Andrew O’Connell and Steve Gowans are the only top-level commissioners left at Channel 5 as its £5m redundancy programme draws to a close.

The broadcaster will operate with a very tight commissioning team, described by one source as akin to a cable channel, and led by the respective heads of factual and factual entertainment.

Veterans Chris Shaw, Nick Wilson and Robert Charles, who ran news and current affairs, children’s and sport respectively, have all taken redundancy this week as part of the 60-80 job cuts new owner Northern & Shell has implemented.

Director of programmes Jeff Ford hinted at the Edinburgh TV Festival that factual and fact ent are likely to be the bedrock of the new schedule, and an insider said that the new “super-lean” commissioning team would reflect that.

A source close to the company said there were rumours of potential job offers for O’Connell but that C5 was keen to retain him, and that Gowans’ breadth of commissioning experience would also be important.

He said: “Five will stick to what it’s good at - things like The Hotel Inspector, the Robson Green fishing shows and long-running brands like The Gadget Show. It’ll be a small, sharp team.”

Head of entertainment Donna Taberer, who joined in August last year, is also leaving as C5 rows back from the genre, and it is thought C5 could recruit an exec to run both news and sport.

Despite the departure of Nick Wilson, who has built Milkshake! into one of the most important homes of kids’ programming in the UK, Northern & Shell is thought to be keen to maintain its reputation in the genre.

However, sources indicated it would manage its existing portfolio, rather than commission many new shows.

The parent company declined to comment on the broadcaster’s strategy or management structure while the redundancy process is ongoing.

Most of those taking voluntary redundancy are expected to leave C5 between now and the end of the month, and Dawn Airey has also brought forward her departure. She will leave this week and move back to former C5 owner RTL Group. Her departure had been earmarked for October.

Separately, Ford has begun a series of meetings with indies to improve direct relationships following his trip to the US with Richard Desmond to meet with US studios.

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