Non Executive Directorships

Channel 4 Chair

Location: Various

Date Posted: 01/04/2025

Closing Date: 27/04/2025

£95,000 per annum – 5 days/month

About the appointment

Introduction

Channel 4 Television Corporation is a publicly owned, commercially funded broadcaster transmitting across the whole of the UK and available on all digital platforms (terrestrial, satellite and cable) via a network of 12 television channels including Channel 4 (linear service), E4, More4, Film4, 4seven and 4Music, as well as the UK’s largest streaming service. Film4 co-produces feature films for the UK and global markets. Channel 4’s revenue was £1.02bn in 2023, including £280m from digital advertising.

The channel’s primary purpose under the 2003 Communications Act is the fulfilment of its public service remit, ‘the provision of a broad range of high quality and diverse programming’ which, in particular:

demonstrates innovation, experiment and creativity in the form and content of programmes;
appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society;
makes a significant contribution to meeting the need for the licensed public service channels to include programmes of an educational nature and other programmes of educative value; and
exhibits a distinctive character.

Channel 4 has additional responsibilities under the Digital Economy Act 2010 to participate in:

the making of a broad range of relevant media content of high quality that, taken as a whole, appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society;
the making of high quality films intended to be shown to the general public at the cinema in the United Kingdom;
the broadcasting and distribution of such content and films;
the making of relevant media content that consists of news and current affairs;
the making of relevant media content that appeals to the tastes and interests of older children and young adults;
the broadcasting or distribution by means of electronic communications networks of feature films that reflect cultural activity in the United Kingdom (including third party films);
the broadcasting or distribution of relevant media content by means of a range of different types of electronic communications networks.

Channel 4 has responsibilities under the Media Act 2024 to promote the sustainability of the channel, maintaining or increasing the amount of activity to deliver its primary functions and securely meet the costs incurred in the carrying out those functions. The Act also removes the restrictions previously placed on Channel 4 on the production of programmes.

The channel must also:

promote measures intended to ensure that people are well informed and motivated to participate in society in a variety of ways;
support the development of people with creative talent, in particular people involved in the film industry and at the start of their careers;
support and stimulate well-informed debate on a wide range of issues, including by providing access to information and views from around the world and by challenging established views;
promote alternative views and new perspectives;
provide access to material that is intended to inspire people to make changes in their lives.

Appointment description

Ofcom is seeking to appoint a new Chair to Channel Four Television Corporation to replace the current Chair, Sir Ian Cheshire, whose term of office ends on 10 April 2025. The appointment will be made by Ofcom, subject to approval by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Channel 4 is governed by a unitary board which:

• provides entrepreneurial leadership within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enable risks to be assessed and managed;

• sets Channel 4’s strategic aims and oversees their implementation;

• ensures that the necessary financial and human resources are in place for Channel 4 to meet its objectives and reviews the performance of its management;

• sets Channel 4’s values and standards and ensures that its statutory and other obligations are understood and met.

The Board is also responsible for ensuring that the Corporation carries on its activities in the way that they have reasonable grounds to consider would be most likely to enable the Corporation, over the long term:

a) to maintain or increase the amount of activity that is done in pursuance of their primary functions; and

b) to be securely in a position to meet costs incurred in the carrying out of their primary functions.

Board composition

https://www.channel4.com/corporate/about-4/who-we-are/board

Person specification

Essential criteria

The experience that may support this include:

successfully leading a major organisation delivering sustainable commercial results;
demonstrable business and financial acumen within the sector or translatable to the sector;
experience of either chairing a company or being involved with a company at board level;
a strong interest in and understanding of the broadcast media and/or the digital or communications sectors;
a track record of promoting diversity and inclusion. For Channel 4, this includes providing content that appeals to a culturally and regionally diverse audience and promoting geographical and regional diversity, underpinned by being headquartered in Leeds;
a track record of building effective and collaborative relationships with industry, government and regulators.

Desirable criteria

The attributes that may support this include:

a mature, clear outlook and sound judgement;
strong leadership, strategic thinking and vision;
excellent interpersonal and communications skills;
personal integrity of a high order.

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Other Positions Available:

Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Climate Change Committee x 2

Location: Various

Date Posted: 11/04/2025

Closing Date: 11/05/2025