Kurland out as Sky restructures factual team

UK satcaster BSkyB is saying goodbye to head of factual entertainment commissioning Michele Kurland as the result of a divisional restructure.

Sky plans to merge its factual entertainment and factual commissioning teams, with Celia Taylor assuming the new role of head of factual commissioning.

Kurland’s role will now be merged into Taylor’s remit.

The role of factual entertainment executive Anne Cafferky will also be merged into a single, expanded position, which has gone to factual and features executive Eleanor Bailey.

Both Kurland and Cafferky are involved in an ongoing consultation process.

Sky is bringing the teams together in a bid to simplify the pitching process for indies with factual and factual entertainment ideas.

Sky’s head of entertainment channels Stuart Murphy and Sky Arts and production boss James Hunt have overseen the restructure, having noticed an increasing overlap between the genres.

“Celia and Eleanor bring a wealth of experience to the roles and will work closely with James and myself over the coming days to make the transition as smooth as possible,” Murphy said in an internal memo. “I am very sad to say that Michele Kurland and Anne Cafferky will both be leaving their positions. I rate them both very highly, as I know we all do.”

He added: “I tried to bring Michele to Sky for many years and have loved every minute of her being here. Her contribution has been enormous – she is an incredibly gifted executive, and a very lovely person and colleague, and I hope we will continue to work with her very closely in whatever new role she takes on next. She has commissioned those big fact ent formats she was brought in to do, including The Face and My Kitchen Rules. I’m sorry we are in a position where we cant keep both roles.