PRESS RELEASES
September 15, 2010

Sandy Ashendorf Appointed EVP Network Distribution For BBC Worldwide America

New York, NY – BBC Worldwide America has today appointed Sandy Ashendorf to Executive Vice President Network Distribution for BBC Worldwide America. Ashendorf is a former senior executive with MTV Networks and brings over twenty years of media industry experience.

Reporting to new BBC Worldwide America COO, Ann Sarnoff, Ashendorf will be responsible for overseeing the affiliate sales and marketing initiatives in the U.S. for BBC Worldwide America’s channels and assets, including BBC America in Standard and High Definition, Video on Demand, and BBC World News. She takes over from Kristina Song.

Ann Sarnoff said: “Sandy has an impressive track record and wide experience in affiliate sales and is a great addition to our senior management. She and I have worked together and I’m delighted to be reunited with her.” She added: “Kristina has done a fantastic job in establishing our affiliate sales business, and we are grateful to her. When she told us she wanted to take a complete break from the industry Sandy was the natural successor. She will now build on these impressive foundations to further grow our channel footprint in this market.”

Ashendorf added: “The BBC is a tremendous brand and I am excited to help it grow in the U.S. I’m also looking forward to working with Ann, Herb and the rest of the team. By partnering with our distributors to determine how the BBC can best meet their needs and objectives, I think we can really deliver the company’s vision for the future.”

Ashendorf had been consulting for media organizations, including BBC America. Previously, she spent over seventeen years at MTV Networks, ultimately becoming EVP Affiliate Sales and Marketing, and managing the sales groups responsible for distribution across satellite, telco and wireless. She was also responsible for legal and strategic issues relating to distribution.

Before that Ashendorf was a Corporate Associate with the law firm of Rubin Baum Levin Constant & Friedman.

She is a graduate of New York University and Cardozo Law School and is on the Board of Directors of the T. Howard Foundation.

About BBC Worldwide America
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).  BBC Worldwide America, with headquarters in New York and Los Angeles, brings together all of BBC Worldwide’s businesses in the U.S.  The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The company has seven core businesses:  Channels, Sales and Distribution, Content and Production, Home Entertainment, Digital Media, Global Brands and Magazines.  Under these businesses fall two key brands in the U.S. – digital cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production arm responsible for the smash hitDancing with the Stars for ABC.