The BBC’s head of new media in Northern Ireland, Davy Sims, is leaving the corporation after seven years running web operations in Belfast. On his blog, Sims wrote: “Over the last six months, I have been hinting heavily that I expected to leave the BBC in 2008. Dates are to be confirmed and final plans are to be laid. But it’s time to go.”

Sims is the third new media controller to go from BBC nations and regions in the last few months. BBC Scotland’s Julie Adair left in December to join Disney; John Allen also left the English regions setup. Future media and technology top dog Ashley Highfield is also leaving for Kangaroo. Sims has spent over 20 years at the corporation, helping start BBC NI Online in 1999. He sits on the Northern Ireland Digital Inclusion Group.

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