After 18 months leading the broadcaster's sales team, Nick Bampton, sales director at Channel 5, has revealed the company has embraced change and is confident about the future.

ITV2's new show 'The Exclusives', which follows six aspiring journalists competing to land celebrity stories and win a contract at Bauer Media, starts this Thursday.

Britney Spears is to join the US version of The X-Factor as one of two new judges, joining first series judge LA Reid and the show's creator Simon Cowell.

Channel 4 paid former commercial director Andy Barnes £511,000 in 2011, including consultancy services, while sales director Jonathan Allan took home £113,000 for three and a half months' work.

Channel 4's advertising performance in 2011 has been affected by the "negative viewpoint" media agencies held of the broadcaster in the autumn 2010, following news it was losing 'Big Brother' and 'Friends', according to sales director Jonathan Allan.

Channel 4 has reported a near £20 million fall in ad revenues for its main network in its first year without reality stalwart show Big Brother, but losses were partially offset by rights sales for The Inbetweeners and double-digit growth in so-called 'future media revenues'.

Resident Evil 6, the upcoming video game release from Capcom, has signed a partnership with Channel 5 to sponsor zombie series 'The Walking Dead' as part of its launch marketing activity.