Rowena Cordrey to join Viacom from ITN

Current ITN deputy head of compliance, Rowena Cordrey, is to join Viacom International Media Networks as vice president, head of content, legal and compliance.

In this role, Cordrey will oversee the legal and regulatory compliance of Viacom’s content across Channel 5, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon; including broadcast, online and marketing output across the UK, Northern and Eastern Europe.  

Cordrey’s remit will primarily be across Channel 5, working with programme makers and the editorial team to represent the channel from a content legal perspective. She will be responsible for recommending strategy, policy, process and best practice in relation to regulatory and legal programme compliance. Cordrey will report into Marcus Lee, VP for General Counsel, VIMN, UK, Northern & Eastern Europe.

Cordrey joins Viacom from ITN where she provided pre and post broadcast/publication legal, compliance, reputational and ethical advice for programming across ITN and its clients including Channel 5, Channel 4 and ITV. Prior to this, she held roles as a lawyer in Channel 4’s Legal and Compliance team and a solicitor at BBC Litigation.

Lee said: “Rowena has extensive experience within broadcast media and a thorough understanding of the complexities surrounding the legal and compliance processes so we’re delighted to have her on board.

“She will play a key role on the team, helping Channel 5 in its mission to deliver insightful public interest programming, whilst ensuring compliance from a legal and regulatory standpoint.”

Cordrey added: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Viacom at such an exciting time. I am so looking forward to working with, and enabling, Ben Frow and his brilliant team at Channel 5 to continue to deliver such agenda setting programming.”