Weekend Spy: Job Spec – Steven Brown

Each week we'll be asking people from all parts of the media industry - from channel controllers to catering staff, directors to digital technicians - to tell us about themselves and their job.

This week its the turn of "man-with-the-plan" Steven Brown, who works on the newly launched natural history channel, Nat Geo Wild.

Name
Steven Brown

Job Title
Programme planner, Nat Geo.

Age
31

Lives
Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey.

In the role since
December 2002.

Responsibilities
To plan and implement the National Geographic Channels Nat Geo Wild UK, Europe and NGC Central & Eastern European schedules and all that goes with that.

Best thing about your job
Viewing all our new product and working on plans and strategies.

Worst thing about your job
Using our planning systems here in the UK and also in the US.

First thing you do in the morning when you get in?
Check my email for any from our overseas offices that I deal with such as Poland, Hungary and Romania, as well as any overnight emails from our Washington office.

What question have you been asked most this week?
"Looking forward to channel (Nat Geo Wild) launch?"

Any downsides to working in the media?
No, I was once a trainee rail signalman, so anything else is a bonus.

First media/TV job
Request coordinator, BBC picture publicity, January 1995.

Biggest achievement to date
Dressing up as Pudsey Bear for the BBC's Children In Need publicity shots for 4 years, being involved in the launch of Nat Geo Wild, and being a FA Level one qualified football coach.

Anything you wish you'd done differently?
No.

Dream job/company/lifestyle
England football manager

Best media jolly you've ever attended
I was sent to Poland with National Geographic, and as most of the major hotels were booked up already I stayed in the presidential suite of one of these major hotels, as that was all they had left. It was fantastic! Dined out on that for weeks! Also our Nat Geo Wild launch party was a corker.

Do you think any of the regulatory bodies should intervene in the Sky/Virgin Media controversy?
Yes, Ofcom should at least have a public view on this. If they have, I haven't heard anything.

Nat Geo Wild launched on Wednesday. The channel appears on Sky channel 528 and Virgin Media channel 228. Visit www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/wild