Exclusive: The former UK chief of one of Europe’s biggest production giants has been drafted in by Channel 4 to advise on the formation of its in-house productions unit.
Lucinda Hicks, who left her Banijay UK CEO post two years ago, will be consulting with Channel 4 two days per week over the coming months to help with the network’s strategy to seek “diversified revenue streams,” which includes in-house productions and comprises part of its Fast Forward blueprint. CEO Alex Mahon is understood to be keen to have a fleshed-out plan in place by the end of this year depending on the success of the media bill currently making its way through parliament.
Reporting into Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan, Hicks is working closely with Mahon and content boss Ian Katz on the plans.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman said Hicks is examining how the broadcaster can “explore the potential of...
Lucinda Hicks, who left her Banijay UK CEO post two years ago, will be consulting with Channel 4 two days per week over the coming months to help with the network’s strategy to seek “diversified revenue streams,” which includes in-house productions and comprises part of its Fast Forward blueprint. CEO Alex Mahon is understood to be keen to have a fleshed-out plan in place by the end of this year depending on the success of the media bill currently making its way through parliament.
Reporting into Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan, Hicks is working closely with Mahon and content boss Ian Katz on the plans.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman said Hicks is examining how the broadcaster can “explore the potential of...
- 4/3/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Channel 4 Bonuses Are “Slap In The Face” For Fired Staffers & Ailing Freelance Workforce, Bectu Says
“A slap in the face” was the verdict of broadcasting union Bectu to Channel 4 bosses’ decision to accept bonuses this year amidst a 250-staff layoff program.
Deadline revealed yesterday that the network’s CEO Alex Mahon, content boss Ian Katz and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan would be taking their bonuses in 2024, although at reduced rates.
Responding, Bectu Head Philippa Childs pointed to the optics of the bonuses being taken at a time when freelance community morale is at an all-time low. Channel 4’s Remuneration Committee would have rubberstamped the bonuses around the time the broadcaster began implementing a 250-staff layoff program, which is seeing commissioning teams shrunk back amidst tricky economic headwinds and a slowdown in commissioning.
“Hot on the heels of recent announcements of mass redundancies at the broadcaster, this will come as a slap in the face to both those at risk of redundancy and the...
Deadline revealed yesterday that the network’s CEO Alex Mahon, content boss Ian Katz and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan would be taking their bonuses in 2024, although at reduced rates.
Responding, Bectu Head Philippa Childs pointed to the optics of the bonuses being taken at a time when freelance community morale is at an all-time low. Channel 4’s Remuneration Committee would have rubberstamped the bonuses around the time the broadcaster began implementing a 250-staff layoff program, which is seeing commissioning teams shrunk back amidst tricky economic headwinds and a slowdown in commissioning.
“Hot on the heels of recent announcements of mass redundancies at the broadcaster, this will come as a slap in the face to both those at risk of redundancy and the...
- 3/19/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Channel 4 bosses will take home reduced bonuses in 2024 as 250 staffers are laid off.
Deadline can reveal that the vast majority of Channel 4 staff will receive a bonus this year around half the level of 2023, including CEO Alex Mahon, content boss Ian Katz and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan. The trio will see their pay reduced by around 30% to 40% from last year’s record highs, we are also told.
The decision on bonuses was recently rubberstamped by the network’s Remuneration Committee and a Channel 4 spokesman told Deadline the bonus was calculated from the network’s “annual targets, remit and business goals.” This decision to award them bonuses was made in the past few weeks as the redundancy program has been in full flow – the biggest such program initiated by the broadcaster for 15 years.
Senior bosses’ separate six-figure loyalty bonuses, which Deadline revealed had been indefinitely deferred last year amidst a revolt from producers,...
Deadline can reveal that the vast majority of Channel 4 staff will receive a bonus this year around half the level of 2023, including CEO Alex Mahon, content boss Ian Katz and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan. The trio will see their pay reduced by around 30% to 40% from last year’s record highs, we are also told.
The decision on bonuses was recently rubberstamped by the network’s Remuneration Committee and a Channel 4 spokesman told Deadline the bonus was calculated from the network’s “annual targets, remit and business goals.” This decision to award them bonuses was made in the past few weeks as the redundancy program has been in full flow – the biggest such program initiated by the broadcaster for 15 years.
Senior bosses’ separate six-figure loyalty bonuses, which Deadline revealed had been indefinitely deferred last year amidst a revolt from producers,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Channel 4 is in “market shock territory” and may finally look to use its £75M ($94M) revolving credit facility next year, according to CEO Alex Mahon.
Mahon faced a barrage of questions about the embattled Gogglebox broadcaster’s finances from the Culture, Media & Sport Committee this morning and was at pains to stress how bad the ad market has been this year and its impact on Channel 4.
In line with rivals, she said Channel 4 hasn’t seen predicted recoveries in H2 or Q4 of 2023 and revenues will likely be down around 8% for 2023, while the channel expects to post a deficit following three years of surplus.
“We are in what I would probably call market shock territory,” she told MPs. “This level of ad fall was only deeper in the 2008 recession.”
In a marked change of position, Mahon said she “imagines” Channel 4 may “look at how to use” the credit facility next year,...
Mahon faced a barrage of questions about the embattled Gogglebox broadcaster’s finances from the Culture, Media & Sport Committee this morning and was at pains to stress how bad the ad market has been this year and its impact on Channel 4.
In line with rivals, she said Channel 4 hasn’t seen predicted recoveries in H2 or Q4 of 2023 and revenues will likely be down around 8% for 2023, while the channel expects to post a deficit following three years of surplus.
“We are in what I would probably call market shock territory,” she told MPs. “This level of ad fall was only deeper in the 2008 recession.”
In a marked change of position, Mahon said she “imagines” Channel 4 may “look at how to use” the credit facility next year,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Channel 4’s finance boss is to exit after five years, coming at a tricky time for the Gogglebox network.
Vince Russell has decided to leave at the end of the year and will work alongside interim Terry Downing, a former Endemol and Fox finance exec, until then. The search for Finance Director Russell’s long-term replacement has started.
Russell joined Channel 4 in 2018, overseeing finances during the pandemic, privatization period and, more recently, the economic downturn brought on by the ad recession. Prior to Channel 4, he worked for Sky in various finance and product roles.
His boss, Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan, said Russell had “helped shepherd the channel through a very interesting period with great skill and unwavering good humour – steering Channel 4 through the pandemic and then on to achieve some tremendous results including posting record revenues and programme investment in 2022.”
Russell has “helped mitigate the stresses of...
Vince Russell has decided to leave at the end of the year and will work alongside interim Terry Downing, a former Endemol and Fox finance exec, until then. The search for Finance Director Russell’s long-term replacement has started.
Russell joined Channel 4 in 2018, overseeing finances during the pandemic, privatization period and, more recently, the economic downturn brought on by the ad recession. Prior to Channel 4, he worked for Sky in various finance and product roles.
His boss, Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Allan, said Russell had “helped shepherd the channel through a very interesting period with great skill and unwavering good humour – steering Channel 4 through the pandemic and then on to achieve some tremendous results including posting record revenues and programme investment in 2022.”
Russell has “helped mitigate the stresses of...
- 11/23/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Channel 4 executive pay soared to record highs last year amid industry fury over salaries for senior leaders at the UK commercial broadcaster.
Bumper pay packets were expected for 2022, but Channel 4’s annual report lays bare how much its top team earned as they fought off privatization and delivered a stable commercial performance.
Channel 4’s fortunes have soured in recent months as an ad market downturn has forced it to cancel and delay shows, and significantly slow down new commissions.
As Channel 4 commissions all of its content from independent producers, suppliers have been asked to suck up some of this pain, which has fuelled anger over executive salaries.
Alex Mahon’s total pay packet rose 25% to £1.5M ($2M) last year and was the most a Channel 4 Chief Executive has been paid in the company’s 40-year history.
Channel 4’s executive team received record variable pay of £1.1M last year after...
Bumper pay packets were expected for 2022, but Channel 4’s annual report lays bare how much its top team earned as they fought off privatization and delivered a stable commercial performance.
Channel 4’s fortunes have soured in recent months as an ad market downturn has forced it to cancel and delay shows, and significantly slow down new commissions.
As Channel 4 commissions all of its content from independent producers, suppliers have been asked to suck up some of this pain, which has fuelled anger over executive salaries.
Alex Mahon’s total pay packet rose 25% to £1.5M ($2M) last year and was the most a Channel 4 Chief Executive has been paid in the company’s 40-year history.
Channel 4’s executive team received record variable pay of £1.1M last year after...
- 7/12/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has posted robust revenues of £1.14 billion ($1.47 billion) for 2022. The figure was only a 2% drop from last year’s record £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion).
“2022 was operationally and financially a very successful year,” the network’s CEO Alex Mahon told reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday morning local time as the results were announced.
One third of revenues came from streams other than traditional linear advertising, Mahon said, and the network also expanded non-advertising revenue to 11% of total revenue.
The network also posted strong results in video-on-demand, clocking up 1.4 billion streaming views in 2022, almost the same figure as in 2021, which was boosted by lockdowns. April 2022 was Channel 4’s best month for VOD with 5 billion minutes streamed.
Mahon also noted that now the threat of privatization had been lifted, Channel 4 was able to focus on its strategy. Earlier this year the U.K. government confirmed it had canceled plans to privatize the broadcaster.
“2022 was operationally and financially a very successful year,” the network’s CEO Alex Mahon told reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday morning local time as the results were announced.
One third of revenues came from streams other than traditional linear advertising, Mahon said, and the network also expanded non-advertising revenue to 11% of total revenue.
The network also posted strong results in video-on-demand, clocking up 1.4 billion streaming views in 2022, almost the same figure as in 2021, which was boosted by lockdowns. April 2022 was Channel 4’s best month for VOD with 5 billion minutes streamed.
Mahon also noted that now the threat of privatization had been lifted, Channel 4 was able to focus on its strategy. Earlier this year the U.K. government confirmed it had canceled plans to privatize the broadcaster.
- 7/12/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Channel 4’s top executives have indefinitely deferred their six-figure loyalty bonuses amid a revolt from producers, who have voiced dismay at the British broadcaster pleading poverty as senior leaders pocket record pay packets.
Deadline can reveal that Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon and her two top lieutenants, content chief Ian Katz and commercial head Jonathan Allan, will forgo bonuses of more than £100,000 until the company has navigated its way through a chastening ad market slump.
The so-called “retention bonus” was introduced to stop rank-and-file staff fleeing Channel 4 as the government attempted to sell the crown jewel of UK broadcasting. The reward was extended to executive directors last September, meaning their salary would have been topped up by 25% in addition to any performance-related pay.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman confirmed the deferral “as part of a wider response to a very difficult ad market.” It is understood that Mahon, Katz, and Allan...
Deadline can reveal that Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon and her two top lieutenants, content chief Ian Katz and commercial head Jonathan Allan, will forgo bonuses of more than £100,000 until the company has navigated its way through a chastening ad market slump.
The so-called “retention bonus” was introduced to stop rank-and-file staff fleeing Channel 4 as the government attempted to sell the crown jewel of UK broadcasting. The reward was extended to executive directors last September, meaning their salary would have been topped up by 25% in addition to any performance-related pay.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman confirmed the deferral “as part of a wider response to a very difficult ad market.” It is understood that Mahon, Katz, and Allan...
- 6/5/2023
- by Jake Kanter and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The chief executive of British public service broadcaster Channel 4 has said “risky” shows such as “Derry Girls,” “It’s a Sin” and “Gogglebox” would probably have not been commissioned if the network was privately-owned.
The broadcaster is also considering taking its local streaming service All4 “global,” it has revealed.
Channel 4 CEO Dr Alex Mahon (pictured above at a committee hearing in 2019) was attending an evidence session in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) Committee on Tuesday morning (July 12) in London about the potential privatization of the network when she made the comments. The U.K.’s secretary of state for Dcms, Nadine Dorries, has outlined her plans to sell Channel 4 although these are now up in the air following the resignation of prime minister Boris Johnson.
Drawing on her previous experience at other, private companies, Mahon said that were Channel 4 to be privatized she would “change the commissioning strategy,...
The broadcaster is also considering taking its local streaming service All4 “global,” it has revealed.
Channel 4 CEO Dr Alex Mahon (pictured above at a committee hearing in 2019) was attending an evidence session in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) Committee on Tuesday morning (July 12) in London about the potential privatization of the network when she made the comments. The U.K.’s secretary of state for Dcms, Nadine Dorries, has outlined her plans to sell Channel 4 although these are now up in the air following the resignation of prime minister Boris Johnson.
Drawing on her previous experience at other, private companies, Mahon said that were Channel 4 to be privatized she would “change the commissioning strategy,...
- 7/12/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
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