The BBC is moving BBC HD head Seetha Kumar to the new role of BBC.co.uk controller - a second back-up job for future media and technology (FM&T) director Erik Huggers and a second appointment in a week designed to strengthen management control following the site’s £36 million 2007/08 overspend.

Kumar, who has already taken the job, will lead overall strategic and editorial development for the web elements of BBC output, a sprawling site with about 19 million combined monthly users. She will work with Kerstin Mogull, who was moved from deputy policy and strategy direct to be FM&T’s inaugural COO this week, to ensure BBC.co.uk meets BBC Trust expectations - both moves designed placate the regulator, which lambasted “ineffective” managerial control for the site’s £110 million expenditure last year…

When the BBC trailed this announcement in July, I speculated on what it could mean for Tony Ageh, a UK web veteran who laid the groundwork for Guardian Unlimited, Wired UK, Virgin.net and UpMyStreet in the mid-90s and who is now BBC internet controller. Today, the BBC said Ageh “is moving to another senior role within the BBC which will be announced shortly”. If Ageh is vacating his role, it’s unclear exactly how Kumar’s position will differ; cynics would call this a classic piece of BBC musical chairs, but there’s logic in the moves…

Last year’s BBC.co.uk spend was £24.9 million over even the 10 percent extra margin allowed by the regulator. The overspend was attributed to financial misallocation between departments and the trust blamed the oversight on poor management and communication. In July, the BBC said it would introduce “a new set of rigorous controls” under a new “group controller” role for the site.

The trust even pledged to author a new service license, the remit under which BBC.co.uk operates, committing it to deliver “distinctiveness” from the commercial sector, more links to third parties, better search functionality and more. It’s these commitments that will be some of Kumar’s top priorities - BBC.co.uk has already had its recent redesign, the topic pages have already launched and the embedded media player project is already rolling out; Kumar’s appointment is about control and limboing under a bar set ever lower by the BBC Trust.

• BBC FM&T Adds COO To Keep Management, Spend On Track
• BBC.co.uk Overspent By £36 Million, ‘Ineffective’ Bosses Must Change, Investment Frozen
• BBC.co.uk Review: Auntie Accepts Inadequacy, Disputes Overspend