Airey's start date at Five confirmed

by Fiona Ramsay, Media Week 01-May-08, 13:30

LONDON - Five's parent company RTL has confirmed that Dawn Airey will take up her new role as chairman and chief executive of Five on 1 May 2009 at the latest.

ITV is unlikely to allow the former managing director of global content at ITV to negotiate an early release from her year-long notice period.

The move comes as Five said it had "accepted Jane Lighting's resignation" from her position as chief executive of Five, where she has been since 2003.

The resignation will take place with effect from tomorrow, (2 May), with Lighting agreeing to six months' gardening leave before taking up a new position.

Lighting said in a statement: "Sometimes in business, situations occur where a common agreement over strategic direction can't be reached and, unfortunately, on this occasion my vision for Five differs to that of RTL Group, the channel's owner. It is for this reason I have decided to step down."

Mark White, Five's executive director of sales is to serve as interim cheif executive of Five until Airey takes up her role.

RTL said Airey would lead the broadcaster into the "next phase of its development" after digital switchover.

Gerhard Zeiler, chief executive of RTL Group, said in a statement: "Dawn Airey is one of the most experienced TV executives of her generation. She has held senior roles in all the commercial terrestrial broadcasters as well as BSkyB. She has a perfect understanding of programmes, audiences, advertisers, the international market and platforms."

Airey joined Five in 1996 as launch director of programmes and was promoted to chief executive in 2000. She joined ITV as director of global content last year.