Betty hires Channel 4 exec after rejig

Bear Grylls: Mission Survive prodco Betty has hired Alex Menzies from UK broadcaster Channel 4 (C4) after last week’s news of a management rejig.

Menzies has filled the chief creative officer post that was created when All3Media-owned Betty confirmed joint managing directors Matthew Littleford and Neil Smith were exiting, as TBI revealed at the time.

Menzies is current deputy head of features at C4, where he has commissioned primetime programmes such as Superfoods: The Real Story, Paul Merton’s Secret Stations and Red Arrow International format Married at First Sight.

He joins Betty in August, with the business moving from its current London offices to County Hall, where Betty will be housed with Layla Smith’s Objective Media Group.

Objective owns production subsidiaries Second Star, Panda Television and Objective Fiction, and Betty will work alongside these.

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

Menzies, who joined C4 in 2013 as features commissioning editor and has managed a slate of returning series including Grand Designs and Food Unwrapped, will focus on features with “bold new formats”.

“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,” he said.

Menzies paid tribute to Channel 4, calling it “an extraordinary organisation”, and thanking head of features and daytime Gill Wilson, deputy chief content officer Ralph Lee and outgoing CCO Jay Hunt “for their guidance, encouragement and support during the last four years”.

Prior to C4, he was a factual formats and features commissioning executive at pubcaster the BBC, where his credits included Delia Through the Decades, Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey and Grow Your Own Drugs.

Before that, he was at Channel 5, where he launched Cowboy Builders, oversaw the re-launch of The Hotel Inspector with Alex Polizzi, and rose to head of features.

Betty became part of UK-based production and sales group All3 last month, when the latter acquired the former from its co-parent, Discovery Communications.

“It is great to welcome Alex to the All3Media Group as the new leader of Betty,” said All3 CEO Jane Turton. “Alex is a perfect person to take the business forward and is clearly a huge admirer of Betty and its programme slate. His vision for the business is exciting.”