BBC Studios Names New CFO After Record Results
Following a set of record annual results, BBC Studios has named its next CFO as Lorraine Burgess departs. Amanda Jones, who had been doing the role on an interim basis, is taking the gig on permanently and becomes a Director of BBC Commercial, which incorporates BBC Studios. Starting next month permanently and reporting to CEO Tom Fussell, Jones will oversee budgeting, reporting, business support and financial controls, while working across strategy. She will join BBC Studios Executive Committee and become a member of the BBC’s Commercial Board. She has worked for Sky, ITV and Emap in the past, and joined BBC Studios a year ago to take up the interim CFO role. As commercial income becomes ever more crucial to the BBC purse, BBC Studios which is behind Baby Reindeer, Doctor Who and Conclave, boosted revenue and profit last year by around 14% apiece, with the former hitting £2.2B ($3B) and the latter £228M ($307M). Fussell said: “As BBC Studios seeks to grow its business in a highly challenging market, Amanda will be instrumental in helping us drive the business forward to deliver against our ambitious plans.”
Archstone Entertainment Snaps Up Horror About Sinister Chatbot
EXCLUSIVE: Chatbot inputs at the ready. L.A.’s Archstone Entertainment has signed on as worldwide sales agent for COGN-AI-TIVE, a horror based around AI that’s premiering at London’s FrightFest next month. The film, from first-time director Tommy Savas, follows a group of co-workers staying late at the office in preparation for the launch of their smarter, faster and more cognitive version of Chat GPT only realize that the AI they’ve created has its own sinister agenda. Piper Curda (May December), Noel Fisher (Shameless), Josh Zuckerman (Oppenheimer) and Natasha Benham (You) star in the pic, which is from specialist genre film and TV studio Reckless Content, the firm behind Tubi’s Game Bros series. Savas, a short-film director for more than 15 years, worked on COGN-AI-TIVE with his wife, Angie Simms, who penned the script. “I wanted to make a fun horror that captures the nostalgia of 90s cinema, while commenting on the ever-growing concern of AI in our industry,” said Savas. COGN-AI-TIVE debuts on August 21 at FrightFest.
‘Inferno: LA on Fire’ Producer Hires Two Execs
Inferno: LA on Fire producer ITN Productions (ITNP) has hired two execs for its Leeds office. The newly-created executive producer roles have been taken up by Ricardo Pollack and Nicola Addyman. Addyman’s credits include the acclaimed documentary Groomed: A National Scandal for Channel 4. Pollack has worked on Hospital and The Met for the BBC. ITNP makes hundreds of hours of UK factual shows a year including recent Channel 4 fast-turnaround doc Inferno: LA on Fire about the L.A. wildfires. It is in the same stable as ITV and Channel 4 newsmaker ITN. Factual boss Caroline Short said: “We’re thrilled that Nicola and Ricardo are joining the ITN Productions family in Leeds. Both have stellar reputations and credits with specialisms that complement our ambition to take our Leeds office, and ITN Productions as a whole, from strength to strength.”
Pluto Lands Nancy O’Dell & Elizabeth Vargas Crime Series
Paramount’s FAST platform Pluto has acquired a pair of true crime doc series from New York’s Big Media. Pluto’s UK service is getting Season 1 of Crime Exposé with Nancy O’Dell, which has also been licensed to Roku in the U.S. In Canada, Pluto has picked up Seasons 1 and 2 of iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas. Crime Exposé comprises 120 half-hours and features Emmy Award-winning journalist and television host O’Dell as she explores some of the most intriguing murder cases across the U.S., while iCrime is 240 half-hours and sees Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist Elizabeth Vargas as she views raw, live footage of actual crimes as they unfold. “Our true crime library continues to resonate with platforms and viewers worldwide,” said Big Media President and co-founder Danny Wilk. “Crime Exposé and iCRIME have already proven to be breakout successes in U.S. syndication, and we’re thrilled to expand their global footprint. Pluto TV remains a terrific partner, and we’re excited for their UK and Canadian audiences to dive into these compelling, addictive shows.”
Source link
