Last year's Paralympics coverage was a success, but Channel 4's creative chief faces a tough task in refreshing its output
*Job:* chief creative officer, Channel 4
*Age:* 46
*Industry:* broadcasting, digital media
*2012 ranking:* 29
A year after the success of its Paralympics coverage, the challenge facing Channel 4's chief creative officer Jay Hunt feels considerable.
The Paralympics won plaudits all round – even beating the BBC's Olympics programming to a coveted Bafta award – but it masked a year of declining audiences on Channel 4's flagship network, still struggling to fill the gap left by Big Brother – although spin-off services such as E4 continue to prosper.
There have been highs – Southcliffe, The Undateables, Homeland, Fresh Meat, the Grand National – but lows too, none more so than its reality flop, Hotel GB, which in one go seemed to epitomise the channel's overreliance on a stable of tired, over-exposed celebs.
Add to this the criticism of Hunt's management and comedy chief Shane Allen's explosive leaving do (featuring balloons emblazoned with "end the Hunt") and it has been a year to forget for the Channel 4 creative chief and former controller of BBC1.
For the first time in its history, Channel 4 was beaten in the weekly ratings by Channel 5 this year, boosted by – guess what? – Big Brother. Hunt and Channel 4 contested the validity of Channel 5's figures, but three years since the reality show was axed by Channel 4, it continues to haunt. Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 hour ago.
*Job:* chief creative officer, Channel 4
*Age:* 46
*Industry:* broadcasting, digital media
*2012 ranking:* 29
A year after the success of its Paralympics coverage, the challenge facing Channel 4's chief creative officer Jay Hunt feels considerable.
The Paralympics won plaudits all round – even beating the BBC's Olympics programming to a coveted Bafta award – but it masked a year of declining audiences on Channel 4's flagship network, still struggling to fill the gap left by Big Brother – although spin-off services such as E4 continue to prosper.
There have been highs – Southcliffe, The Undateables, Homeland, Fresh Meat, the Grand National – but lows too, none more so than its reality flop, Hotel GB, which in one go seemed to epitomise the channel's overreliance on a stable of tired, over-exposed celebs.
Add to this the criticism of Hunt's management and comedy chief Shane Allen's explosive leaving do (featuring balloons emblazoned with "end the Hunt") and it has been a year to forget for the Channel 4 creative chief and former controller of BBC1.
For the first time in its history, Channel 4 was beaten in the weekly ratings by Channel 5 this year, boosted by – guess what? – Big Brother. Hunt and Channel 4 contested the validity of Channel 5's figures, but three years since the reality show was axed by Channel 4, it continues to haunt. Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 hour ago.