Channel 4 cuts 340 jobs but leaves record executive pay untouched

Channel 4 will cut 340 jobs before the end of 2026 but has no plans to review record levels of executive pay.

The board is not giving active consideration to reducing pay for its top executives, even as the broadcaster pushes to radically lower its cost base, according to Deadline. The position was confirmed during a broader strategic review led by chief executive Priya Dogra.

The pay figures at issue centre on two former leaders. Alex Mahon and Ian Katz were the highest-paid chief executive and chief content officer in Channel 4’s history.

Mahon received £8.46 million in total pay during her tenure, up 33% on her predecessor David Abraham. Katz earned £4.2 million in his first six years in the role, a 34% increase on what Jay Hunt was paid over an equivalent period.

Channel 4 posted record sales of £1.16 billion in 2021 under Mahon. Her 33% pay rise outpaced revenue growth of 5.6% across her time in charge.

The broadcaster declined to disclose what Dogra, who succeeded Mahon, is paid. That figure will be published in the 2026 annual report next year.

The cuts fall heavily on staff who make and order programmes. Channel 4 is reducing its workforce by 28%, with around half of commissioning roles at risk. Commissioning is the part of the business that orders new shows from independent producers.

Drama and comedy, currently separate teams, are being combined. Internal discussions point to seven roles becoming three under a single scripted chief. Film4, the film division, is not affected by the changes.

It is the largest round of redundancies in the broadcaster’s 43-year history, as described by The Guardian. Dogra announced the layoffs on 9 September after spending recent months on the strategic review, according to Deadline.

Pay and job cuts have clashed before. Katz chose to forgo his bonus in 2024 after criticism that Channel 4’s three highest earners would accept bonuses during layoffs. A year earlier, executive pay had risen by nearly a third even as the broadcaster cut content spending and jobs.

Channel 4 has cut senior pay in previous downturns. In April 2020, it unveiled a coronavirus cost-cutting plan that included a 20% reduction in executive pay. That year it also cut its programming budget by £150 million, reduced other costs by £95 million and furloughed 100 staff.

What makes this stand out is the scale of the loss for people inside the organisation. For viewers, Channel 4 remains the home of shows including The Great British Bake Off and Taskmaster. For the crews behind them, the next few months will decide which teams stay to make what comes next.