22/10/2002 - Chief Executive Mark Thompson announces 200 job cuts

On the eve of its 20th anniversary, Channel 4’s new chief executive, Mark Thompson, has made the biggest job cuts in the channel’s history with nearly 200 new redundancies. This adds to the 50 other layoffs last Summer from the channel’s film production and distribution arm, Film Four, now folded back into the channel’s main Drama department.
For Mark Thompson, this redundancy programme is part of “the most radical restructure in the channel’s 20-year history”. It should “help slash the channel’s overhead and deliver major savings to be invested on screen”. Indeed, in 2003, overheads at the channel are expected to be cut by 33%, and a 7.5% increase in its programme budget has already been announced for next year with a total of £430m (Euros 645 million) - the biggest amount in Channel 4’s history.
The job cuts have brought the total number of employees at Channel 4 from 1,100 to slightly over 900. The most high profile departure is Channel 4’s head of strategy and development, David Brook, appointed by former chief executive Michael Jackson. Brook was instrumental in giving the channel its much criticised youth oriented branding.

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