Alli Tipped For Channel 4 Chief

Labour peer Lord Waheed Alli has been named in today’s press as another potential candidate to take over as chief executive of Channel 4 following the departure of Michael Jackson.

Alli was one of the co-founders of Planet 24, which created former Channel 4 success story Big Breakfast. Channel 4 today refused to confirm rumours about any potential candidates, saying that interviews would continue over the next few weeks, with a decision expected at the end of the month.

The prospect of the new Channel 4 chief was a prime subject for speculation at this year’s Edinburgh TV festival, where a frequently suggested name was the current chief at Channel 5, Dawn Airey.

Endemol’s creative director Peter Bazalgette has since emerged as a favourite, as he would follow the channel’s tradition of appointing programme-makers, and has brought more recent ratings success by importing Big Brother to the UK. However, one wag at Edinburgh suggested that, despite the job’s rumoured £500,000 salary, there would be too much of a pay-cut involved to tempt “Baz”.

Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com

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