Thompson had returned the organisation to profit through heavy cost-cutting.ĭuncan’s experience in launching Freeview based on one simple proposition – access to more channels by paying a one-off fee for a set-top box – and in other digital services, such as BBC3, CBeebies and 5LiveSports Extra, will stand him in good stead. The initial surprise over Duncan’s appointment has for many been tempered by the fact that the main challenges facing Channel 4 are strategic.
One industry insider says: “I do think it’s a bit of a risk for one of our public service terrestrial channels to have a chairman and chief executive neither of whom are steeped in a broadcast programme-making background.” Explaining his choice of chief executive, Johnson says: “Duncan’s skills will be very complementary to Kevin Lygo and the rest of the Channel 4 management team.”īut not everyone is convinced a public service broadcaster without a programmer at the helm is a good thing. And he wanted someone to complement the strong programme pedigree of Channel 4 director of television Kevin Lygo. There had been rumours that Channel 4 chairman and former Pizza Express entrepreneur Luke Johnson was looking for someone with business experience to fill the role. The post had been left vacant when Mark Thompson left to become the Beeb’s new director-general.
But officially no one had linked Duncan, a former European category director for the food and beverages division at Unilever, with the Channel 4 job. Many had thought that if Dyke were to replace Charles Allen as chief executive of ITV, Duncan would be sure to follow him there. It came after his successful launch of Freeview, of which he was chairman, and the unexpected departure of former director-general Greg Dyke following the Hutton Inquiry. There had been growing speculation that the ambitious 41-year-old director of marketing, communications and audiences was ready to move from the BBC. A casual-dressing former margarine marketer and practising Christian was the surprise choice of Channel 4 last week for its new chief executive.īreaking the mould, the “risk-taking” public service broadcaster will for the first time be headed by someone who has no experience of programme-making, commissioning or scheduling: BBC marketing chief and former Unilever marketer Andy Duncan.