Former Sainsbury's chief King in frame to head Channel 4

Justin King, 1 of Britain's astir salient businessmen, is successful the framework to go the adjacent caput of Channel 4, the state-owned broadcaster.

Sky News has learnt that Mr King is among the contenders to regenerate Sir Ian Cheshire arsenic Channel 4 chairman.

A Whitehall root said connected Monday that the erstwhile J Sainsbury main enforcement - who present chairs companies including Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, and Ovo Energy - had been shortlisted for the station and was expected to beryllium interviewed for it this month.

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It was unclear who other remained successful contention for the Channel 4 post, though the authorities insider suggested Debbie Wosskow, who already sits connected the broadcaster's board, had besides made it to the shortlist.

The presumption of a fig of different reported candidates - including Tristia Clarke, the erstwhile TalkTalk brag - could not beryllium established connected Monday.

If chosen, Mr King would beryllium the latest successful a drawstring of heavyweight names to instrumentality the post, pursuing the likes of Sir Ian and Luke Johnson, the hospitality entrepreneur.

Mr King besides sits connected the committee of Marks & Spencer, arsenic good arsenic a fig of privately owned companies.

Sir Ian stepped down earlier this twelvemonth aft conscionable 1 three-year word successful the role.

The Channel 4 chairmanship is presently held connected an interim ground by Dawn Airey, the media manufacture enforcement who has occupied apical jobs astatine companies including ITV, Channel 5 and Yahoo!.

The contention to pb the state-owned broadcaster's committee has acquired further value since aft the resignation of Alex Mahon, its long-serving main executive.

At the weekend, Broadcast, the commercialized publication, reported that Alex Burford, different Channel 4 non-executive manager and the brag of Warner Records UK, was funny successful replacing Ms Mahon.

Ms Mahon, who was a vocal hostile of the past Conservative government's projected privatisation of Channel 4, is leaving to articulation Superstruct, a backstage equity-owned unrecorded amusement company.

The assignment of a caller seat is expected to instrumentality spot by the autumn, with the chosen campaigner expected to pb the recruitment of Ms Mahon's successor.

Recruitment to the committee of Channel 4 is technically led by Ofcom, the media regulator, successful statement with Lisa Nandy, the civilization secretary.

The Channel 4 hunt is taking spot astatine a clip erstwhile the BBC is nether increasing unit from Ms Nandy implicit its determination not to curb the broadcasting of instrumentalist Bob Vylan's Glastonbury Festival set, successful which helium called for the decease of Israeli equipped forces.

Channel 4 declined to comment.