ITN Appoints Head of Content Distribution & Commercial Innovation

ITN has promoted Tim Forrest to head of content distribution and commercial innovation.

Forrest’s remit includes managing and growing relationships with a diverse portfolio of international clients and driving the licensing of on-the-day content, archive footage and the commercial use of ITN’s broadcast facilities, including live locations, engineering services and studio operations.

Forrest works closely with clients such as GMB, Channel 7 in Australia and ZDF in Germany, ensuring ITN’s broadcast facilities and content reach audiences across multiple continents.

Over the last six months under his leadership, the ITN Archive has seen significant growth in digital—up 60 percent year-on-year—driven by longer-form edits and special programming. New programming sales strategies are being explored to further scale distribution through AI-led solutions.

Alongside his co-leads on AI at ITN, Balihar Khalsa, head of policy and external affairs, and Jon Roberts, chief technology officer, he will continue to explore new commercial opportunities through AI and have oversight of ITN’s commercial partnerships, such as its collaboration with Open Origins.

Prior to joining ITN in 2013, Forrest held roles at the BBC and Sky News. At ITN, he has held a range of editorial and strategic positions in ITV News. He began as an assistant program editor before moving on to lead coverage of major royal events for the newsroom. Most recently, he has oversea newsroom-wide projects, including the integration of digital workflows and innovation initiatives.

“I’m thrilled to take on this new role at ITN,” Forrest said. “As the media landscape evolves, we have a huge opportunity to innovate how we distribute and monetize our content globally. From expanding the reach of our archive to exploring AI and programmatic sales, I’m excited to help shape the next chapter of ITN’s commercial growth.”

Rachel Corp, CEO of ITN, commented, “Tim brings an excellent combination of editorial insight and commercial acumen to this role. His leadership has already driven significant innovation across our newsroom and archive operations. As head of content distribution and commercial innovation, he will be instrumental in unlocking new opportunities for ITN and ensuring our content continues to reach audiences in powerful and creative ways.”