Channel 4 Names New Head of Audience Research & Insight

UK television broadcaster Channel 4 has appointed Ben Marsden as Head of Audience Research and Insight. He will take up the role in mid-July, replacing Leonie Hodge who is leaving to work as a consultant.

Marsden (pictured) joins after nine years at ITV, most recently as Controller, Audiences - ITV Commissioning. Before this, he was ITV's Head of Audiences & Planning - Drama and Soaps; Manager - Content Research & Insight' and Head of Production Research & Insight. Earlier, he worked for media consultancy Human Capital as Senior Research & Development Consultant, and he was an Assistant at television company HBO.

Hodge, whom he replaces, has worked in the role for nearly four years, having previously been Channel 4's Content Research Manager and Brand and Corporate Research Manager; and a Research Executive at the BBC.

Reporting to the Director of Consumer Insight Sarah Rose, Marsden will lead Channel 4's content and communications research, providing support to commissioning, All 4, scheduling, marketing and strategy. Rose says of the hire: 'We are delighted Ben is joining our Consumer Insight department. He brings a wealth of experience to this central role and we are hugely looking forward to him joining our talented team'.

Web site: www.channel4.co.uk .