Channel 4 has made its first steps to in-house production, with the appointment of Made in Chelsea exec producer, Sarah Dillistone.
Her role will be to develop its in-house production capabilities as the broadcasters seeks to grow its own slate of content and Intellectual Property (IP).
The move follows the 2024 Media Act, which removed Channel 4’s publisher broadcaster restriction – which meant up until then it wasn’t able to develop its own IP.
Given the impact that this could have on the independent production sector, Channel 4 outlined in its Fast Forward strategy that a “phased introduction” would allow it to diversify and grow revenues “to remain a strong and successful business and reinvest back into the creative economy.”
The broadcaster also committed to increasing its indie quote from 25% to 35% from this year.
Its in-house team will have a “clear operational separation, with reporting lines and management distinct from Channel 4 commissioning” for “robust and fair access to Channel 4 commissions for independent producers.”
Dillistone is a BAFTA-winning showrunner and television executive who’s worked at Fox, Hulu and Netflix, on formats including Perfect Match, The Ultimatum, Real Housewives of Cheshire and Made In Chelsea.
She’ll join next month to set up a development team to focus on developing and nurturing new formats and build up a catalogue of IP. They initially concentrate on 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 US and international markets. I’m keen to work closely with an ambitious team to develop bold, distinctive programming that resonates in the UK and beyond.”
Starting out at Lime Pictures, building up its unscripted operations, Dillistone has also worked at Monkey Kingdom (NBCUniversal) and has spent the last 6 years in Los Angeles.
“I’m delighted to welcome Sarah Dillistone back to the UK and to Channel 4 as our leader of in-house production,” added Jonathan Allan, Interim CEO of Channel 4.
“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.”
