Channel 4’s chief executive, Alex Mahon, has agreed to defer her bonus worth more than £100,000 amid a backlash from producers over budget cuts.
Mahon, alongside chief content officer Ian Katz and chief operating officer Jonathan Allan, will return the bonus as the broadcaster grapples with inflation and a weaker adverting market.
The news comes after it was revealed last week that the 49-year-old was set to earn the highest annual income of any Channel 4 CEO in its 40-year history.
Bonuses were initially unveiled last year as part of efforts to keep a hold of its nearly 1,000 staff amid a privatisation battle, an offer that was later extended to executive directors.
Last year, Mahon earned £1.2mln, but this year she looked set to earn £1.4mln as the board increased her maximum bonus to 80% of her salary.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 said the decision to waive the bonuses, which was made several weeks ago, came “as part of a wider response to a very difficult ad market”.