Petherbridge Named BBC America Acting COO

BBC America said Thursday that Jo Petherbridge has been named acting chief operating officer, overseeing day-to-day operations until the channel names a successor to departing chief Paul Lee.

Lee is leaving the network to become the new head of The Walt Disney Co.’s ABC Family.

Petherbridge will report to director of television Jana Bennett and BBC Worldwide Americas CEO Mark Young.

Petherbridge is senior vice president of strategy and communications at BBCA, which she joined at its launch in 1998.

Before that, the former journalist headed up nonfiction-program publicity at the British Broadcasting Corp. in London.