Louisa Compton appointed Commissioning Editor of Dispatches

Channel 4 today announces the appointment of Louisa Compton to the position of Commissioning Editor of Dispatches, reporting to Head of News and Current Affairs Dorothy Byrne

Byrne says;   'Louisa is a truly impressive editor and journalist with a brilliant track record in revealing stories of importance.'

Compton joins Channel 4 from the BBC, where she is currently the Executive Editor of the BAFTA award-winning Victoria Derbyshire and Newsbeat Radio1/Xtra. Under her leadership, the programme has consistently broken significant news stories including footballers’ abuse, Concentrix’s tax credit problems and the vaginal mesh scandal. These have been regularly picked up across the BBC, broadcast competitors and the nation’s front pages.

Compton has been described by Ceri Thomas, former Head of BBC News Programmes, as "one of the outstanding journalists of her generation; a great story-getter and programme-maker, and a genuine innovator. "

She has previously been in charge of all Daytime output on BBC Radio 5 Live - Victoria Derbyshire, Shelagh Fogarty, Richard Bacon and Saturday Edition. At Newsbeat she oversaw some of the most radical changes in its history, being responsible for launching a new website and app and also video documentaries.

5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire received dozens of awards, including several Sony golds. The show was the first to broadcast live from an abortion clinic, an animal research laboratory, Guantanamo Bay and Zimbabwe after the ban on foreign journalists was lifted.

Compton says: "I am delighted to be joining Channel 4 and can't wait to get started. Dispatches has a fantastic track-record for making real impact and change and I look forward to being able to make my mark. I'm incredibly proud of my career at the BBC and in particular the legacy we created on the Victoria Derbyshire programme - but now is the right time for a new adventure."