation is to move profits back into the BBC’s general funding matrix, which funds what is widely acknowledged to be a pretty important group of programs in the UK.

Q: What is your typical day like at BBC Worldwide America?
-the inescapable fact is that our mothership is eight hours away from us, so I am an early riser. After taking care of UK business, I talk to our creative teams and then insofar as is possible, I try to keep some headspace to think creatively about what the future might hold for us as a business. This is usually punctuated by breaking bread with others in the industry.

Because of the network and production companies we are building, I increasingly speak with those in other countries. If you’re going to make “Dancing with the Stars” a hit, you may as well make it a hit in 28 countries. This provides a nice counterpoint to any suggestion that LA is parochial and inward-looking. In fact, we get audience insights from India, the UK and throughout the world.  I don’t think it’s an atypical day, and I won’t await violin music when I say I get up at 6AM and go to bed at 10PM, a lot of people do this. I am very lucky to enjoy working with a fantastic team of people, a league of extraordinary gentlemen and gentlewomen.

Q: Can you give some idea of the growth of your business?
-like all commercial businesses, we are tasked with aggressive growth targets, which must be met within the objectives of our broadcast partners. The BBC has a huge investment in production of media other than television. We are definitely talking to new media platforms. I’m an immigrant into that world myself though I live with people who are digital natives, which are my children. We hope to grow in double digits and this may include some people we haven’t done business with before.

Q: Can you tell us about your current hit “Dancing with the Stars” and upcoming project “Top Gear”?
-where “Dancing with the Stars” is concerned, it’s important to keep it fresh and interesting for the viewers. Every season when we announce the new cast there are always surprises for people to follow along with. There’s a great level of anticipation that builds, and ABC are great partners at helping build this anticipation for a franchise that is now in its sixth season.

 “Top Gear” is a massive hit in the UK; it’s a monster. From a cultural point of view, you would expect it to be a huge hit in the United States: very clear format, well structured and huge numbers in the UK. We’re making it for NBC, which we see as a great piece of real estate for it.

Q: Where do you want your business to be in five years' time?
-we’re trying to grow the headlines of our business in the reality area, with double digit growth in turnover and profits. That’s tough since it’s a very competitive landscape out there, but I can see us achieving it with production companies and network partners. We are thinking of going into scripted in a much larger way, “other” programming as it’s currently done today and my idols in this area are Lionsgate and Sony in their cable production business. The network pilot-to-series development process is something that’s very hard to keep a steady heart rate during.