Channel 4 to cut roughly 300 jobs in its largest layoff ever

Channel 4 is preparing to dismiss around 300 employees, representing about 25% of its workforce, in the biggest layoff in its 43-year history. Chief executive Priya Dogra, who succeeded Alex Mahon in March, will address staff on Wednesday to discuss a wide-ranging strategic and structural review. The broadcaster's headcount rose to 1,276 by 2025 after a period of expansion, and the planned reductions, along with other efficiency drives, aim to generate savings of roughly 300-325 positions.

This follows a 200-job cut announced two years earlier amid a severe advertising downturn, when the wage bill reached £108m; it has since risen to £122m. Dogra is also expected to reshape commissioning, targeting fewer but better-funded series and boosting marketing, a model she used at Sky and Warner Bros Discovery. Channel 4 posted a £10m pre-tax loss last year, with advertising revenue down 2%, and has tapped half of its £150m revolving credit facility to protect liquidity.