Sky rejigs programming team

Sky has installed a new head of comedy and rejigged its senior programming team across Sky 1 and Sky Living.

Sky 1 director Adam MacDonald has been given a wider role, and will now also run female-skewed entertainment channel Sky Living.

The change sees former Living boss Julia Barry move to new role in Sky’s On Demand division.

MacDonald will also oversee the Pick and Challenge channels, with Stephen Ladlow, director of Challenge, reporting to him.

The news closely follows the unexpected departure of Sky’s director of entertainment channels Stuart Murphy last month.

All of Sky’s key channel execs outside of sport and news now report to Gary Davey, managing director, content at the pay TV firm. MacDonald reports to Davey, as does Sky Atlantic chief Zai Bennett and Sky Arts boss Phil Edgar-Jones.

Sky’s top programming team – including head of drama Anne Mensah, head of non-scripted Celia Taylor, and new head of comedy Jon Mountague – also all report to Davey.

Sky confirmed Jon Mountague as its permanent head of comedy this morning. He has been filling the role on an interim basis since Lucy Lumsden said she was stepping down to return to the production sector.

Former Living boss Barry, meanwhile, will report to strategy and operations boss Dominic Shorrocks.

Davey (pictured), who joined Sky in the UK earlier this year as managing director, content, said: “I’m committed to continuing to offer our customers a broad range of quality, original content. With our priorities in mind, I have reviewed the workings of our entertainment team to reflect this.

He added: “With the team now in place, I’m really excited about the future and continuing to deliver great, high quality entertainment content to our customers.”