— Sky.com: BSkyB, the U.K. digital satellite and broadband operator 39 percent owned by News Corp., has made two senior editorial hires in its online business unit as it looks to get more serious about its Sky.com web portal. AOL director of content Simon Hinde comes on board as managing editor; a former Daily Express assistant editor, he had also previously been Yahoo’s UK editor, now he is charged with managing the Sky.com homepage and increasing video. Former NME.com editor Ben Perreau (pictured) becomes strategic director of content, charged with creating new online sites. Sky cited ComScore figures giving it seven million monthly unique users.
— Capitol Radio: Virgin Radio chief executive Paul Jackson has quit the station, which could be sold after it is floated off by owner SMG, to become managing director of GCap’s flagship station, London-based Capitol Radio. GCap MD Fru Hazlitt, herself a former Virgin Radio MD, told staff that, in his time at Virgin, Jackson had “developed a strong multi-platform strategy (and) oversaw the station’s launch on key platforms including Freeview, 3G phones and podcasts and has overseen the development of commercial radio’s most successful web site”. GCap has committed itself to further digital investment in the face of what had been a falling radio advertising sector. Virgin was Europe’s first 24/7 online radio station in 1996. It’s an exodus for Virgin – digital director James Cridland, also credited with having implemented a well-respected multiplatform strategy, left for the BBC in the spring.
— OpenTV:OpenTV, a San Francisco-based maker of electronic program guide software for set-top boxes and digital TVs, has promoted SVP customer operations to COO and acting CEO, with CEO Alan Guggenheim, who was also president and director, stepping down for personal reasons. In Guggenheim’s director place comes Mauro Saladini, EVP and COO of the Kudelsi Group, it was announced. Bennett has been with OpenTV for seven years, having served as its MD for European operations; he’s a former senior member of BT and Logica.