1 month ago
Little much than 50 days into her caller job, nan biggest news of Priya Dogra‘s Channel 4 era has arrived: Ian Katz, nan UK network’s longest-serving main contented officer, is stepping down successful a fewer months. With that, 1 of nan biggest jobs successful British tv has opened up astatine a crucial, adjacent existential infinitesimal for nan nation’s irreverent, youth-skewing broadcaster.
Having had nary anterior TV commissioning experience, erstwhile Newsnight editor Katz was a daze prime erstwhile he joined successful 2018. He leaves down a analyzable legacy. Supporters constituent to his clasp of Channel 4’s “imp successful nan mechanism” tone and his assuredness successful nan domiciled successful caller years, starring to shows for illustration The Piano and play Dirty Business. Detractors opportunity Katz is well-liked but not ever well-rated, pinch questions astir his chemoreceptor for sustainable hits and Channel 4’s over-reliance connected shows that pre-dated his tenure, including Gogglebox and The Great British Bake Off.
“I deliberation his grounds is not arsenic appreciated arsenic it should be,” is nan verdict of Roughcut CEO Ash Atalla, who produces Channel 4 comedies Big Boys and Stath Lets Flats. “The transmission feels beardown connected actual and has remained committed to half-hour comedy, while Ian’s large revamp of play is starting to deliver. He’s backed disruptive shows and nan troublemaking that is important to Channel 4, whether it’s nan provocative Virgin Island or sticking it to Donald Trump.”
Katz is expected to return a break pinch “a book, a tree, and immoderate writer underfoot” earlier a past large profession swing, according to those who cognize him. Attention is already turning to his successor. In nan look of declining advertisement revenues, fragmented viewing, streamer competition, a request to make large hits, and a divisive scheme to turn in-house production, it is not a occupation for nan faint-hearted. And yet it remains a venerated imaginative role, pinch a net that exceeds that of nan BBC head wide (Katz earned £720,000 successful 2024), and a contented fund of £643M ($870M).
Katz’s depature was expected and he had told unit past twelvemonth that his early was uncertain. Dogra is yet to motorboat a general recruitment process, but sources said informal feelers were put retired moreover earlier nan news of Katz’s departure deed inboxes connected Thursday morning. Dogra has clip to make a decision, pinch Katz not exiting Horseferry Road until October. In nan meantime, our WhatsApps are live pinch speculation astir who erstwhile Warner Bros executive Dogra will anoint arsenic Katz’s successor. Scroll connected for immoderate of nan early runners and riders.
David Brindley
Several well-connected sources were speedy to sanction David Brindley, CEO of Destination X producer Twofour, arsenic a frontrunner from nan indie sector. In a tricky unscripted market, his ITV Studios-backed outfit finds itself successful rude health, producing some nan UK and U.S. versions of Destination X, Apple TV’s The Reluctant Traveler pinch Eugene Levy, and ITV’s upcoming The Box, hosted by Gary Lineker. All impact steering big-name talent. Brindley utilized to activity for Channel 4 and was down 1 of its astir impactful shows of each time, Educating Yorkshire, which he precocious revived astatine Twofour. He got down to nan past four for nan apical BBC contented occupation past twelvemonth and is simply a respected fig connected some sides of nan producer-commissioner fence. Nevertheless, location is nary mobility that moving an full network, pinch each that entails, would beryllium a large measurement up for Brindley.
Ben Frow
Paramount UK’s main contented serviceman was characteristically withering astir Katz during his quality astatine nan Edinburgh TV Festival past year. Asked astir originality connected Channel 4, Ben Frow replied sarcastically: “Anyone looking astatine nan Channel 4 schedule would opportunity it’s wholly different to really it was 7 years agone nether Jay Hunt. He’s a genius. He’s wholly reinvented television.”
Whether nan trash talk was adjacent is up for debate, but it was revealing of Frow’s position that Channel 4 requires change. Which begs nan question: Does Frow judge he is nan correct man to present that change? “He relishes being nan outsider, but portion of him would emotion a blue-chip job,” was nan verdict of 1 colleague.
There is small uncertainty that he has nan commissioning credentials, having massively reinvigorated 5 during his astir 14-year tenure, to nan constituent wherever it regularly thumps Channel 4 successful nan overnights. Plus, location is ever a dash of mischief successful his output — nan caller Huw Edwards play being nan illustration of a show that could rather happily beryllium connected Channel 4. One Channel 4 insider questioned whether Frow has capable acquisition serving young audiences, while others fishy he mightiness beryllium excessively costly for Channel 4. But pinch Paramount successful Warner Bros-shaped flux, Frow mightiness fancy a caller challenge.
Stuart Murphy
Stuart Murphy’s sanction has travel up consistently successful caller days, but nan erstwhile CEO of English National Opera would still beryllium regarded arsenic a leftfield hire. Murphy ran BBC Three and Sky for years, commissioning shows for illustration Gavin and Stacey and A League of Their Own, but he has not held a imperishable executive TV domiciled for astir a decade. “It would beryllium a pivot to nan past,” said a respected producer. Another awesome Channel 4 supplier added: “I deliberation he’d emotion to do it. He’s having a unusual career, but he’s a bright, offbeat spark.” A 3rd root noted that he antecedently had a knack for commissioning deed shows that entreaty to young audiences, which Channel 4 could do pinch correct astir now.
Alisa Pomeroy
Alisa Pomeroy, Channel 4’s caput of docs and actual entertainment, is seen by galore arsenic nan astir apt soul campaigner to switch Katz. A celebrated fig pinch producers, Pomeroy was 1 of nan large winners of nan 2024 commissioning restructure that saw her return connected a little covering a dispersed of Channel 4’s unscripted fare. She now looks aft shows ranging from 20-year-old deed Gogglebox to hard-hitting docs for illustration Shoot to Kill: Terror connected nan Tube aliases Michael Jackson: The Trial. Most recently, she oversaw Dirty Business, the David Thewlis-starring docudrama that kickstarted a nationwide speech astir nan dangers of sewage and h2o companies’ greed.
“Let’s commencement a run to get her nan job,” said 1 instrumentality from nan accumulation sector, who has worked pinch Pomeroy connected aggregate shows. There appears to beryllium a emotion from immoderate wrong Horseferry Road that Pomeroy aliases news main Louisa Compton whitethorn beryllium Katz’s preferred successors. He has ever been a immense instrumentality of some and has promoted them during his tenure. Lack of scripted acquisition would count against Pomeroy astatine a clip erstwhile Channel 4 is spending large connected play and comedy, but this applies to a number of candidates connected this list. Were she to beryllium successful, she would beryllium nan first soul campaigner to get nan gig successful Channel 4’s plus-40-year history.
Louisa Compton
Channel 4’s caput of news and existent affairs is being touted arsenic different reliable soul contender for nan apical job. Louisa Compton has been astatine nan forefront of Channel 4’s noisy actual output, shepherding nan likes of Russell Brand: In Plain Sight and Gaza: Doctors Under Attack to nan screen, arsenic good arsenic Will AI Take My Job?, provocatively hosted by an AI presenter.
Although well-regarded successful nan news community, she is an chartless amount to galore play and actual producers. She did ause a brouhaha astatine nan 2025 Edinburgh TV Festival, erstwhile she accused Netflix of being “TV tourists” aft nan occurrence of Adolescence. astatine a clip erstwhile CEO Dogra mightiness beryllium looking for an executive pinch much scripted aliases intermezo skills. Compton is besides being heavy linked to nan BBC News CEO domiciled aft antecedently editing Victoria Derbyshire and Radio 1’s Newsbeat.
Kiran Nataraja
Kiran Nataraja is, successful immoderate senses, a much left-field soul campaigner than Pomeroy aliases Compton, but nan well-liked executive has softly go 1 of nan astir important group astatine Channel 4 during Katz’s tenure. A existent lieutenant, nan Director of Streaming Content Strategy has “helped steer each large commissioning determination for nan past 4 aliases 5 years,” believes 1 accumulation boss, who is gunning for her to get nan apical prize.
She has been promoted galore times nether Katz, adding editorial activity of Channel 4 streaming a mates of years backmost astatine a clip erstwhile nan broadcaster is going for collapsed pinch its online video work (confusingly besides named Channel 4). “She whitethorn person kept a little nationalist floor plan but she is brilliant,” said different manufacture champion. Were she to advancement done nan process, it is apt that her deficiency of clip spent astatine nan coalface of production, aliases dealing pinch apical talent, would count against her, but from our chats these past mates of days, it feels arsenic though Nataraja is successful pinch a shot. Were she to onshore it, Channel 4’s 2 caput honchos would beryllium women of Asian descent.
Other Names In Our Inbox
Plenty of different names are circulating, arsenic producers put guardant their preferred candidates. Banijay UK CEO Patrick Holland is again being linked to a apical broadcasting occupation aft speculation astir his candidacy for nan BBC director-general and main contented serviceman roles. BBC Studios Global Content CEO Zai Bennett is besides seen arsenic a tin contender by galore successful nan accumulation community.
Tom McDonald, EVP of contented astatine National Geographic; John Hay, CEO of The Garden; and Philip Edgar-Jones, nan Sky commissioner down Saturday Night Live UK, are different antheral names doing nan rounds. Syeda Irtizaali, nan caller head of unscripted astatine Netflix, and Apple TV’s Alison Kirkham are besides nan taxable of speculation.
