BBC3 controller frontrunners emerge

With interviews kicking off this week for the job of BBC3 controller, successors to Danny Cohen who are being tipped for the post include BBC commissioning executives Ben Stephenson and Karl Warner.

Stephenson, controller of drama commissioning, and Warner, entertainment commissioning editor, are being tipped along with E4 controller Angela Jain and UKTV controller Matthew Littleford.

The BBC is understood to have had a considerable number of applications for the £225,000-a-year post which controls an annual budget of around £90m.

It is understood that Stephenson is happy at BBC drama, which has a number of big projects coming up such as the Shakespeare season and has not applied, but that senior executives see him as future channel controller material.

Warner was part of Cohen's team and also works across BBC1.

Before he joined the BBC in 2007 Warner was head of development at independent production company Monkey.

Littleford is said to be well thought of by BBC Vision director Jana Bennett, who is in charge of the interviews. MediaGuardian.co.uk revealed late yesterday that Bennett is moving to a new job at BBC Worldwide next year.

He was previously an entertainment controller at ITV's digital channels.

Jain took over E4 in 2007 and the channel's hits have included Misfits and her previous credits include Big Brother.

Another source added that the BBC is likely to look to the current commissioning team at BBC3: "Danny Cohen will play a role in advising on the appointment now he's back from holiday. Karl Warner makes sense, he has a great CV."

A second round of interviews is due next week. One BBC source said: "There are lots of people who've applied. There should hopefully be an appointment before Christmas."

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