A BBC boss who believed its TV channels became too obsessed with middle class people has landed one of the Corporation's top jobs.
Oxford graduate Danny Cohen, 38, has today been appointed director of television and will receive a total package of £327,800 from May 7.
Cohen spent three years in charge of BBC Three before moving to BBC One, where he has commissioned shows including Call The Midwife and The Voice.
Famously two years ago he vowed to order more ‘blue collar’ programmes to cater for working class viewers, believing the BBC was relying too heavily on middle class stereotypes and losing touch with people outside that group.
Mr Cohen will now oversee the BBC's four main channels, the iPlayer and departments including drama and films.
He said today he was 'honoured' to take the job, adding: 'Our ambition is to be the finest broadcaster and producer in the world and our values will be based on talent, creativity, storytelling and innovation.
'I've had a wonderful time at BBC One and am grateful for the work of all the talented people who have made the channel the most popular in the UK in recent years.'
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New BBC director-general Tony Hall said: 'Danny Cohen has been the driving force behind an extremely successful period in BBC One's history. Key to his success has been an ability to provide viewers with a mixture of high quality programmes they enjoy whilst also introducing them to new subjects they might not have considered before.'
Changes: Mr Cohen was behind series including The Voice, starring Tom Jones, Danny O'Donoghue, Jessie J and will.i.am, and feared the BBC was too obsessed with the middle classes
Acclaim: New BBC Director General Tony Hall has appointed Mr Cohen and says he 'has been the driving force behind an extremely successful period in BBC One's history'
Mr Cohen lives with his wife – an academic and economist – and currently takes home a salary of around £250,000 a year.
When he was at BBC Three he was behind programmes including Snog, Marry, Avoid and How Drugs Work.
He believed BBC comedy was fixated on middle class families like the ones in Outnumbered, and should be doing more comedies like Porridge, Birds Of A Feather and Bread.
The executive also said there was too much crime drama on the BBC.
Mr Cohen was essentially echoing former BBC Director General Greg Dyke’s controversial comments in 2001 that the corporation was ‘hideously white’.