Channel 4 has appointed Prash Naik as its new controller of legal and compliance.

Naik, who has been with Channel 4 for the last 14 years and was serving as deputy head of legal and compliance, will report to group finance director Anne Bulford.

He replaces Jan Tomalin, who left the broadcaster to start her own legal consultancy last month.

Commenting on Naik's appointment, Channel 4′s director of television and content Kevin Lygo said: "Naik has been absolutely instrumental in getting many of our most impactful and provocative programmes on air, as well as effectively defending them both in court and before regulatory bodies.

"His expertise and experience is key in allowing our commissioning team to fulfil their ambition of producing innovative television that takes genuine creative risk"

Naik added: "It is an honour to take over the leadership of the industry's leading in-house legal and compliance team. I look forward to continuing and building upon the department's work."

Naik's appointment comes after Channel 4 made a number of redundancies in its legal and compliance department earlier this month.

It is understood that fewer than five support staff positions were cut as part of the broadcaster's wider efforts to reduce costs by £50m, with 150 jobs expected to be lost across the company.