New departure as Five restructures

The anticipated executive shake-up at UK terrestrial Five is gaining momentum with the exit of the broadcaster’s schedules and planning director.

Susanna Dinnage has worked at the RTL-owned broadcaster for nearly 10 years, joining from MTV Europe in November 1997 shortly after Five’s launch. A spokesman officially confirmed she would be leaving Five in the coming months.

It is believed that two other commissioners are soon to step down from their roles. These are controller of features and entertainment Ben Frow and controller of special events and pop features Sham Sandhu. Both are understood to be negotiating exit packages from the broadcaster.

Dinnage’s departure is the latest in a series of high profile moves at Five following the appointment of former Flextech MD Lisa Opie as Five’s MD of content. Her arrival prompted the resignation of director of programmes Dan Chambers.

Last week, it was revealed that Five’s controller of digital channels Nick Thorogood is to be replaced by Sky One, Two and Three managing editor Hannah Barnes.

Justine Kershaw, controller of factual at Five, also announced last month that she would be leaving the broadcaster to launch a new indie. Opie is currently seeking a new director of programmes.

Opie’s appointment and the subsequent reshuffle of the commissioning team are seen as reactions to a drop in ratings at Five. After seven years of growth, the channel’s audience share peaked at 6.6% in 2004 and has been declining ever since, falling to 5.6% in 2006. Opie is expected to unveil her vision for the broadcaster next week.