MUMBAI: BBC Films is bringing the stars of BBC kids? show ?Horrible Histories? to the big screen in ?Bill?, a new comedy film about Shakespeare - or how Bill became William.

Shooting later this year in the UK, ?Bill? stars the six lead ?Horrible Histories? cast - Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond. All will play multiple roles in BILL, in the style of the Python films.

?Bill? tells the story of how hopeless lute player Bill Shakespeare leaves his family and home to follow his dream. It?s a tale of murderous kings, spies, lost loves, and a plot to blow up Queen Elizabeth. Can one man prove the quill is mightier than the sword?

Rickard and Willbond said, "?Bill? is a comedy adventure for all the family. We?re playing with history, just as Shakespeare did, for the entertainment of the audience. And we like to think he?d be OK with it, apart from the bit where he?s dressed as a tomato."

BBC Films head Christine Langan said, "We?re thrilled that BBC Films is making the first film starring this team of incredibly talented and popular British comedy writers and performers. ?Horrible Histories? has been a terrific success and is hugely popular with both kids and their parents. BILL will be a film for all the family to enjoy with original British talent telling a very funny story about Shakespeare."

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has announced that Roger Mosey has been appointed editorial director. The role, which reports to the BBC DG as editor-in-chief, will oversee the BBC?s editorial standards and the planning of significant pan-BBC events.

In this role, Mosey will also take the lead in handling major editorial issues as they arise, working alongside the divisional Directors in Television, Radio and News.

The new role, created by BBC DG Tony Hall, will sit on the BBC?s management board.

Hall said, "It is crucial that the BBC dedicates the right amount of time, skill and expertise to addressing the myriad of editorial challenges that we face across the BBC?s output. Roger?s experience in news, sport and most recently television make him ideally placed to fulfill such an important role as part of my management team".

Mosey will take up the post with immediate effect.

BBC North director Peter Salmon has also been given additional responsibilities to his current role leading the divisions based at MediaCityUK, Salford Quays.

Salmon will find ways to extend and strengthen the BBC?s relationship with partners and audiences across the English regions. Building on the success already achieved across the North, Salmon and his team based in Salford will work with regional managers to extend this approach in other major cities in the English regions, starting with the existing partnerships in Birmingham and Bristol.

Hall added, "I am delighted that Peter will be taking an extended role in addition to leading BBC North. Creating long-term relationships with local partners and more meaningful relationships with the audience is a vital part of bringing the BBC into both communities and local economy."

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has lined up plans for next year?s Commonwealth Games. BBC audiences throughout Scotland and the UK will be kept in the picture with live streams from the Commonwealth Games venues.

BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie, speaking at an industry event has pledged that programming of, and around, the Games will be second to none.

Delivering the Royal Television Society?s Campbell Swinton Lecture in Glasgow, he said that the broadcaster will be taking up the baton from the coverage of last year?s Olympic Games in London.

"In many ways, the Games came of age in a digital world, defined to large extent by the BBC?s approach to coverage. We will adopt a similar approach to the Commonwealth Games, during which 15 separate streams will be beamed from 17 locations around Scotland.

"In this endeavour, we will work closely with colleagues in Salford and London and with BBC teams and other broadcasters across the Commonwealth to ensure that the programming of, and around, the Games will be second to none."

He added that 2014 is a particularly important year for the broadcaster. "It is the year in which we will commemorate the outbreak of the Great War, we will cover the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and, of course, we will report on every twist and turn of the debate surrounding the Independence referendum."

Turning to the referendum, MacQuarrie reiterated that the BBC will not take any stance on what broadcasting could look like under independence.

He said, "Broadcasting will feature as a topic for debate within the discussions which will take place between now and September 2014: for the BBC to take - or to be seen to take - any kind of stance on a constitutional issue would potentially damage our reputation for impartial and unbiased reporting, particularly given the fact that the referendum and the issues it will involve will be comprehensively covered across out output."

He also highlighted how the BBC can help audiences maximise the benefits of digital access. Recent research by the Carnegie Trust, he said, revealed the existence of a worrying digital divide, particularly in Glasgow, where internet access among skilled manual workers is 47 per cent while the UK average is 72 per cent. Furthermore, 40 per cent of householders interviewed were not online in their homes, and of those nearly half have no wish to be so in future.

"For those of us for whom universality of access is an important principle, who aspire to helping audiences to derive the greatest benefit from engagement with emerging media, these are worrying statistics.

"Connectedness, inevitably, is about people, much more than it is about technology and clearly there is a sizeable minority, and no more so than in this city, who have yet to accept the economic and social benefits that digital interconnectedness can bring.

"I think it is fair to say that open and unfettered access to the digital space can unlock many riches - but only if you know how to navigate that space.

"And that, for me, points to two important roles the BBC must play going forward - that of curator, helping to organise and make available the fantastic content that lies deep within its archive; and that of navigator, helping audiences steer their ways through the terabytes of information to find what they need and what is of particular value to them," he added.

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC will consult on proposals for a redundancy and severance pay cap of GBP 150,000 from September 2013 for all BBC senior managers. BBC DG Tony Hall made the announcement.

Under the proposals, changes will be made to redundancy, severance entitlement and notice periods for all senior managers including the BBC DG.

Hall said, "The BBC cannot be deaf to concerns about BBC staff pay-offs. These are difficult economic times for people across the country and the BBC is not immune from them. The financial settlements of the past cannot be justified in the future. We will consult on these proposals over the coming weeks but I believe they represent a fair way forward for staff and for license fee payers.

"I appreciate that making changes to existing contracts is never easy. But it is to the great credit of the senior leadership team at the BBC that there is broad recognition of the need for change."

The proposals would entitle senior managers to redundancy of one month?s pay for each year of service up to a maximum of 12 months? salary or GBP 150,000 - whichever is the lower. This brings the BBC into greater alignment with other industry comparators and the Civil Service who have a similar eligible pay cap.

As part of the new guidelines, all BBC executive board members would have their notice period reduced from 12 months to six months. Where staff resign or are made redundant they would be expected to work their notice in full.

Where termination discussions were already underway for those senior staff members planning to leave between now and September the BBC will not seek to impose these new conditions. It will work with these individuals to find the best way forward. In a small number of cases this may mean some staff leaving with settlements above GBP 150,000 but these negotiations are ongoing.

The BBC will consult on the new proposals with relevant staff and unions which are planned to come into force from 1 September 2013.