Sun executive appointed director of Sky Living

Jane Johnson, the associate editor and Saturday editor of the Sun, is the new director of Sky Living, the BSkyB-owned pay-TV channel that skews towards a female audience. Johnson has been hired after Sophie Turner Laing, the managing director of Sky entertainment, news and broadcasting operations, decided to veer away from selecting a TV executive to run the operation, in favour of a senior print editor, schooled in catering for women. She will be in charge of developing the Living brand on and off screen, and for the spin-off channels, Sky Livingit and Sky Living Loves. "I am very much looking forward to building on Living's heritage as a strong female brand that combines style with substance and cheekiness with charm," Johnson said. Living, which has repositioned itself away from its "pink and paranormal" image of a few years ago, was bought by BSkyB last year as part of a £165m deal to buy Virgin Media's TV business. The channel, rebranded Sky Living, has been identified as a crucial part of Sky's move to decisively broaden its appeal to more women, expanding on its reputation for sport and movies. Living has recently been given a 25% rise in programme budget, as part of a growth in content investment, and is about to screen its first UK-commissioned drama series, Bedlam, starring Will Young. Johnson, who is taking over from a team led by former Living group director of television Claudia Rosencrantz, is a former deputy editor of the News of the World, editorial director of Fabulous magazine, editor of Closer and executive editor of the Sunday Mirror and women's editor of the Daily Mirror. Turner Laing's decision to turn to a magazine-trained executive reflects their experience in attracting women readers and close links with and understanding of fashion retailers and other brands targeting a female audience, and their advertising and PR needs. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".