Channel 4 hires UKTV’s Abraham as CEO

British broadcaster Channel 4 has hired UKTV boss David Abraham as its new chief executive.

Abraham, who is currently chief executive of UKTV, which is a joint venture between Virgin Media and BBC Worldwide, has replaced Andy Duncan, who stepped down in November. Abraham previously worked at Discovery, where he was general manager of US cable network TLC.

He beat out a raft of rivals including former BBC Two controller Jane Root and current Channel 4 director of content Kevin Lygo.

Lord Burns, Channel 4’s Chairman, said: “David is a rare commodity as a broadcaster in that he has an exceptional track record as an innovative leader, both creatively and commercially. At all stages of his career he’s led creative teams and commissioned creative output of the highest quality in a commercial environment. It is that experience, we believe, that so well qualifies him for the challenge of running a commercially funded, public service broadcaster like Channel 4.