Channel 5 creative boss quits after internal row

Glynn Brailsford, Channel 5’s head of creative services and one of the key players in the development of the channel’s image, has quit after a disagreement with marketing director Jim Hytner.

Ex-BSkyB marketing director Hytner has brought in former colleague Bruce Dunlop, Sky’s director of promotions and creative services for six years, who starts immediately.

Hytner is now turning his attention to developing Channel 5’s on-screen look, after putting into place a new advertising strategy through Walsh Trott Chick Smith. Hytner’s programme includes updating the style of the Channel 5 logo and colour bars by the autumn.

Brailsford was one of the original launch team for Channel 5. Before joining the consortium behind the station, he worked at Discovery Europe as vice-president of on-air marketing and at children’s cable and satellite channel Nickleodeon.

Dunlop left Sky at the end of 1997 after a split with Elisabeth Murdoch, the managing director of Sky Networks, and set up his own consultancy. He will now work with Channel 5 for the next six to nine months as part of a reorganisation of the promotions department.

Since Hytner joined Channel 5 in April last year he has promoted marketing manager David Bainbridge to head of marketing, installed former finance manager James Burgon as head of a new business unit based on programme exploitation, and brought in Susanna Dinnage, head of research and planning, to develop marketing strategy.

Media Analysis, page 16