C4 names Louisa Compton to head up news & current affairs

Louisa Compton

Louisa Compton has been promoted to replace the outgoing Dorothy Byrne as head of news and current affairs at UK broadcaster Channel 4 (C4).

In her new role, which will commence on 1 May, Compton will be responsible for overseeing C4’s news and current affairs programming, along with its sport coverage.

She joined the broadcaster in 2018 as commissioning editor for news and current affairs and oversaw the investigative documentary series Dispatches, including critically-acclaimed films such as Celebs For Sale: The Great Charity Scandal, Trump’s Plans For The NHS and Growing Up Poor: Britain’s Breadline Kids.

Compton also led C4’s coverage of the UK general election last year and more recently helmed the current affairs department’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic, commissioning a number of fast-turnaround programmes exploring the crisis in depth.

She succeeds Byrne, who announced she was stepping down from the role after 17 years earlier this month to become editor-at-large for the broadcaster.

Ian Katz, C4 director of programmes, said: “Dorothy Byrne is a very hard act to follow but if anyone is equipped to it’s Louisa. She has a remarkable combination of news experience, eye for a story and creative flair that won her multiple awards as a programme editor and has helped her make Dispatches the hardest hitting current affairs programme in Britain.

“She will be a brilliant custodian of Channel 4’s proud tradition of in-depth reporting and investigation and will also oversee our award-winning sports coverage.”