Louisa Compton Appointed To Channel 4 Board Alongside Next Content Chief

Channel 4’s news and digital boss along with its next content chief will be given a place on the Gogglebox network’s board.

Louisa Compton is a new Executive Board Member appointment and will sit alongside CEO Priya Dogra, CFO Lucy Thomas and Ian Katz’s soon-to-be-unveiled replacement as head of programmes, along with chair Geoff Cooper and non-exec directors.

Compton has been a rising star at Channel 4 for a number of years and is now Director of News, Digital and Audience Trust, overseeing news and current affairs, specialist factual, sport and digital commissioning along with leading Channel 4’s approach to audience trust, editorial standards and use of artificial intelligence in commissioned content.

Dogra said: “Louisa’s appointment reflects the importance of journalism, audience trust and digital innovation to Channel 4’s future. Under her leadership, Channel 4 has become a destination for agenda-setting journalism and factual programming – and one of the UK’s most-trusted news brands. She brings to the Board deep expertise and a strong understanding of how viewers engage with high-quality content across broadcast, streaming and social platforms.”

Compton will sit alongside the next director of programmes, a role that has been reshaped a tad now that Katz is leaving. Dogra raised eyebrows a few months back when she unveiled a new structure that will see Katz’s replacement level-pegging with Compton and highly-rated strategy boss Kiran Nataraja. All three will report to Dogra, whereas beforehand Compton and Nataraja reported to Katz.

Deadline is told Katz’s replacement could be unveiled in days, although Dogra said in the “coming weeks” at a convention last week. Multiple sources have indicated that the final two executives in the frame are former Sky and BBC Three boss Stuart Murphy, and David Brindley, the CEO of Destination X producer Twofour. Broadcast reported the names last week.