UK Edition
Newsnight editor Ian Katz joins Channel 4 as director of programmes
Ian Katz, the editor of Newsnight, has been appointed director of programmes at Channel 4 despite limited experience of working in television.
Katz is a surprise choice for the role, which will see him take on a roster of shows including The Great British Bake Off and Gogglebox. His background is in news and current affairs: before joining the BBC four years ago, he was deputy editor of The Guardian.
He takes over from Jay Hunt, who has quit to join Apple, and his salary will rise significantly. Hunt earned £581,000 last year including a £123,000 bonus, while Katz earned £151,600 at the BBC.
Katz said he was “incredibly sad” to leave Newsnight, a programme that was “on its knees” but is now “a confident, vibrant, original force”.
He also said that he had admired Channel 4 “for decades as a viewer - and more recently as a frequently envious rival”.
His appointment was not universally welcomed, with some senior industry figures describing it as “bizarre” and “unbelievable”.
But Alex Mahon, Channel 4’s chief executive, said Katz was the right person for the job. “We unanimously decided to appoint Ian. He utterly lives and breathes our remit and values and has the integrity and loyalty that I think goes alongside who we see ourselves as,” she said.
"He has a reputation and a passion for innovation and risk-taking combined with an interest in contemporary Britain.”
Katz joined Newsnight in 2013 and quickly made headlines when he accidentally published a private tweet describing an interview with Rachel Reeves, the Labour MP, as “boring snoring”.
The search is now on for a new editor of Newsnight. Ratings have been in steady decline, from over one million 15 years ago to 500,000 today.