Channel 4 has appointed its first two junior commissioning editors in the nations and regions and outlined the 24 indies across the UK that will receive bespoke business support.
Dave Donald and Coral Lawson will work out of Glasgow and Leeds respectively as part of C4’s ambition to develop the next generation of commissioners outside of London.
Working on lifestyle programming, they will receive mentorship from senior C4 commissioners.
A third junior commissioning editor will be appointed in Bristol soon, with three more roles to be filled later this year across digital, drama and reality & entertainment.
Donald has been creative director of Gallus Media for the past year and previously co-founded 14th Floor Productions, which made BBC doc Mark Walters in the Footsteps of Andrew Watson.
As a freelancer, he has worked on C4 shows Location Location Location, Emergency Helicopter Medics and Britain’s Most Historic Towns, Channel 5’s Secret Scotland and CBBC’s Last Commanders.
Lawson’s credits include C4 shows Help! We Bought a Village, A New Life in the Sun, Naked Attraction, Gok’s Fashion Fix and Jamie’s UK, BBC1’s The Repair Shop and C5’s Cowboy Builders.
“These appointments are a meaningful investment in regional creative leadership,” said C4 managing director, nations and regions Sinead Rocks.
“They reflect our belief that great commissioning talent exists all across the UK – and that we must do more to find, develop and empower it.”
Business Boost
Meanwhile, C4 has named the companies that will undertake the Business Boost Programme, which offers leadership and business skills training.
The cohort is split between 12 smaller or early-stage indies, who will be supported by the Foundations programme, and 12 more established companies that will participate in the Next Level programme.
This year’s cohort in full:
Business Boost Foundations
- Crash Productions (Wales)
- Bowled Over Media (South)
- Calling the Shots Films Limited (South West)
- Walk on Air Films (Northern Ireland)
- Wander Films (North East)
- Afro-Mic Productions (Northern Ireland)
- Angel Eye Media Ltd (South West)
- High Rock Media (Northern Ireland)
- Button Down (North)
- Recorded Time (Northern Ireland)
- Circus 68 Scotland Ltd (Scotland)
- GOSH TV LTD (Midlands)
Business Boost Next Level
- Freedom Scripted (Scotland)
- Chatterbox Media (South)
- Candour Productions (North)
- Kailash Films Ltd (Wales)
- Zandland Ltd (North)
- Afanti Media Ltd (Wales)
- Monster Films (Wales)
- Black Camel Pictures (Scotland)
- ScreenDog Productions (South)
- Salamanda Media Limited (North)
- Waddell Media Limited (Northern Ireland)
- Full Fat Television Ltd (Midlands)
