Shaw, Wilson and Charles to leave Channel 5

All three are taking voluntary redundancy after spending more than 13 years at the channel, according to sources at the broadcaster.

Shaw, senior programme controller, is a former ITN executive and News at Ten editor who joined in 1997 and was quickly promoted to controller of news, current affairs and documentaries.

He was upped to senior controller in 2000 and was responsible for commissioning a chat show fronted by Alistair Campbell as well as a series in which senior politicians, including then prime minister Tony Blair, faced questions from the public.

Wilson is one of the most highly-regarded executives in British children’s television and has been at C5 since 1996. As director of children’s programming he was responsible for long-running preschool strand Milkshake!, home to series including Peppa Pig and Roary the Racing Car.

Charles has been at C5 since 1997 and oversaw live football as well as Test match cricket highlights, both of which secure strong viewing figures for the broadcaster.

They will not be the last high-profile departures from C5, which was acquired by Desmond for £103.5m and has already seen the axing of almost its entire management team as part of a cost-cutting initiative that will claim more than a quarter of its 300-strong staff.

These included channel controller Richard Woolfe, managing director Mark White, director of strategy Charles Constable and director of corporate affairs Sue Robertson.

Chairman and chief executive Dawn Airey is to leave at the end of the week for a new role at C5’s former owner, RTL.

Staff remain in consoltation over voluntary redundancy.

A spokesman for Northern & Shell declined to comment, since the process is still ongoing.