Pete Clifton
Encyclopedia
Pete Clifton is a British media executive with MSN UK
and the former head of BBC News
Interactive.
, a sports journalist at the Exchange Telegraph national news agency, chief sports sub at the UK's Press Association
(PA) and editor of the PA's Teletext
service.
Clifton was involved in the founding of BBC News Online and also helped set up the BBC Sport
website in 2000. He went on to become editor of BBC News Online in 2004, succeeding founding editor Mike Smartt
, until he was promoted to Head of BBC News Interactive in October 2005 with responsibility for BBC News Online, CBBC Newsround, the Ceefax
teletext service, the digital text service, On This Day
, BBC's Interactive TV, the Action Network and a variety of news services to mobile phone
s and other mobile devices. His successor as Editor of BBC News Online was named on 2 December 2005 as Steve Herrmann.
Clifton replaced Richard Deverell
in the role, who had moved to become chief operating officer of CBBC
.
Clifton admitted on the BBC Editor' Blog on 16 August 2007 that he had edited his own Wikipedia entry after viewing an incorrect entry for BBC News Online, but would be leaving the editing of the page to others in future.
In March 2011, the BBC announced Clifton would be made redundant following the closure of the BBC Journalism group within the organisation. The following month it was announced that he would be moving to MSN UK to become executive producer.
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
and the former head of BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
Interactive.
Career
Clifton was previously the editor of Ceefax, and before joining the BBC was a news and sports reporter at the Chronicle and Echo in NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, a sports journalist at the Exchange Telegraph national news agency, chief sports sub at the UK's Press Association
Press Association
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying multimedia news content to almost all national and regional newspapers, television and radio news, as well as many websites with text, pictures, video and data content globally...
(PA) and editor of the PA's Teletext
Teletext
Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...
service.
Clifton was involved in the founding of BBC News Online and also helped set up the BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
website in 2000. He went on to become editor of BBC News Online in 2004, succeeding founding editor Mike Smartt
Mike Smartt
Mike Smartt OBE is a journalist and broadcaster, and was the founder and editor-in-chief of BBC News Online, the BBC's Internet news service. With Project Director Bob Eggington , and held the post of editor-in-chief of BBC News Interactive, which also encompassed interactive television news, until...
, until he was promoted to Head of BBC News Interactive in October 2005 with responsibility for BBC News Online, CBBC Newsround, the Ceefax
Ceefax
Ceefax is the BBC's teletext information service transmitted via the analogue signal, started in 1974 and will run until April 2012 for Pages from Ceefax, while the actual interactive service will run until 24 October 2012, in-line with the digital switchover.-History:During the late 60s, engineer...
teletext service, the digital text service, On This Day
On This Day
On This Day is the name of the BBC's news archive website. It contains an online digital library of news stories reported by the BBC on World War II and world events from the 1950s to 2005. There are entries for every day of the year, many including video or audio reports which can be viewed online...
, BBC's Interactive TV, the Action Network and a variety of news services to mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s and other mobile devices. His successor as Editor of BBC News Online was named on 2 December 2005 as Steve Herrmann.
Clifton replaced Richard Deverell
Richard Deverell
Richard Deverell is Controller of CBBC, the department within the BBC responsible for output aimed at children.-Reputation:Since assuming his post in 2006, Deverell has been ruthless in his efforts to re-align CBBC towards a target audience of 6–12 years...
in the role, who had moved to become chief operating officer of CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
.
Clifton admitted on the BBC Editor' Blog on 16 August 2007 that he had edited his own Wikipedia entry after viewing an incorrect entry for BBC News Online, but would be leaving the editing of the page to others in future.
In March 2011, the BBC announced Clifton would be made redundant following the closure of the BBC Journalism group within the organisation. The following month it was announced that he would be moving to MSN UK to become executive producer.