AP Names Darren Long Video Integration Manager

Darren Long, a London-based media professional, has been named to the post of video integration manager for The Associated Press, a new position. It’s the latest appointment tied to AP’s multimillion-dollar upgrade of its newsgathering infrastructure in order to provide high-definition images to the broadcast and digital industries.

“As video integration manager, Long will play a vital role in this process by helping the AP transform its international video production processes to ensure our journalists around the world are equipped for the digital age and the AP leads the market in creating and delivering video content for all platforms,” said AP Director of Emerging Products-International Sue Brooks. Long reports to Brooks. “He will be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of several projects which will fundamentally affect how AP staff collect, produce and archive content,” she added.

Last year Long was appointed CEO of Screenocean and succeeded in starting up this new business-to-business media licensing and content management venture representing content from the UK Channel 4 network and a range of rights holding production and distribution companies. Before that he was Head of Collections and Information at the British Film Institute from 2005 to 2010. He started working for Independent Television News in 1987 and left in 2005 as Director of Operations at the ITN Archive, now ITN Source.

As part of its video business transformation, AP says it will also significantly increase the depth and breadth of video content available from around the world. The upgrade, aimed at helping the AP lead the market in creating and delivering video content for all platforms, is the single biggest investment in the AP’s London-based video business since 1998, when the AP bought its competitor, Worldwide Television News.