Jane Lighting, the former head of digital channels Bravo and UK Gold, has been appointed the chief executive of terrestrial broadcaster Five.

Ms Lighting will take up her new position in April.

Dawn Airey was the previous chief executive

She joins the company from Flextech, which runs cable channels including Bravo, UK Gold and Living TV.

Ms Lighting replaces Dawn Airey, who left the channel in September to join BSkyB.

"I am excited to be joining Five at this pivotal point in its development," she said in a statement.

"Dawn, Nick Milligan and the team managed one of the most successful launches in terrestrial TV history and have built a solid platform for future growth.

"My job will be to ensure that we keep moving to the next level and beyond as the competition grows," she said.

Five, which started as Channel 5 in 1997, has admitted that it is at a crossroads.

The channel has mounted a big push to try and beat Channel 4 in the ratings.

It currently has 6.5% of the terrestrial audience share and 7.5% of advertising revenue.

BBC Four controller Roly Keating is away for six months

Ms Lighting will be the channel's fourth chief executive after Ian Ritchie, David Elstein and Dawn Airey.

Ms Airey is now managing director of Sky Networks, in charge of channels such as Sky One.

Roly Keating, the controller of BBC Four, is leaving the channel for six months to work with a team lobbying the government for a renewal of the BBC's royal charter.

Nicola Moody, the controller of factual commissioning, will be acting controller for six months. Mr Keating will return to BBC Four in the autumn.

"BBC Four is a huge success due to Keating's work," a BBC spokeswoman said.

"His appointment to the project is indicative of that success; he would hardly be given such a high profile role if there had been any question over his performance at BBC Four."