One of the BBC News website’s veteran editors Pete Clifton is joining MSN UK as executive producer, the role formerly occupied by CNN International-bound Peter Bale.
Clifton was made redundant by the BBC in March.
MSN UK has also added The Telegraph’s online news editor Duncan Hooper as its news and sport managing editor. MSN UK has a considerable content operation in London’s Victoria, with a 50-strong editorial team and 24 million monthly uniques. It is, of course, somewhat dependent on homepage traffic from within Internet Explorer.
Straight-talking Clifton will report to another former BBCer, the former future media and technology director, Ashley Highfield, who heads Microsoft’s consumer and online division as MD in the UK.
Veteran BBC News online exec Paul Brannan also left the BBC last month after 14 years.
MSN had promoted Bale to run international programming last summer. Clifton will take his previous role as UK executive producer, the international programming role is not yet replaced.