The Stage

Channel 4’s Cohen made E4 controller

Published Friday 6 January 2006 at 12:35 by Liz Thomas

Danny Cohen, currently Channel 4’s head of documentaries, has been appointed the new controller of E4 and factual entertainment.

Cohen, who commissioned the hugely successful reality show Supernanny, succeeds Julian Bellamy, who recently left the broadcaster to take over as controller of BBC3.

The appointment marks a return to E4 for Cohen, who first joined in July 2001 as one of the original commissioning team and was responsible for factual programmes and for launching live interactive Big Brother streaming.

Channel 4’s director of programmes Kevin Lygo said: “Danny’s exceptional track record for producing highly original and incredibly diverse hit programmes makes him the ideal candidate for this challenging job, which demands such a unique combination of skills and experience. He leaves the documentary department in excellent shape at the end of an outstanding year and with a raft of significant commissions already in production for 2006.”

Cohen, who takes up the new position immediately, will be in charge of an annual budget of £67 million, much of which has been pledged for original programming.

He said: “It has been tremendously rewarding to work with Channel 4’s hugely talented documentary team of commissioners and independent producers. However the twin challenges of running a channel and overseeing the next generation of factual entertainment programming is irresistible.”

The broadcaster’s factual entertainment department was set up in 2000 and since then has commissioned a wide range of hits including Big Brother, Brat Camp and The Unteachables.