BBC Worldwide North America has appointed former Scripps Interactive executive Sergei Kuharsky as its senior vice president of strategy and business development, the company announced Thursday.

Kuharsky will be responsible for helping to drive growth across the company’s U.S. and Canadian businesses, and identifying new business opportunities through partnerships and acquisition, according to the BBC. Kuharasky, who will report directly to BBC Worldwide North America president Ann Sarnoff, will also take the strategic lead in the development of key franchises like Top Gear, Doctor Who, and BBC Earth across all businesses, said the company.

Previously Kuharsky served as general manager for Scripps Networks Interactive’s Food Network. Prior to that, Kuharsky was excutive vice president of sales and marketing at In Demand Networks.

"Sergei and I worked together at Nickelodeon to help expand Nick's brands," said Sarnoff in a statement. "Throughout his career, Sergei has a proven track record of success in building businesses. I can't think of a better person to help us plot BBC Worldwide North America’s strategy as we grow in the U.S. and Canada."

BBC Worldwide North America signed a new multi-year content licensing agreement with Amazon that will make Prime Video the exclusive U.S. subscription streaming home for sci-fi series Doctor Who, the version that has been seen for nine seasons on BBC America. The first eight seasons of the series plus Christmas special episodes become available on Amazon Prime Video, the subcription video streaming service, on Sunday, March 27. The most recent season -- featuring Peter Capaldi as The Doctor -- will join Prime Video this coming fall.

In February, Doctor Who and a separate series of classic episodes of the 50-year-old show came off Netlix and Hulu as those content agreements expired. Seasons 7-9 are currently available to stream on bbcamerica.com and for sale via electronic sell-through outlets such as Amazon Video, iTunes and Google Play.

Doctor Who had come off Amazon Prime Video a year ago after that agreement with BBC Worldwide North America lapsed. Now it will return to Amazon Prime via this exclusive streaming arrangement -- as Amazon already has for BBC America's hit clone drama Orphan Black.  

RELATED: Herb Scannell's 5-Year Plan at BBC America (From the March 23, 2011, print edition of Multichannel News)

Herb Scannell will step down as president of BBC Worldwide North America this summer, the company said Thursday (May 21).

Scannell, who has been with the company since 2010, will be succeeded by Ann Sarnoff (currently COO) beginning Aug. 1. Scannell will remain with the company throughout the summer to help with the transition.

“After five years, and with a strong leadership team in place, it feels like the right time for me to return to the entrepreneurial path I was on in digital media before I joined BBC Worldwide,” Scannell said.  “The company has a bright future, in no small measure because of the extraordinary talent and leadership of Ann Sarnoff.  I have worked side-by-side with Ann for over 10 years – both here and at Viacom – and it’s been one of the most fruitful partnerships of my career."

While at the helm of BBC Worldwide North America, Scannell has presided over a 50% increase in overall revenue and was instrumental in the growth of BBC-America, including last year's joint venture between BBC Worldwide and AMC Networks, which resulted in AMC taking a 49.9% stake in BBCA and co-investing in future BBC productions.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.