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Alison Stewart has been appointed as Head of CBeebies Production, Animation and Acquisitions

Alison is currently Executive Editor for CBeebies, leading all the in-house development and involved in all aspects of production. Commissions include Gigglebiz, Nuzzle And Scratch, Kerwhizz, Let's Celebrate, The Green Balloon Club and the latest landmark title, ZingZillas, which is the first collaboration between in-house production and Â鶹Éç Worldwide.

Director of Â鶹Éç Children's, Joe Godwin, says: "Alison's a hugely experienced pre-school producer, who's played a key part in the current success of CBeebies in-house production. She's committed to our audience and to our plans for Â鶹Éç Children's move to Salford – so I couldn't be more pleased that she's now going to be leading CBeebies Production."

Alison's first job at the Â鶹Éç was a three-month holiday relief contract as a Dresser in the Costume Department. That three months turned into 15 years as she moved into production, first as an Assistant Floor Manager in Entertainment and then in Â鶹Éç Children's, where she trained as a director on Play School and later became a producer of young children's programmes.

Alison left the Â鶹Éç in 1996 to work as a Producer, Director and Scriptwriter in the Independent sector. She made Â鶹Éç and Channel 4 Schools series for SFTV and Open Mind Productions, and other work includes a season on Tweenies for Tell Tale Productions (now Wish Films) and on Fimbles for Novel Entertainment, where she was Series Producer. Writing credits include Postman Pat, Numberjacks and Me Too!

Alison returned to the Â鶹Éç in 2007 as Executive Producer for CBeebies Production.

Alison says: "This is a fantastic opportunity for me. I look forward to leading the team to Salford next year, to furthering our creative development within the Â鶹Éç and to benefiting from our relationships with UK and international partners."

She replaces Kay Benbow who is now Controller of the CBeebies.

CBeebies is dedicated to delighting and surprising its young audience and it remains the UK's most watched and loved channel for the under sixes, with almost half of the target audience tuning in each week (parents and carers with children aged 0-3 and 4-6 year olds in digital homes).

The Â鶹Éç's Strategy Review made Children's programming one of the Corporation's top five editorial priorities. It proposes increasing investment in children's programming by £10m a year from 2013, building on the additional investment of £25.5m over three years already secured in this licence fee period.

Â鶹Éç Press Office