Channel 4 appoints Convergent Formats Commissioning Editor

31 March 2011

Anna Cronin, Commissioning Editor: Convergent Formats

Channel 4 has announced the appointment of Anna Cronin in the newly created role of Commissioning Editor: Convergent Formats.

Cronin, who was previously Development Associate at ITV Studios Digital Productions, will have responsibility for a multi-million pound development budget to develop new creative formats for connected televisions and other devices.  She will work with external partners to develop groundbreaking formats which have the potential to engage and excite large, mainstream audiences.

Richard Davidson-Houston, Head of Channel 4 Online, said: "It's brilliant that Anna will be joining Channel 4 Online in this new role. The viewer's relationship with the TV is beginning to change. We want to work together with creatives from a wide range of disciplines to invent future, convergent formats unconstrained by today's technology and TV schedule."

This is a bold appointment by Channel 4 and a real signal of intent.  We are going first and committing substantial resources to ensure we are the partner of choice for a new breed of independent creatives.  Having cast the net wide, we know Anna has the focus, energy and skills to deliver.

Anna Cronin added: "I am delighted to be joining Channel 4 as such a pivotal time in the evolution of broadcast as we know it.  The TV is changing and no-one knows what the future is going to look like, but to have a role designed to embrace and shape that change is hugely exciting.  I am looking forward to working closely with forward-thinking independent creatives to develop ground breaking future formats and can't wait to get started."

Reporting to Davidson-Houston, Cronin will be responsible for developing a range of new formats for a convergent future.  She will work with independent creatives to identify the strongest, most ambitious ideas and manage their development from concepts to working prototypes and live products where possible.  A key part of her role will be to showcase new formats to internal and external stakeholders to help demonstrate their creative possibilities, helping establish Channel 4 as the most creative innovator in content for the convergent era.

Anna Cronin joins Channel 4 from ITV Studios Digital Productions which she began as Development Associate in June 2008.  In this role she worked on a number of ITV's key programming brands including Coronation Street, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Dancing on Ice helping create the strategic vision for developing these brands across digital platforms.

Anna began her career working for boo.com before joining GMTV working on the design, creation and launch of its website.  She managed competitions and promotions for GMTV and This Morning and in 2006 became Interactive Producer at ITV, managing the delivery of consumer facing multi-platform projects for some of ITV's biggest TV shows including The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.  She was briefly seconded to ITV's Innovation and R&D Centre investigating global creative and cultural trends before joining ITV Studios in 2008.