Director of programmes on how he commissions using intestine intuition,why life under owners Viacom is calmer, and washing Judy Finnegan’s tightsThere is a spring in the step of Channel 5’s charismatic director of programmes Ben Frow as he leads me into his office, and which is decorated with a flamboyant union jack dress once worn by Big Brother host Emma Willis. The palpable tension” caused by being owned by Richard Desmond has disappeared from the broadcaster since Viacom bought it for £450m nearly two years ago,and its ratings are up following a buoyant January.
Former costume designer Frow says he had a good relationship with Desmond but concedes that there may beget been a “exiguous bit of fear” at C5 before. “I was very fond of Richard, don’t get me wrong. We had a powerful relationship. I take my bosses very seriously and work hard to give them what they require from me. It was even fun under Richard, or it was just kind of crazy fun: crazy,slightly-hysterical fun.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com