Former Channel 4 Head Could Return For ITV Job

Michael Jackson, former head of Channel 4, has said he is interested in taking over as head of ITV, after previously distancing himself from the role.

According to a report in today’s Independent, industry sources say that Jackson could be persuaded to return to the UK to take on the position.

Although Jackson has been one of the names in the frame for the job (see Former Channel 4 Boss Could Replace Allen), it was thought that he would not be willing to relocate to the UK.

He became head of Diller cable television’s USA Entertainment division five years ago and has been instrumental in attracting advertisers online.

Many in the industry feel that Jackson, who was head of Channel 4 when it introduced digital channel FilmFour, is ideally suited to the ITV role because of the variety of his experiences within the sector.

The Independent quotes a source as saying: “Michael has a wife and children settled in the US. He doesn’t want to move back to England. But he could be persuaded to come back for the ITV job.”

In August it was announced that Charles Allen would be leaving ITV, to be replaced by the company’s finance director John Cresswell as interim chief executive (see Charles Allen Leaves ITV) until a permanent replacement could be found.

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