Sarah Barnett has been named as President and General Manager of BBC America as joint venture partner AMC Networks puts its stamp on the channel.
The current president and general manager of AMC Networks’ SundanceTV, Barnett will begin her new role in full early next year. She’ll oversee both Sundance and BBC America until a successor is found.
BBC America’s current general manager, Perry Simon, will enter into an exclusive production deal with BBC Worldwide North America with development commitments already in place from BBC AMERICA and AMC Networks.
“Sarah has had a remarkable tenure guiding SundanceTV through a dramatic evolution, taking the network ad-supported and establishing it as a formidable player in the scripted drama space,” said Ed Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of AMC Networks. “Sarah’s appetite for creative risk-taking and her strong leadership skills are well suited to this new role and we look forward to her building on BBC AMERICA’s successes, as the network continues to establish itself as a showcase for high quality shows that resonate with critics and audiences alike.”
It’s a return to BBC America for Barnett, who had various roles in production and marketing, before joining Sundance a decade ago.
She also spent 12 years with the BBC in London.
