Executive turnover at TV companies hits 25-year high

Turnover of senior staff at TV companies around the world reached a 25-year high in 2007 with 31.3% of staff in the sector changing jobs during the year.

The findings come from TBI publisher Informa Telecoms and Media, which conducted a wide-ranging study of the global TV business.

The rate of turnover varied according to seniority and job category. At the ‘elite’ end of the range for example, 21.3% of execs opted for pastures new or found themselves out of a job in 2007. But in the ‘intermediate’ category, a massive 38% of staff left the position they were in at the start of the year.

The stats also differ by sector with particularly high turnover of staff at networks and channels and distribution companies. The lowest overall turnover rate was among staff at technology providers.

Informa research boss Adam Thomas told TBIvision: "As always, there have been a wide variety of reasons for people changing jobs. The headhunting of rising stars has continued as normal, although we have also seen some more unusual examples, including those of Peter Fincham and Stephen Lambert, who were high profile casualties of the Crowngate affair, while Dawn Airey was tripped up by the Iostar debacle."