Two Rivers Media has bought out parent group Kew Media Group’s minority stake in the business.
Formed by former Stv Productions head Alan Clements in January 2019, the production outfit behind Channel 5’s recent “Susan Hill’s Ghost Story” launched with the backing of Kew, Noble Grossart Investments and Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund.
Noble Grossart Investments and Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund are increasing their interests to facilitate the buy-out.
The buy-out comes a month after Kew Media Group triggered a strategic review of its business, revealing that the company could be broken up or sold completely following a financially turbulent period for Kew.
Kew was launched by Steven Silver and Peter Sussman in 2017, and owns a roster of Canadian production companies such as Bristow Global Media, Frantic Films and Our House Media, as well as distribution outfits Content Media, which became Kew Media Distribution, and Tcb Media Rights.
Formed by former Stv Productions head Alan Clements in January 2019, the production outfit behind Channel 5’s recent “Susan Hill’s Ghost Story” launched with the backing of Kew, Noble Grossart Investments and Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund.
Noble Grossart Investments and Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund are increasing their interests to facilitate the buy-out.
The buy-out comes a month after Kew Media Group triggered a strategic review of its business, revealing that the company could be broken up or sold completely following a financially turbulent period for Kew.
Kew was launched by Steven Silver and Peter Sussman in 2017, and owns a roster of Canadian production companies such as Bristow Global Media, Frantic Films and Our House Media, as well as distribution outfits Content Media, which became Kew Media Distribution, and Tcb Media Rights.
- 1/20/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Chris Hilton.
Essential Media co-founder and CEO Chris Hilton has quit following a restructure and cost cutting program at the group’s Australian and New Zealand business.
Greg Quail, formerly the firm’s chief content officer/executive producer, has replaced Hilton as CEO in charge of operations spanning North America and Australasia.
There have been six redundancies in the Sydney office including Sadhana Jethanandani, head of production, Australia/ Nz, head of marketing Denise Anderson, two legal and two admin staff.
Brendan Dahill, who joined as general manager for Australia/Nz last October continues in that post. So do head of non-scripted David Alrich, VP scripted Michelle Hardy and Sam Griffin, who joined recently as head of documentaries and specialist factual.
The restructure was flagged last week by the group’s Canadian parent Kew Media, which blamed the under-performance of Essential’s Australian business for an overall 5.3 per cent drop in...
Essential Media co-founder and CEO Chris Hilton has quit following a restructure and cost cutting program at the group’s Australian and New Zealand business.
Greg Quail, formerly the firm’s chief content officer/executive producer, has replaced Hilton as CEO in charge of operations spanning North America and Australasia.
There have been six redundancies in the Sydney office including Sadhana Jethanandani, head of production, Australia/ Nz, head of marketing Denise Anderson, two legal and two admin staff.
Brendan Dahill, who joined as general manager for Australia/Nz last October continues in that post. So do head of non-scripted David Alrich, VP scripted Michelle Hardy and Sam Griffin, who joined recently as head of documentaries and specialist factual.
The restructure was flagged last week by the group’s Canadian parent Kew Media, which blamed the under-performance of Essential’s Australian business for an overall 5.3 per cent drop in...
- 11/20/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Anthony Kimble, formerly of Cineflix, National Geographic, and Viacom’s Channel 5, has launched Fugitive and will develop, finance, and exec produce drama and unscripted TV through the new banner.
Its first projects include “Uncanny Valley: The Truth About Thinking Machines,” which comes from producers Topic and Jigsaw. A series about A.I. and the future of mankind, it will combine non-fiction elements from Alex Gibney and scripted elements from Cory Doctorow.
Fugitive also has a female-driven World War II series, “The Line,” from Australian shingle Essential. It is written by Yolanda Ramke, the screenwriter and director of Netflix’s first Australian feature, “Cargo.”
On the unscripted side the new firm is working with “Intervention” producer Grb and will find partners and finance for new shows on its slate.
“I am thrilled to have Fugitive up and running and most delighted that my first projects are such strong titles – and...
Its first projects include “Uncanny Valley: The Truth About Thinking Machines,” which comes from producers Topic and Jigsaw. A series about A.I. and the future of mankind, it will combine non-fiction elements from Alex Gibney and scripted elements from Cory Doctorow.
Fugitive also has a female-driven World War II series, “The Line,” from Australian shingle Essential. It is written by Yolanda Ramke, the screenwriter and director of Netflix’s first Australian feature, “Cargo.”
On the unscripted side the new firm is working with “Intervention” producer Grb and will find partners and finance for new shows on its slate.
“I am thrilled to have Fugitive up and running and most delighted that my first projects are such strong titles – and...
- 3/21/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Essential Media’s ‘Living Universe’.
Tom Zubrycki is veteran Australian documentary filmmaker, who has directed and/or produced over 36 projects, including The Diplomat and Molly & Mobarak. The following is an extract from his new Platform Paper ‘The Changing Landscape of Australian Documentary’, published by Currency House and available at https://www.currencyhouse.org.au.
In recent years we have seen a radical shake out in the old television broadcast model. So what place will documentary have in this new factual environment? According to statistics released by Screen Australia, documentary series production rose from 295 hours in 2011–12 to 366 hours in 2016–17. Yet only 21 single title documentaries were shown on television or cable in 2016–17 compared to 51 five years earlier. This includes commissions and acquisitions.
The two public broadcasters are largely format and series driven; though they still commission a small number of one-offs. Sbs annually commissions four single documentaries for the Untold Australia series,...
Tom Zubrycki is veteran Australian documentary filmmaker, who has directed and/or produced over 36 projects, including The Diplomat and Molly & Mobarak. The following is an extract from his new Platform Paper ‘The Changing Landscape of Australian Documentary’, published by Currency House and available at https://www.currencyhouse.org.au.
In recent years we have seen a radical shake out in the old television broadcast model. So what place will documentary have in this new factual environment? According to statistics released by Screen Australia, documentary series production rose from 295 hours in 2011–12 to 366 hours in 2016–17. Yet only 21 single title documentaries were shown on television or cable in 2016–17 compared to 51 five years earlier. This includes commissions and acquisitions.
The two public broadcasters are largely format and series driven; though they still commission a small number of one-offs. Sbs annually commissions four single documentaries for the Untold Australia series,...
- 2/4/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Joanna (Jenna Coleman) and Alistair (Ewen Leslie) with baby Noah in The Cry.
Tony Ayres identifies the primary challenge for TV content makers this year as creating work that not only makes an immediate impact but maintains quality for the whole series.
Blake Ayshford expects to see more new voices emerge, often from communities that are under-represented on screens and in writers’ rooms. The conundrum for the industry, he believes, will be how to embrace these new voices without losing the stories and experience of established practitioners.
Glendyn Ivin is keen to explore new models for TV production on short-run series with a single director, using smaller crews and infrastructure but with more time for shooting and editing.
Among the Australian Children’s Television Foundation’s objectives are securing more funding for children’s content and exploring opportunities for children’s content from emerging as well as experienced producers on online platforms,...
Tony Ayres identifies the primary challenge for TV content makers this year as creating work that not only makes an immediate impact but maintains quality for the whole series.
Blake Ayshford expects to see more new voices emerge, often from communities that are under-represented on screens and in writers’ rooms. The conundrum for the industry, he believes, will be how to embrace these new voices without losing the stories and experience of established practitioners.
Glendyn Ivin is keen to explore new models for TV production on short-run series with a single director, using smaller crews and infrastructure but with more time for shooting and editing.
Among the Australian Children’s Television Foundation’s objectives are securing more funding for children’s content and exploring opportunities for children’s content from emerging as well as experienced producers on online platforms,...
- 1/8/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
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