Channel 4 has unveiled a leadership structure for its commissioning team, with three directors replacing outgoing Chief Content Officer Ian Katz.
Louisa Compton and Kiran Nataraja, alongside a third director yet to be recruited, will together lead the commissioning team. All three will report directly to new CEO Priya Dogra.
The structure will come into effect when Katz leaves the channel later in 2026. It includes a Director of News, Digital and Audience Trust; a Director of Programmes; and a Director of Content Strategy.
Compton, who is currently Head of News, Current Affairs, Specialist Factual, and Sport at Channel 4, will take up the role of Director of News, Digital, and Audience Trust. As well as news, current affairs, specialist factual, and sport, she will be responsible for genres including digital-first commissioning.
Kiran Nataraja, Channel 4’s Director of Streaming and Content Strategy, will move into the Director of Content Strategy role, taking an overview of how content is commissioned, funded, and delivered. Portfolio planning across channels, streaming, and acquisitions sits within his remit.
The yet-to-be-recruited Director of Programmes will reportedly be the key creative leader for Channel 4 and will have full commissioning and editorial responsibility for all other programming across scripted and unscripted genres, including documentaries, entertainment, factual entertainment, and lifestyle.
In April 2026, Katz announced that he would leave Channel 4 in the autumn.
Dogra commented: “Independent producers are at the heart of Channel 4, and this new model is about giving them greater clarity and building deeper partnerships in how we work together. With incredibly strong creative leadership and clear accountability across our portfolios, we can be confident we’re backing the best ideas and delivering distinctive programmes that cut through. Both Louisa and Kiran are outstanding leaders and well respected for their craft, and I’m confident that they – alongside the Director of Programmes – will make sure Channel 4 programming remains as distinctive, as relevant and as rebellious as ever, wherever and however our audiences watch.”
Channel 4’s interim Chief Executive Jonathan Allan recently decided to leave the organisation after 15 years. Discover more here.
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