Channel 4 has confirmed plans to cut 340 jobs, more than a quarter of its workforce, in the deepest round of layoffs in its 43-year history. The move, announced by chief executive Priya Dogra following a strategic review, is intended to redirect more of the broadcaster's £1 billion income into on-screen content, as it grapples with a shrinking advertising market, rising production costs, and competition from larger production suppliers, rival networks and digital platforms such as YouTube.

The redundancies equate to 28% of Channel 4's 1,276-strong workforce and will be completed by the end of 2026. Dogra is introducing a new organisational structure to cut management layers, reduce duplication and simplify decision-making, building on former chief executive Alex Mahon's efforts to grow digital sales to 34% of revenue, though details on how the changes will affect commissioning remain unclear. A staff consultation process is due to begin shortly, with insiders reportedly shocked by the scale of the cuts, and the announcement has renewed scrutiny of executive pay after Mahon's total remuneration reached £566,000 despite leaving in June 2025.