Mark Sharman is to effectively replace Elisabeth Murdoch at UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB as director of broadcasting and production.

BSkyB confirmed that the head of broadcasting operations would take the post, giving him ultimate responsibility for all production including features. James Baker will oversee features arm Sky Pictures, which Will Turner will continue to head. David Bergg is taking control of TV production through Sky Productions.

The restructuring follows Murdoch's departure this summer to form an independent production company. Murdoch is understood to have an output deal for TV programming with the broadcaster.

Sky Pictures this week bolstered its staff, appointing Emma Berkofsky and Chris Brock to the newly-created roles of head of development and senior business and legal affairs executive respectively. Berkofsky was formerly head of development at London-based Alchymie and British Screen Finance, while Brock joins from the legal affairs department at 20th Century Fox in the US.