Marketing posts axed in FilmFour closure
Channel 4 is to axe its standalone film distribution arm, FilmFour, resulting in up to 50 job losses, among them the eight-strong marketing and publicity team.
The redundancies are expected to be the first of a significant number of job cuts that will hit Channel 4, as new chief executive Mark Thompson strives to make the organisation “as lean as it possibly can be”. There are expected to be more than 200 job cuts across the company, but it is not clear whether this figure includes those being made at FilmFour.
FilmFour’s head of UK marketing Lisa Hayes and head of international publicity and marketing Bridget Pedgrift are expected to be among those made redundant by the film distribution company.
It is not clear whether any additional job cuts will be made in Channel 4’s sales and marketing departments.
Channel 4 plans to bring elements of FilmFour’s production division back in house, with the broadcaster’s central marketing department handling film promotion.
FilmFour was launched as a subsidiary of Channel 4 on the back of successes such as Trainspotting and Four Weddings and A Funeral, which were managed by in-house division Channel 4 Films.
