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BBC hires Jonathan Rothery as Head Of Pop Music for TV

By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 20 July 2022

The BBC has appointed Jonathan Rothery to the newly created role of Head Of Pop Music for TV. He will join the wider music team, with a focus on pop music commissions across the Beeb’s TV, iPlayer and digital channels and platforms.

“With over 20 years working in television, Jonathan now brings his incredible skills and experience as a hugely respected programme-maker, executive producer and commissioner to the BBC’s music team”, says BBC Director Of Music Lorna Clarke. “Having worked at a senior level on a vast range of content and formats, I’m looking forward to him bringing his genuine love for music and creativity and vision as he joins the BBC to deliver our world-class programming across all our platforms”.

Rothery himself adds: “I feel very privileged to have spent ten years commissioning such a broad range of shows and working with such amazing people at Channel 4. The opportunity to set my sights back on music TV and more specifically help build on the amazing slate of shows the BBC has to offer is a dream role for me”.

As noted there, Rothery joins from Channel 4, where he has been a commissioning editor since 2012, overseeing music programming – including coverage of the V Festival, Mercury Music Prize and iTunes Festival – and more recently also commissioning general entertainment shows.

Prior to that, he had a short stint at Sky where he worked on more festival programming, including coverage of the Isle Of Wight, Latitude and Cambridge Folk festivals, and before that he worked as a freelance producer and director, including on shows like ‘Popworld’ and ‘4 Music Presents’.

And before all of that, he was at the good old BBC, where he worked on programmes including ‘Top Of The Pops’, ‘Later… with Jools Holland’ and the broadcaster’s Glastonbury Festival coverage.

Rothery officially takes up his new role at the Beeb on 12 Sep.