Channel 5 rehires Ben Frow to replace Jeff Ford

By Maisie McCabe, mediaweek.co.uk, Tuesday, 13 November 2012 12:36PM

Northern & Shell has appointed Ben Frow, currently director of programming at Irish broadcaster TV3 and a former Channel 5 executive, as its new director of programmes at Channel 5, replacing Jeff Ford.

Ben Frow: rejoins Channel 5 as director of programmes

Frow will have responsibility for all content and creative operations at Channel 5, including commissioning programmes and selecting acquisitions.

He will report to Channel 5's recently appointed chief operating officer, Paul Dunthorne.

As director of programming for TV3 for five years, Frow has been responsible for all programming, scheduling, promotions and original production for the commercial TV channel and its digital sister channel 3e.

Frow was controller of features and entertainment at Channel 5 between 2004 and 2007 , and developed shows such as ‘The Diet Doctors’, 'The Hotel Inspector', 'The Farm', 'Cosmetic Surgery Live' and 'The Joan Rivers Position'.

Prior to joining Channel 5 the first time, Frow was at Channel 4 for five years, latterly as head of factual entertainment and features, where he was responsible for such shows as 'Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares', 'Property Ladder' and 'Jamie's Kitchen'.

Frow started his career at ITV and GMTV, where he rose to senior producer, before moving to the BBC to be an executive producer for BBC One and BBC Two.

Paul Ashford, group editorial director, Northern & Shell, said: "Ben has a proven track record in the TV industry and we're very excited to hire someone of his calibre, who knows the channel from the inside, to take on this key role.

"I know he'll continue to build on our success and bring in fresh approaches and ideas."

Ford will leave Channel 5 at the end of this month and Frow is set to join in February 2013.

Frow said: "The last five years in Ireland have been some of the most rewarding of my career, but I'm ready for a new challenge and the opportunity to rejoin Channel 5 was simply too good to resist – we have unfinished business!

"I look forward to getting stuck in, building on the great work by Jeff Ford and the team, to create a strong schedule and some must-see, talk-about, brand-enhancing television."

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk