Simply over 50 days into her new job, the most important information of Priya Dogra’s Channel 4 period has arrived: Ian Katz, the British channel’s longest-serving chief content material officer, will step down in a couple of months. With it, one of many largest jobs in British tv has opened up at an important, virtually existential, second for the nation’s irreverent, youth-friendly broadcaster.
Having no prior expertise commissioning televisions, former Newsnight Editor-in-Chief Katz was a shock alternative when he joined the corporate in 2018. He leaves behind a posh legacy. Supporters level to his embrace of Channel 4’s “imp within the mechanism” ethos and his assertiveness within the position in recent times, resulting in exhibits like The piano and the drama Soiled enterprise. Detractors say Katz is well-liked however not all the time well-rated, with questions over his aptitude for lasting hits and Channel 4’s over-reliance on exhibits from earlier than his tenure, together with glasses field And The nice British pastry store.
“I feel his document isn’t as appreciated accurately,” is the decision of Roughcut CEO Ash Atalla, who produces Channel 4 comedies. huge boys And Stath leaves flats. “The channel is robust on information and has remained dedicated to half-hour comedy, whereas Ian’s huge drama revamp is beginning to repay. He has supported disruptive exhibits and unrest which can be vital to Channel 4, whether or not it’s provocative or provocative. Virgin Island or follow Donald Trump.
Katz ought to take a break with “a e-book, a tree and grass beneath his ft” earlier than one final huge flip in his profession, in line with those that know him. Consideration is already turning to his successor. Confronted with declining promoting income, viewing fragmentation, competitors from streamers, the necessity to generate huge hits and a proposed division to broaden in-house manufacturing, it isn’t a job for the faint-hearted. And but it stays a revered artistic position, with a wage that exceeds that of the BBC’s director-general (Katz earned £720,000 in 2024) and a content material funds of £643 million ($870 million).
Katz’s departure was anticipated, and he informed employees final yr that his future was unsure. Dogra has not but launched a proper recruiting course of, however sources stated casual surveys had been issued even earlier than information of Katz’s departure hit inboxes Thursday morning. Dogra had time to decide, with Katz not leaving Horseferry Street till October. In the meantime, our WhatsApps are filled with hypothesis about who former Warner Bros government Dogra will appoint as Katz’s successor. Scroll right down to see among the first runners and riders.
David Brindley
A number of well-connected sources had been fast to call David Brindley, CEO of Vacation spot producer Twofour, as a frontrunner within the unbiased sector. In a difficult unscripted market, his ITV Studios-backed firm discovered itself sick, producing each the British and American variations of Vacation spotApple TV The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy, and upcoming ITV The Field, hosted by Gary Lineker. All of this entails managing big-name expertise. Brindley labored for Channel 4 and was behind one among its most memorable exhibits of all time, Educating Yorkshirewhich he not too long ago relaunched at Twofour. He made the ultimate 4 for the BBC’s high content material job final yr and is a revered determine on either side of the producer-commissioner fence. Nevertheless, there isn’t a doubt that working a full community, with all that entails, could be a giant step ahead for Brindley.
Ben Frow
Paramount UK’s head of content material was characteristically indignant about Katz throughout his look on the Edinburgh Tv Competition final yr. Requested concerning the originality of Channel 4, Ben Frow replied sarcastically: “Anybody who seems on the Channel 4 schedule would say it is fully totally different to what it was seven years in the past beneath Jay Hunt. He is a genius. He is fully reinvented tv.”
Whether or not the trash discuss was proper stays up for debate, but it surely reveals Frow’s view that Channel 4 requires a change. Which begs the query: Does Frow assume he is the correct man to result in this alteration? “He likes being an outsider, however a part of him would really like a high job,” a colleague stated.
There isn’t any doubt he has the commissioning credentials, having massively reinvigorated 5 throughout his close to 14-year tenure, to the purpose the place it repeatedly beats Channel 4 in a single day. Plus, there’s all the time a contact of mischief in his output – the latest Huw Edwards drama being an instance of a present that would very nicely be proven on Channel 4. One Channel 4 insider questioned whether or not Frow had sufficient expertise serving younger audiences, whereas others suspected he is likely to be too costly for Channel 4. However with Paramount in a Warner Bros-shaped flux, Frow is likely to be eager to tackle a brand new problem.
Stuart Murphy
Stuart Murphy’s identify has come up repeatedly in latest days, however the former CEO of English Nationwide Opera would nonetheless be thought-about a left-wing worker. Murphy ran BBC Three and Sky for years, commissioning exhibits like Gavin and Stacey And A league of its personalhowever he hasn’t held a everlasting tv government place in a couple of decade. “It could be a return to the previous,” stated one revered producer. One other main Channel 4 provider added: “I feel he’d like to do it. He is had a wierd profession, however he is a vibrant, quirky spark.” A 3rd supply famous that he beforehand had a knack for commissioning hit exhibits that appealed to younger audiences, one thing Channel 4 might do for the time being.
Alice Pomeroy
Alisa Pomeroy, head of documentation and factual leisure at Channel 4, is seen by many because the almost definitely inside candidate to exchange Katz. A preferred determine with producers, Pomeroy was one of many huge winners of the 2024 order restructuring which noticed her tackle a quick protecting a run of Channel 4’s unscripted fare. She now takes on exhibits starting from the 20-year-old hit glasses field to highly effective paperwork like Shoot to kill: terror within the metro Or Michael Jackson: The Trial. Extra not too long ago, she supervised Unhealthy enterprise, the docudrama starring David Thewlis that began a nationwide dialog concerning the risks of sanitation and water firm greed.
“Let’s begin a marketing campaign to get him the job,” stated one manufacturing trade fan, who has labored with Pomeroy on a number of exhibits. Some inside Horseferry Street seem to really feel that Pomeroy or information chief Louisa Compton is likely to be Katz’s most popular successors. He has all the time been a giant fan of each and promoted them throughout his tenure. Lack of scripting expertise would work towards Pomeroy at a time when Channel 4 is spending some huge cash on dramas and comedies, however that applies to quite a few candidates on this record. If profitable, she could be the primary inside candidate to get the job in Channel 4’s 40-year historical past.
Louisa Compton
Channel 4’s head of reports and present affairs is being touted as one other credible inside candidate for the highest job. Louisa Compton has been on the forefront of Channel 4’s boisterous factual output, guiding the likes of Russell model: in plain sight And Gaza: medical doctors attacked on the display screen, in addition to Will AI take my job?provocatively hosted by an AI presenter.
Though extremely regarded within the information neighborhood, she stays an unknown to many drama and reality producers. She brought on a commotion on the 2025 Edinburgh TV Competition when she accused Netflix of being “TV vacationers” after the success of Adolescence. at a time when CEO Dogra could also be in search of an government with extra story-telling or leisure abilities. Compton can be strongly linked to the position of CEO of BBC Information having beforehand edited Victoria Derbyshire and Radio 1 Information.
Kiran Nataraja
Kiran Nataraja is, in some senses, a extra left-wing inside candidate than Pomeroy or Compton, however the extremely regarded government has quietly turn into one of the vital vital folks at Channel 4 throughout Katz’s tenure. A real lieutenant, the director of streaming content material technique has “helped information all the key commissioning choices over the past 4 or 5 years,” says one manufacturing supervisor, who desires her to take the highest prize.
She was promoted a number of instances beneath Katz, including editorial management of Channel 4 streaming a couple of years in the past, at a time when the broadcaster was going bust with its on-line video service (additionally confusingly named Channel 4). “She might have stored a decrease public profile, however she’s sensible,” stated one other trade champion. If she moved ahead within the course of, it is probably that her lack of time on the manufacturing entrance, or dealing with high expertise, would work towards her, however based mostly on our discussions over the previous couple of days, it seems Nataraja has an opportunity. If it succeeded, each of Channel 4’s high bosses could be girls of Asian origin.
Different names in our inbox
Many extra names are being circulated, as producers introduce their most popular candidates. CEO of Banijay UK Patrick Hollande is as soon as once more linked with a high job in broadcasting after hypothesis he would run for the BBC’s director basic and director of content material roles. CEO of BBC Studios International Content material Will Bennett can be thought-about a succesful competitor by many within the manufacturing neighborhood.
Tom McDonaldvice chairman of content material at Nationwide Geographic; John HayCEO of The Backyard; And Philippe Edgar-Jonesthe Sky Commissioner behind Saturday Evening Stay United Kingdomdifferent male first names are in circulation. Syeda Irtizaalithe brand new director of unscripted at Netflix, and that of Apple TV Alison Kirkham are additionally the topic of hypothesis.