Channel 5's director of programmes Jeff Ford announces departure
Following two years as Channel 5’s director programmes, it has been revealed Jeff Ford will be leaving the Richard Desmond-owned broadcaster within the next 6 weeks.
Ford has been at Channel 5 for more than a decade, working as director of acquisitions from its launch in 1997 and then as director of digital channels. He moved to his current position in August 2010, following the departure of Richard Woolfe over Desmond’s Northern and Shell buyout.
He oversaw the two year period in which Channel 5 increased its investment in content by 23 per cent, as well as the return of Big Brother to UK TV after it was dropped by Channel 4.
Ford commented on his departure: “I am leaving the brand in a far better place with programmes that viewers talk about and truly engage with.
“I am proud that we are the only commercial family of channels to have grown our audience share year-on-year and that we have also increased audiences for the main channel across the key demographics including 16-34’s and ABC1’s.”
A Channel 5 executive said Ford would be hard to replace: "He is like a part of the furniture, in the nicest possible way, and embodies what Channel 5 is about more than anyone else in the building. He will be very hard to replace."