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C4’s Menzies joins Betty as CCO

All3Media-owned UK prodco Betty has hired Channel 4’s deputy head of features as its chief creative officer (CCO), continuing the recent spate of departures from the commercially funded UK pubcaster.

Alex Menzies

Alex Menzies is the new CCO at Betty, which was owned by Discovery Communications along with fellow UK factual prodco Raw TV before both became part of All3Media Group in May.

Menzies will start work in August and is the latest exec to leave Channel 4 following CEO David Abraham, CCO Jay Hunt and head of the Indie Growth Fund Laura Franses.

As the channel’s deputy head of features, Menzies ordered and co-commissioned series including Married at First Sight, Superfoods: The Real Story and Paul Merton’s Secret Stations.

He joined C4 in 2013 as features commissioning editor from Channel 5, where he had launched long-running factual series Cowboy Builders and oversaw the relaunch of The Hotel Inspector. He also had a stint as a factual formats and features commissioning executive at the BBC.

Betty announced it was looking for a CCO this month when joint MDs Neil Smith and Matthew Littleford stepped down.

As part of the rejig, the company will move to County Hall alongside fellow All3Media firm Objective Media Group and its CEO Layla Smith.

The group includes Second Star, Panda and Objective Fiction, who specialise in factual entertainment and reality, entertainment and scripted programming.

Smith said: “Alex is a true creative and one who has real passion for the shows that Betty excels at. He brings with him respect for Betty’s past and huge potential for its future.”

Menzies said: “The Betty team make shows I love to watch and their distinctive approach to programme making, attitude to life and inclusive culture make for a team that I’m very excited to be joining.

“Channel 4 is an extraordinary organisation; it is an inspiring, challenging and enormously rewarding place to come to work and I’d like to thank Gill, Ralph and Jay for their guidance, encouragement and support during the last four years.”

Betty produces shows such as Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and adventure format Kings of the Wild for Discovery, as well as making a number of Channel 4 series such as The Undateables and Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners.

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