David Brindley is set to land one of the biggest jobs in UK television, overseeing programming at pubcaster Channel 4.
He is being lined up to replace Ian Katz, who leaves this month having been the broadcaster’s longest-serving Chief Content Officer. Channel 4 declined comment. Broadcast was first with the news.
Following a long interview process, Brindley, the CEO of Destination X producer Twofour, and former BBC Three boss Stuart Murphy were understood to have been the final two in the running.
Brindley has been considered a frontrunner for the role since speculation began over who would replace Katz. His ITV Studios-backed outfit produces both the UK and U.S. versions of Destination X and Apple TV’s The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy, and he is well-established in British unscripted production circles.
Brindley previously worked for Channel 4 and was behind one of its most impactful shows of all time, Educating Yorkshire, which he recently revived at Twofour. Considered a savvy operator with commissioning and production experience, he got down to the last four for the top BBC content job last year.
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His competitor for the role, Murphy, would have been a more left-field choice given he has spent most of the past decade out of television. After playing major roles at the BBC, where he launched BBC Three in 2003, and Sky, where he was Director of Entertainment Channels between 2015 and 2018, he became CEO of the English National Opera in 2018 and held the role for five years.
Others understood to have been in the running included BBC iPlayer boss Dan McGolpin, Amazon’s Clarkson’s Farm exec Fozia Khan and Tanya Shaw, who has run British indies Shine and Zinc.
Brindley’s job is a tough one.
Channel 4 is laying off around 340 staff, the net’s biggest round of cuts in its 40-year history, and this is hitting commissioning hard, with around 50% of roles set to be reduced.
Big shifts he will oversee include combining the drama and comedy teams into one scripted unit and a merger of its unscripted divisions.
The nature of his role has also changed since Katz left. Brindley will report to new CEO Priya Dogra, as will news boss Louisa Compton and strategy chief Kiran Nataraja. Both Brindley and Compton will sit on the Channel 4 board. Compton and Nataraja previously reported to Katz.
Max Goldbart contributed reporting.
