Five to Restructure Programming Team

LONDON, February 23: Five is seeking to appoint a director
of programs, reporting directly to Lisa Opie, the broadcaster’s managing
director of content, as part of a restructure of its programming team.

The broadcaster is also recruiting a new head of factual to
succeed Justine Kershaw, who is exiting this summer to start up her own
production company. The head of factual will report to the new director of
programs. The existing factual commissioning department, consisting of history,
science, arts and religious programming, will remain the same.

Drama and special events will become part of an enlarged features
and entertainment department reporting to the director of programs, who will
also oversee the sport, news and current affairs, factual entertainment,
comedy, and children’s programming segments.

Acquisitions and scheduling and planning will report to
Opie, as will the newly appointed director of programming for Five Life and
Five US, Hannah Barnes.

Opie, in announcing the new structure, noted: “By
streamlining the reporting structure of the programming team we will be better
placed to have a unified sense of brand ownership across all genres as well as
becoming more nimble and responsive editorially. This new structure will allow
us to make the most of commercial opportunities in terms of converging content
across Five’s family of channels and allow us to share creative expertise
within the programming teams.”