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FRAPA appoints four format heavyweights to its general board

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MUMBAI: The Management Board of FRAPA has announced the appointment of four new general board members: Mike Beale, ITV Studios’ executive vice-president of global development and formats; Lisette van Diepen, Sony Pictures Television’s vice-president of acquisitions; Grant Ross, Zodiak Media’s executive vice-president of global creative development and format acquisition; and Michael Schmidt, Red Arrow Entertainment Group’s chief creative officer.

 

UFA Show & Factual CEO Ute Biernat has also been named as a lifetime FRAPA Ambassador in recognition of her 15-year contribution to the Association, which included a seven-year stint as FRAPA chair.

 

Under Biernat’s tenure, FRAPA underwent a successful rebranding and restructuring programming, launching several new initiatives and expanding its suite of services to reflect the format industry’s rapidly evolving needs.

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The expansion of the general board follows last week’s announcement that Phil Gurin, president and CEO of The Gurin Company, and Jan Salling, chief operating officer and managing director of sales and acquisitions for Nordic World, have been named the new co-chairs of FRAPA. The appointment of four high-profile format executives signals Gurin and Salling’s determination to transition FRAPA into a dynamic new era, while intensifying its efforts to build a global community for, and serve as the mouthpiece of, today’s billion-dollar formats industry.

 

Phil Gurin added: “Mike, Lisette, Grant and Michael bring to FRAPA a depth of experience and a knowledge of the global formats business that will be invaluable to us as we move into the next phase of our development. Not only are all four at the top of their game professionally, but they are also deeply committed to helping us build a fairer, safer, better regulated environment for the creation and trade of formats. Jan and I would also like to thank Ute for her tireless work on behalf of FRAPA. She has been a quiet inspiration to us all and we are delighted she will continue to fly the flag for FRAPA as a lifetime Ambassador.”

 

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Commenting on her appointment as FRAPA Ambassador, Ute Biernat said: “FRAPA is a unique organisation that has played a pivotal role in growing the formats business from a small sideshow to the main event of television into a billion-dollar global industry. I am delighted to have been a part of that journey and will continue to protect and promote our vibrant yet still vulnerable industry in my new role as FRAPA Ambassador.”

 

Other board changes to have taken place in the recent restructuring include the appointment of Keri Lewis Brown, K7 Media’s managing director, to the FRAPA management board, where she takes over from Biernat. The FRAPA management board now consists of Gurin, Salling, Lewis Brown and FRAPA co-founder David Lyle, whose television career spans 30 years, 20 countries and top executive positions for National Geographic Channels, Fox and FremantleMedia.

 

Beale, Van Diepen, Ross and Schmidt join existing FRAPA general board members Nicolas Smirnoff, director of Prensario Internacional, and Vivian Yin, chief representative and deputy general manager of Star China International Media.

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Biernat is the second FRAPA ambassador to have been appointed by the general board. The honour, which was first conferred on Robert Chua, CEO of The Interactive Channel, is awarded to leading industry figures whose time, knowledge and dedication has resulted in significant progress, projects or initiatives to the benefit of the global business.

 

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Zabeen signs off from TV9 after shaping the network’s public voice

Communications leader exits after three years spanning MD office strategy and media outreach.

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MUMBAI: After more than three years of shaping the message behind the microphone, Sana Zabeen has moved on from TV9 Network, closing a chapter that saw her play a central role in the broadcaster’s communications and media strategy.

Zabeen most recently served as lead of PR and communication and media relations, a role she took on in April 2024. From the managing director’s office, she steered brand communication, managed media engagement and sharpened institutional messaging at a time when news networks have been under constant public and industry scrutiny.

Before that, she worked in communication and outreach within the MD’s office between January 2023 and April 2024, contributing to strategic positioning and stakeholder communication as the network expanded its footprint and narrative.

Her exit marks the end of a stint that built on a diverse media and marketing career. Prior to joining TV9, Zabeen was head of content and marketing at Nikology, where she led brand-led content strategies, media positioning and revenue-focused communication initiatives.

She has also held leadership roles at Bada Business Pvt. Ltd. as senior project manager, and spent over five years at Times Network, working in branded content and collaborating closely with marquee advertisers on integrated media solutions.

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Earlier in her career, Zabeen was associate producer at CNBC TV18, where she produced large-format branded properties and business features. She began her journalism journey as a correspondent covering enterprise technology with Web18 and Mobile18, laying a reporting foundation that later informed her strategic communications work.

As Zabeen turns the page, her trajectory reflects a professional who has moved fluidly between newsroom, branded content and boardroom communication, a mix that has become increasingly valuable in today’s media ecosystem.

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TVF appoints Amritansh Vajpeyee as associate producer/ head – new initiatives, strategy, IP & growth

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MUMBAI: The Viral Fever (TVF) has handed a wider mandate to Amritansh Vajpeyee, elevating him to associate producer and head of new initiatives, strategy, IP and growth, as the digital studio sharpens its push on original intellectual property and scalable formats.

The move crowns a swift in-house ascent. Vajpeyee has spent over three years at TVF, working across the president’s office, the executive producer’s office and development and innovation, before a stint as AVP. Each role tightened his grip on the levers of content, strategy and incubation inside one of India’s most influential youth-focused studios.

Before TVF, Vajpeyee built a hybrid profile straddling storytelling and law. He wrote for Pratilipi, trained in entertainment law at DSK Legal and handled IP-focused roles at TINNUTS and research centres linked to NLSIU Bengaluru. Early internships at SVF Entertainment and Hoichoi added on-ground exposure to production ecosystems, while a brief stint at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited rounded out a varied start.

For TVF, the elevation signals a preference for home-grown leaders who understand both the creative and commercial maths of streaming. For Vajpeyee, it is a bet that breadth beats linearity in the creator economy.

As platforms chase durable franchises over fleeting hits, TVF is doubling down on people who can spot, shape and scale ideas. Vajpeyee now sits at that crossroads—where scripts meet spreadsheets and IP is the real star.

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Sanjeev Sharma appointed head of government sales at ABP Network

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NOIDA: ABP Network has strengthened its government-facing business with the appointment of Sanjeev Sharma as head of government sales, adding an experienced hand to its senior commercial leadership.

Sharma joins the broadcaster after a stint of over a year at Zee Media, where he served as business head for government sales. There, he worked closely with public sector advertisers and agencies, navigating the intersection of policy, media strategy and large-scale outreach.

In his new role at ABP Network, Sharma will be responsible for driving government advertising initiatives across the group’s platforms, aligning public communication goals with the network’s expansive news and digital footprint.

Sharma brings with him nearly three decades of experience in sales and marketing. Over the years, he has held senior leadership roles across the media and pharmaceutical sectors, working with prominent organisations including Network18 Media, Star India, Reliance Broadcast Network, Nicholas Piramal and Zydus Cadila.

At ABP Network, Sharma is expected to play a key role in sharpening the group’s government sales strategy, ensuring it speaks clearly, consistently and effectively to one of the media industry’s most influential stakeholders.

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