Channel 4 Reorganizes Exec Team

Channel 4 has reorganized its executive team’s responsibilities, including commissioning, to fit in line with its Future4 strategy.

At the heart of the strategy is greater investment in digital transformation of Channel 4 and a focus on putting viewers at the heart of decision making. The changes to the leadership responsibilities support and enable this in three main areas: integrating and simplifying the content team structure; aligning teams who have a key role in our viewer experience outside of programming; and integrating business strategy and policy development.

All editorial decision-making across linear, streaming and social will be consolidated under Ian Katz, who becomes chief content officer.

This includes acquisitions, which moves from commercial affairs to report into Kiran Nataraja, who is promoted to director of content strategy and planning and will focus on optimizing content planning and investment across streaming and linear services. Emma Hardy is promoted to director of commissioning operations and will focus particularly on optimizing Channel 4’s producer and talent strategies.

Features commissioning moves to the Glasgow Creative Hub, bolstering its commitment to devolving commissioning decision-making to the Nations & Regions. Jo Street, currently head of daytime, takes on additional responsibility for the genre and becoming head of features and daytime. Sarah Lazenby, head of features and formats, is leaving Channel 4.

Street will be one of a reconfigured and smaller number of heads of commissioning reporting directly to Katz. Karl Warner will become head of youth and digital, with a remit to commission young-skewing content that will drive both E4 and all digital platforms.

Alex Mahon, chief executive, said: “To deliver our Future4 strategy we need to adapt and innovate in the way we are organized as a business. The changes we’re announcing today give Channel 4 a clearer and simplified structure and will enable us to accelerate our focus on digital, put viewers at the heart of our decision making and will also ensure we become even more agile and responsive in the way we operate with all our stakeholders and partners, particularly those in the production sector.”