Inside TV International 305 May 27, 2011 - June 2, 2011 weekly magazine with a focus on content www.insidetv.info [email protected] I MIPTV 2012 starts on N INTERNATIONAL T Sunday E R Reed Midem has announced Bunim/Murray elevates N new days for MIPTV 2012. development team - p. 2 A Originally scheduled to begin CBBC appoints new T on Saturday, March 31, the I Flashpoint 4 Head Of Production - p. 2 O event will now start on Sunday, N April 1. Reed Midem said it A has taken on board delegate L feedback and, in a bid to keep the event dates ‘as close 2 as possible to the usual schedule’, the market will now kick off a day later, with the event closing on Wednesday, FICTION April 4. MIPDOC and MIPFormats will take place on Friday March 30 and Saturday March 31. From 2013, MIPTV will BBC One to make new Franklin & Bash F 5 again run from Monday to Thursday. Great Expectations (cont. page 2) I adaptation - p. 3 C Muse Entertainment Sony and new American Idol owner to make World War II T drama - p. 3 I interested in acquisition of Second season for O All3Media Blackstone - p. 4 N Sony Pictures Television and Apollo Global Management, 3 6 which recently acquired entertainment company CKX (owner of 19 Entertainment, which is owner of American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance), are among the com- panies which are interested in acquiring UK’s All3Media. KIDS The parties, which also include Providence Private Equity (which is an investor in News Corp/Disney/NBC Universal K VIMN signs new Latin online TV venture Hulu), all are interested in All3Media, I America kids deals - p. 6 which is in early stages of a strategic review, carried out BRB makes new Latin D by investment bank UBS. According to reports All3Media Shopping Monsters America sales - p. 6 S 7 is looking at a range of strategic options, including a share offering. 6 (cont. page 2) FORMATS Content TV recruits Matt RTL Netherlands to Cooperstein to drive kids’ match farmer with his F division big love - p. 8 Strong launch for ABC’s O 10 Content Television has retained executive Matt Cooper- R stein to spearhead its renewed activity in the kids, teens Extreme Makeover: and tweens programming genre. Cooperstein will report Weight-Loss Edition - p. 8 M to Greg Phillips, President, Content TV and Digital and will Food Network Canada A work on both new acquisitions and sales of its portfolio orders new Top Chef - p. T 10 of children’s programming. Based in Content’s US office, S Cooperstein will work with international producers and Format in the Picture 6 broadcasters to acquire and develop programming to Penn & Teller: Fool Us - John Bishop’s Britain expand its catalogue of kids, tweens and teen content. p. 12 11 (cont. page 3) PEOPLE - CBBC appoints ACQUISITION - Sony and new American Idol owner new Head Of Production interested in acquisition of All3Media Helen Bullough has been appointed Sony Pictures Television and Apollo Global Management, which recently as Head of CBBC Production with acquired entertainment company CKX (owner of 19 Entertainment, which is responsibility for all in house pro- owner of American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance), are among the compa- duction for CBBC in MediaCityUK. nies which are interested in acquiring UK’s All3Media. The parties, which also She’ll lead a team of over 200 include Providence Private Equity (which is an investor in News Corp/Disney/ staff, creating shows such as ‘Blue NBC Universal online TV venture Hulu), all are interested in All3Media, which Peter’, ‘Newsround’, ‘Tracy Beaker is in early stages of a strategic review, carried out by investment bank UBS. Ac- Returns’, ‘Legend Of Dick And Dom’ cording to reports All3Media is looking at a range of strategic options, including and ‘Serious Explorers’. Billough a share offering, just as earlier also Eyeworks was looking at a similar strategic is currently Head of Entertainment review which ended in the decision to remain independent. But majority share- Production North in Manchester and holder of All3Media, private equity firm Permira is hoping on a sale of the com- Head of Vision North. She is respon- pany, preferable to a large media group. All3Media is on offer for a reportedly sible for a team of 130 staff in Man- £750 million (€865m – $1234m). The company is Britain’s largest independent chester that produce network shows production company encompassing almost 20 production companies in the including ‘Mastermind’, ‘Question Of UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands and Germany; including Sport’, ‘Dragon’s Den’ and ‘Antiques All3Media International, Bentley Productions, Company Pictures, Lion televi- Master’. For the last two years sion, Objective Productions, Gordon Ramsay’s One Potato Two Potato, Optomen, Helen has also been Head of Vision Zoo Pictures and Studio Lambert. Programmes in its portfolio include ‘Skins’, North, leading the Manchester- ‘Midsomer Murders’, ‘Shameless’, ‘Heston’s Feasts’, all Gordon Ramsay shows, based Vision departments through ‘Undercover Boss’ and ‘Three in a Bed’. the migration to MediaCityUK. PEOPLE - Bunim/Murray elevates development team I MARKET - MIPTV 2012 N starts on Sunday Banijay Group company’s Bunim/Murray Productions has T extended its contract with Executive Vice President Scott Free- man. Additionally, the company has announced the promotion E of two development executives - Erin Cristall to Senior Vice R President and Rachel Speiser to Vice President. The team N has been instrumental in developing successful formats do- A Reed Midem has announced new mestically, such as ‘The Bad Girls Club’ (Oxygen), ‘Love Games’ T days for MIPTV 2012. Originally (Oxygen) and ‘Saddle Ranch’ (VH1). Scott Freeman leads the scheduled to begin on Saturday, development team at Bunim/Murray Productions and has I March 31, the event will now start been with the company for over a decade. In addition to O on Sunday, April 1. Reed Midem heading up the company’s development activities, Free- N said it has taken on board delegate man, as Executive Producer, oversees ‘The Real World/ A feedback and, in a bid to keep the Road Rules Challenge’ (MTV) and ‘Saddle Ranch’ (VH1). L event dates ‘as close as possible Erin Cristall is being promoted from Vice President to Sen- to the usual schedule’, the market ior Vice President. During her tenure at Bunim/Murray will now kick off a day later, with Productions, she has lead development for ‘Love Games’, the event closing on Wednesday, ‘Flo Gets Married’ and ‘Best Ink’ (Oxygen). Rachel Speiser April 4. MIPDOC and MIPFormats is being elevated from Director to Vice President. She will take place on Friday March 30 has spearheaded the development of new series and and Saturday March 31. From 2013, has been instrumental in the company’s ventures into MIPTV will again run from Monday scripted programming. to Thursday. DRAMA - KEO appoints Senior Multiplatform Producer Production company KEO digital has appointed Joanna Haslam as Senior Multiplatform Producer as part of a strategic step by the KEO group to further strengthen the integration between its TV production and digital arms. She will initially take the digital lead on the continuing growth of KEO’s integrated broadcast and online campaign, ‘Hugh’s Fish Fight’, where she will be working closely with both Will Anderson, the Series Producer, and Nick Underhill, KEO digital’s Managing Director. Haslam has extensive experience following her work as a cross-platform producer for the likes of Channel 4, Endemol and the BBC. She recently worked with Channel 4 as the Online Editor on the interactive documentary series ‘Seven Days’, for which she was responsible for the online video content and the implementation of a social media campaign across Twit- ter, Facebook and YouTube. She has also acted as a consultant for independent digital production companies Calabash Films and Naked and Social. send your news stories to [email protected] 2 DRAMA - Muse PEOPLE - Universal Cable Productions appoints COO Entertainment to make World War II drama NBCUniversal appointed Beth Roberts as Chief Operating Officer, Universal Cable Pro- ductions, and Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, NBCUniversal Cable Entertain- Canadian production companies ment and Cable Studios. In her new role, Roberts will assume operational responsibili- Muse Entertainment and Back Al- ties for the strategic and financial growth of Universal Cable Productions, in addition to ley Films are teaming up to make overseeing business affairs for USA Network, Syfy, E! Entertainment, G4, Sleuth, Chiller, Universal HD, UCP and E! production studios. In her previous role as Executive Vice ‘Bomb Girls’, a six-part drama about President, Business Affairs, Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions, Rob- girls working in a munitions factory erts directed the activities of the Business Affairs divisions of USA, Syfy, Bravo, Oxygen during World War II. The series has and UCP, including brand integration and digital content initiatives. In her new position, in I already been acquired by Shaw addition to overseeing an expanded Business Affairs portfolio, Roberts will manage the Media for airing in Canada. The continued growth of the production studio while identifying key strategic initiatives in the N drama comes from writer/producer areas of content creation and business development. She will also oversee the studio’s T Michael MacLennan (Godiva’s, day-to-day operations. Universal Cable Productions creates content across multiple E Queer As Folk, Being Erica). media platforms for USA, Syfy and other networks. UCP is the studio behind USA’s ‘Royal Pains’, ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’, ‘Psych’, ‘In Plain Sight’, ‘Covert Affairs’, ‘Fairly R Legal’ and ‘Suits’, along with Syfy’s ‘Eureka’, ‘Warehouse 13’ and ‘Alphas’.