The contest to succeed Roly Keating as controller of BBC4 was thrown wide open this week, after it emerged that BBC head of current affairs Peter Horrocks had not applied for the job.
The contest to succeed Roly Keating as controller of BBC4 was thrown wide open this week, after it emerged that BBC head of current affairs Peter Horrocks had not applied for the job.

Horrocks had been considered the leading internal candidate for the job, but he had not applied when applications for the post closed on Tuesday night (25 May).

The decision means Channel 4 head of specialist factual group Janice Hadlow is now the favourite for the job, following the interview she gave for the BBC2 controllership.

Other leading candidates include BBC specialist factual commissioner Emma Swain and controller of documentaries and contemporary factual Nicola Moody, who returns from maternity leave next month.

Moody looked after BBC4 last year when Keating took a six-month attachment to deal with Charter renewal work.

BBC head of Fictionlab and new media Richard Fell is also in the frame.

Applicants, who must have at least 10 years' programme-making experience, had to submit a one-page statement outlining their vision for the channel. Shortlisting is expected to take place next week with interviews soon after.

Keating officially takes over at BBC2 on 21 June, replacing Jane Root who joins Discovery in the US on Tuesday (1 June).

Topics