Michael Carrington, the head of CBeebies, is leaving the BBC after nearly 20 years to join Turner Broadcasting as its chief content officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Carrington will replace Finn Arnesen, who left Turner in October, and take control of children's channels including the Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito across the region. He will leave the BBC on 26 February and joins Turner Broadcasting on 6 April.

He has been controller of CBeebies since 2006. Before that he worked for many years in BBC children's acquisitions and animation, rising to become head of the operation.

Carrington was born in Australia and began his media career there, working in radio and for the commercial TV broadcaster Network Ten.

He moved to the UK in 1990 and began working for the BBC in children's acquisitions. He has since been with the BBC, apart from a two-year stint at Discovery Channel Europe in the early 1990s.

"CBeebies is in great shape and I've loved every minute of my time working here with a great team of talented people," said Carrington. "Now feels like the right time for me to return to the commercial sector."

Last year it was announced that Carrington would be among the senior executives to move from London to the BBC's new broadcasting and production base in Salford .

To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.