Digital Production Partnership

The Digital Production Partnership (DPP) is an initiative formed by the UK's public service broadcasters to help producers and broadcasters maximise the potential benefits of digital production. It came to life following a 'Delivering Digital' workshop hosted by ITV and the BBC in November 2009.

At this workshop, colleagues from across the industry identified key areas where they felt broadcasters could undertake specific work that would make a real difference in the transition to digital production.

These areas form the basis for the partnership led working groups, which draw on industry experts from the worlds of technology and production.

STRUCTURE: The Partnership is run by the DPP Broadcasters Group, which meets every 4-6 weeks.
The members of the group are:
Helen Stevens (Director of Strategic Projects & Business Delivery, ITV)
Mark Harrison (Controller of Production, BBC North)
Kevin Burrows (CTO Broadcast and Distribution, Channel 4)
Andy Tennant (Controller of Technology, Production & Facilities, ITV)
Alan Whiston (Technology Controller, BBC Vision, North and Nations)
Hayley Thornton (Head of Production Finance, Channel 4)

The Broadcasters Group has oversight of the project's 4 Working Groups:
Technical Standards - Chaired by Kevin Burrows
Metadata Standards - Chaired by Noreen Adams
DPP Forum - Chaired by Mark Harrison
Best Practice Workflows - Chaired by Helen Stevens

The Executive Sponsor DPP:
Bal Samra (Director, BBC Rights & Business Affairs and Director, Vision Operations)

The DPP Project Team:
Rachel Baldwin (Project Manager, DPP)
Jayne de Ville (Assistant Project Manager, DPP)

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Helen Stevens
Director of Strategic Projects & Business Delivery, ITV

Helen is responsible for all ITV's content supply chain from the point of commissioning through to distribution to the customer and beyond. She is a board director at Clearcast (which she set up in collaboration with other broadcasters, following the integration of BACC and TV Eye) and ISAN UK and has directorial responsibility for Signpost Access Services.

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Mark Harrison
Controller of Production, BBC North

Mark spent many years as a Producer and Director, and won a number of awards for his work. He has also held a number of senior production and leadership roles within the independent sector and the BBC, including as Managing Director of Soul Purpose Productions, and Head of Arts at the BBC. As Controller of Production for BBC North he is responsible for ways of working – including end-to-end digital production - at the BBC's brand new broadcast centre in Salford. He and his family have been based in the North West since Spring 2011.

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Kevin Burrows
CTO Broadcast and Distribution, Channel 4

Kevin is responsible for the Technical strategy of the broadcast and distribution of Channel 4 programmes to the viewers across the various platforms with an emphasis on post production and broadcast workflows. As Channel 4 commissions its programming from independent suppliers, this involves working with those companies right from acquisition through to post production, to enable efficient and technically compliant delivery processes. He is also responsible for the Channel 4 programme technical delivery standards for both file and tape.

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Andy Tennant
Controller of Technology, Production & Facilities, ITV

Working with all of ITV's content making areas and independent production companies, Andy provides strategic advice on content creation, production, delivery and archiving. He's responsible for the transformation of ITV's content making areas from tape-based to file and data-based ways of working and for the content and data interfaces into ITV's centralised content management store. Before joining ITV, Andy worked with a range of broadcasters and publishers worldwide developing and delivering their migration to digital.

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Alan Whiston
Technology Controller, BBC Vision, North and Nations

Alan owns the strategic relationship with BBC client division(s), drives technology innovation and the development of divisional technology strategies. Alongside Heads of Technology and the innovation teams he advises on all technology matters, bringing the most up to date and tested thinking to the table ensuring that technology is used as a driver for change and innovation. Alan was a professional photographer and spent time in live operations both studio and OB’s before moving into management roles in Reuters, BBC News and subsequently BBC Technology, Distribution & Archive.

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Hayley Thornton
Head of Production Finance, Channel 4

Hayley and her team negotiate and oversee the financing for all areas of non-scripted programming and on-line activity within the Channel, working closely with the Business Affairs team within Commercial Affairs. This involves working with the Channel 4 commissioning team and the range of independent production companies who are commissioned to make programmes for Channel 4.

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Noreen Adams Head of Metadata Information & Archives, BBC Noreen sets the overall framework for the BBC's audience facing metadata strategy on all broadcast and IP platforms. This also involves managing the contractual governance with internal and external suppliers and approval on funding decisions relating to audience facing metadata.

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Bal Samra
Director, BBC Rights & Business Affairs and Director, Vision Operations

Bal Samra has a dual role in the BBC as Director, BBC Rights & Business Affairs and Director, Vision Operations. He sits on the BBC's management board and leads more than 1000 staff across two areas: As Director, Rights & Business Affairs across the BBC he manages the external business relationships with all organisations which represent companies and individuals engaging with the BBC in producing the content for its services (e.g. Independent productions, On screen talent). As Director, Operations within BBC Vision he manages the operational side of the BBC Vision group, within both the commissioning and producing arms.

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Rachel Baldwin
Project manager, DPP

Rachel's background is in documentary-making. Her credits range from the award nominated 'Mr Trebus' Life of Grime' and 'One Life - Pregnant in Two Wombs' for BBC1 to formatted series such as 'Teen Angels' for BBC3. She has also led successful development teams at Prospect Pictures and BBC Documentaries. Since 2009, Rachel has been managing projects within the BBC, and has developed a particular interest in digital production. She joined the DPP in Nov 2010.

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Jayne de Ville
Assistant Project Manager, DPP

Jayne has worked for the BBC since 2008 covering a number of areas including Marketing & Audiences, Future Media & Technology and Vision. She has provided project management assistance on a number of projects, such as large re-procurement programmes, and successfully run other small departmental projects. She also provided project support as a member of the Vision Transformation & Delivery Team’s Portfolio Management Office before moving on to DPP in January 2012.