Sarah Dillistone has been appointed as the head of Channel 4’s new in-house production business, which was announced last year as part of the U.K. broadcaster’s efforts to boost IP ownership.
Dillistone will build Channel 4’s in-house production capabilities, in line with its Fast Forward strategy to future-proof the business and drive revenue growth. To ensure fairness, the broadcaster has created operational separation from the commissioning team with the new business. Channel 4 also increased its indie quota from 25% to 35% beginning this year.
Dillistone has worked on both sides of the pond, with credits that include Made In Chelsea, Perfect Match, The Ultimatum, and The Ultimatum: Queer Love. In the newly created role, effective next month, she is tasked with establishing a development team and capabilities to drive commercial gains, the development of new formats that will travel, and a stable of successful IP, beginning in the factual entertainment, reality, and entertainment genres.
“I’m incredibly excited to be stepping into this role at such a pivotal moment for Channel 4,” she said. “The channel has been a defining part of my career, so it feels especially meaningful to return and help shape what comes next, while continuing the relationships I’ve built across the U.S. and international markets. I’m keen to work closely with an ambitious team to develop bold, distinctive programming that resonates in the U.K. and beyond.”
Jonathan Allan, interim CEO of Channel 4, said: “Sarah has an amazing track record of transforming unscripted businesses and creating some of the most iconic formats of a generation, so I could not think of a better person to build our creative production capabilities and diversify our revenues.”
