C5 struck by first senior departure

Channel 5 was dealt a blow this week with the announcement that David Bergg, controller of planning and acquisitions, is leaving to join ITV.

Bergg’s decision to quit makes him the first senior manager to leave the UK’s newest terrestrial channel since its launch five months ago.

He will take charge of planning and strategy at ITV, and will report to David Liddiment, director of programmes at the ITV Network Centre, who joined last week.

Bergg, who played a key role in negotiating Channel 5’s film packages with Fox and Warner Brothers, and in acquiring US imports such as Melrose Place and La Femme Nikita, worked with Alan Yentob as scheduler at BBC1, before moving to Channel 5 in 1996.

He previously worked as controller of marketing and research at GMTV, and before that worked at TV-am as research manager and then head of programme acquisition.

Channel 5 achieved a 4.2 per cent average share of audience last week, its highest weekly average since launch, according to a company spokesman.