CHANNEL 4’s chief executive confirmed in an internal email today that major job cuts are looming at the broadcaster.

Alex Mahon warned the 1,200-strong workforce that Channel 4 needed to “accelerate” plans to become a “genuinely digital-first public service broadcaster” after witnessing the worst slump in advertising since the 2008 financial crisis. 

“Given all the market change and complexity that we need to adapt to, there will be an impact on jobs at Channel 4,” she wrote in an email seen by the Guardian.

In its last crisis in 2008, Channel 4 cut almost a quarter of its staff.

The broadcaster’s programming, commissioning and operations teams are expected to be affected the most, along with those in London, following a commitment to increase employee numbers across “nations and regions.”

In November, Ms Manon told MPs on the Commons’ culture, media and sport committee that the traditional TV ad market was in “shock territory” and expected to slump by 14 per cent in 2023. 

Philippa Childs, head of broadcasters’ union Bectu, said that the impending cuts were very concerning, with many “still suffering from precarious employment following the impacts of the pandemic.”

A Bectu survey in September found that three-quarters of film and TV workers were out of a job and that 35 per cent were struggling to pay their bills.

“Bectu members know only too well how incredibly tough the last year has been for film and TV workers,” she said.

“With 2024 looking like it will present plenty of challenges for the sector, we will continue to fully engage with the broadcaster as it sets out its strategic direction and future plans.”