The company said details for how the move will affect the company's Asia operations have yet to be finalised. BBC World has a sales force of 22 in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, which will now fall under the BBC Global Channels Asia umbrella, led by senior vice president Christine Leo-McKerrow in Singapore.
BBC Global Channels Asia has a much smaller operation which sells airtime for BBC Entertainment. However, three other Global Channels brands are set to launch this year.
They include BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and children's channel CBeebies. Richard Sandbrook, CEO of BBC World, commented: "We are in good shape to take BBC World to the next level. BBC Global Channels has ambitious development plans, and in that respect, it makes sense for an integrated approach."
