Ofcom announces four new non-execs for C4 board

Ofcom has today announced the appointment of four new non-executive directors to the Board of Channel 4 – Dawn Airey, Tess Alps, David Kogan and Sarah Sands.

Dawn Airey has been both Chair and CEO of Channel 5, Managing Director of Channels and Services for BSkyB, Managing Director of Global Content at ITV and Senior Vice-President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Yahoo. She is currently Chair of the National Youth Theatre, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s championship.

Tess Alps began her career in advertising before joining global media buying agency PHD, where she became UK Chair. She spent over 14 years at Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial television in the UK, as its CEO and eventually its Chair.

Alps is currently a council member of the Advertising Standards Authority.

David Kogan OBE began in newspapers. Following a stint as a producer at the BBC, he spent nine years at Reuters Television, latterly as Managing Director Global. He went on to become CEO of strategy and commercial rights negotiator Reel Enterprises, which specialises in advising television, newspaper and sports companies.

Sarah Sands’s career spans 35 years in news, current affairs and as an author. She has held some of the most senior editorial positions in the industry at the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Readers’ Digest, London Evening Standard and the BBC’s Today programme.

The appointments were approved by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nadine Dorries MP.

Ofcom is required under the Broadcasting Act 1990 to appoint non-executive members to the Channel 4 Board, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State.

The new appointees will each join the Board for a term of three years commencing “as soon as is practicable.”

Channel 4 Chair Charles Gurassa, said: “I am delighted to welcome Dawn Airey, Tess Alps, David Kogan and Sarah Sands to the Channel 4 Board. They have all enjoyed long and distinguished careers in the media and creative industries and their deep sectoral knowledge will be a huge asset to the Board. As well as bringing a breadth and depth of personal creative and leadership experience, they all share a great admiration and enthusiasm for Channel 4’s unique role and creative energy.”