Top performing kids broadcaster hires acting Turner chief content officer to lead UK operation and promotes Andy Goodhand to SVP Strategy & Planning

On Monday 26th April, MTVN UK & Ireland and BSkyB announce the appointment of Tina McCann as the new Senior Vice President Managing Director for top performing children’s TV network, Nickelodeon UK. McCann joins Nickelodeon from Turner Broadcasting where she is Acting Chief Content Officer for the children’s entertainment brands in EMEA; managing development and acquisitions for Turner’s Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito brands, as well as having responsibility for the central creative and franchise management. She will start with Nickelodeon UK on 10 May, assuming overall responsibility for all the network’s UK operations and brands. McCann reports to the Board of Nickelodeon UK.

McCann is a highly experienced general manager of international digital television channels with a background in programming. She launched Cartoon Network and TCM across Europe, starting her career at Turner Broadcasting as Director of Programming and culminating as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the EMEA entertainment channels.

Her major achievements at Turner include launching 17 channels in multiple languages, developing a successful channel in China (CETV) and building revenue across a wide range of brands. She led the division’s largest ever project of digitising all content and building an in-house transmission facility. She has also been a board member of two Turner joint-venture companies in Germany and Italy.

Andy Goodhand will assume the role of Senior Vice President, Strategy and Planning Director, effective immediately. Reporting to Tina McCann, Goodhand will be responsible for the development of Nickelodeon UK’s strategic plans across the whole business to ensure the continued successful growth and profitability of the company. He will also oversee and have responsibility for strategic property/consumer product management and development, consumer and commercial marketing, press and PR, research, and channel planning.

David Lynn, EVP MTVN UK & Ireland, says: “These two appointments will be instrumental in driving Nickelodeon UK’s ongoing success. Tina brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the children’s TV industry, as well as a clear creative and commercial vision for the Nick network. We are thrilled to have Tina on board and certainly feel she is ideally placed to grow and develop our business going forward. Andy’s promotion not only reflects the contribution he’s made to Nickelodeon’s growth and success over the past 13 years, but also the key role he’s played in guiding our Nickelodeon operations over the past three months. I’m very much looking forward to working closely with Tina and Andy.”

Mike Darcey, BSkyB’s Chief Operating Officer, says: “This is an exciting time for Nickelodeon UK and these two appointments signify a clear direction for the network in its next phase of development. We are delighted to have Tina on board and feel her experience and passion will hugely benefit the network going forward.”

Tina McCann says: “I'm delighted to be given this opportunity to lead the UK business, and excited to be working with such a talented team. I have long admired Nick's innovative content and iconic brands and look forward to being part of this dynamic ‘orange’ world”.