New Chief Executive Airey Announces Raft Of Promotions In Channel 5 Programming
Dawn Airey, chief executive of Channel 5 following David Elstein’s departure (see David Elstein Quits Channel 5), has announced a reshuffle in the programming department as she prepares to continue the push for higher viewing figures.
Airey will retain her role as director of programmes alongside her new duties, and has therefore promoted two members of the existing programming team, Michael Attwell and Chris Shaw, to the roles of senior programme controllers.
Programme controllers responsible for drama, entertainment, children’s and religion will report to Attwell, who is currently controller of features and arts. Meanwhile, controllers responsible for special events, sport and interactivity will report to Shaw, who is currently controller of news, current affairs and documentaries. Both Attwell and Shaw will continue to oversee their programming areas and ultimately report to Airey.
In addition to these changes, Ashley Hill, who currently holds the position of controller of programme planning, will move up to become director of broadcasting, where he will take on additional responsibilities for the schedule budget, departmental administration and presentation. Both he and Jeff Ford, the director of acquisitions, will continue to report to the new chief executive.
Airey has described the new appointments as “streamlining” and insists that, even in her newly elevated position she will “continue to have direct creative contact with all controllers.”
Despite criticism, Channel 5 has not done badly in building its audience and coverage during its short lifetime (see Feature: Channel 5 Films Boost Viewing Share). The next goal will be to build audience share beyond 8% in an increasingly competitive and diverse market. Many feel that this will only be done with the establishment of “appointment to view” programmes. So far the Channel 5 schedule has yet to produce any such programmes.
The programmes winning the largest number of viewers for the channel each week are usually feature films – for the week ending 22 October the top programme on the channel was Mrs Doubtfire, which gained 3.97m viewers, followed by Lethal Weapon 2 which managed 2.89m. The only regular programme with a relatively consistent high (for Channel 5) audience is the 9pm news, but with an audience of between 1.5 and 2m, EastEnders it ain’t (all figures from MediaTel TV database).
Channel 5 is, of course, stuck in the Catch 22 of commercial broadcasting in that without increased funding it will be hard to produce must-see TV, but without the audiences drawn to such programming, the advertising revenue, and consequently the funding, is hard to command. However, the autumn schedule this year represented the biggest round of spending yet (see From Big Brother To Big Sales Houses, Channel 5 Prepares For Battle) and unconfirmed rumours have emerged this week that directors RTL are backing a serious cash injection, in the realms of a 50% increase, for the programming budget next year.
Characteristically, Airey seems unfazed by the prospect of growing the channel, and appears to regard its present size as an asset: “Channel 5 will continue to be the most stream-lined and efficient channel in British broadcasting,” she says, “These changes will not stop our ability to be the most responsive and fast moving broadcaster.”
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