Fincham will join in a couple of months time. BBC Television director Jana Bennett said, "If there are maybe 10 people who have shaped television over the last decade, Peter is one of them. He has a formidable track record in delivering original and outstanding programmes across a range of modern public service genres, and the knack of making them appeal to broad audiences.

"From authoured voices, like Stephen Poliakoff's The Lost Prince, to new entertainment formats like X Factor and factual series like Jamie's Kitchen, he has been involved in some of the most respected and acclaimed programming of recent times. Peter has run an incredibly successful business. He has done it along highly creative lines, and he has a strong grasp of the importance of creativity in the competitive environment of broadcasting. He is known as someone who attracts the best talent, supports the best ideas and then backs them with a tenacious passion."