ITN has appointed Tim Forrest as Head of Content Distribution and Commercial Innovation.
He will lead ITN’s news syndication and distribution business, oversee the ITN Archive, and play a central role in shaping opportunities through programmatic sales, AI and within the creator economy.
His remit includes managing and growing relationships with a portfolio of international clients and driving the licensing of on-the-day content, archive footage, and the commercial use of ITN’s broadcast facilities—including live locations, engineering services, and studio operations.
He will work with clients including GMB, Channel 7 (Australia), and ZDF (Germany), ensuring ITN’s broadcast facilities and content reach audiences across multiple continents. Over the past six months under his leadership, the ITN Archive has seen significant growth in digital revenue—up 60% year-on-year—driven by longer-form edits and special programming, “while new programmatic sales strategies are being explored to further scale distribution through AI-led solutions.”
Alongside his co-leads on AI at ITN, Balihar Khalsa, Head of policy and external affairs and Jon Roberts, Chief Technology Officer, he will continue to explore new commercial opportunities through AI and have oversight of ITN’s commercial partnerships, such as its collaboration with Open Origins.
Since joining ITN in 2013, following roles at the BBC and Sky News, Forrest has held a range of editorial and strategic positions in ITV News. He began as an assistant programme editor before moving on to lead coverage of major royal events for the newsroom. Most recently, he has overseen newsroom-wide projects, including the integration of digital workflows and innovation initiatives.
Tim Forrest said: “I’m thrilled to take on this new role at ITN. As the media landscape evolves, we have a huge opportunity to innovate how we distribute and monetise our content globally. From expanding the reach of our archive to exploring AI and programmatic sales, I’m excited to help shape the next chapter of ITN’s commercial growth.”
Rachel Corp, CEO of ITN, said: “Tim brings an excellent combination of editorial insight and commercial acumen to this role. His leadership has already driven significant innovation across our newsroom and archive operations. As Head of Content Distribution and Commercial Innovation, he will be instrumental in unlocking new opportunities for ITN and ensuring our content continues to reach audiences in powerful and creative ways.”
Picture – ITN-Peter Searle
Staff Reporter
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