ITV

Tag: Ian Hogg

  • FremantleMedia appoints Aradhana Bhola as India MD

    FremantleMedia appoints Aradhana Bhola as India MD

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia has announced the appointment of Aradhana Bhola to the role of the managing director at FremantleMedia India.

    Based in Mumbai, Aradhana will head up the company’s Indian business, reporting in to Ian Hogg, FremantleMedia’s Regional Chief Executive Officer, Australia & Asia Pacific. As Managing Director, Aradhana will be responsible for managing all development and production operations in India and leveraging relationships with broadcast and digital partners throughout the country. The appointment will be effective immediately.

    Announcing the appointment, Ian Hogg, said: “Aradhana is a class act, she’s creative, energetic and driven. Aradhana’s experience and understanding of the Indian market means she is the ideal candidate to build on the great successes FremantleMedia has already enjoyed in the region while unlocking the many exciting creative and commercial opportunities it presents.”

    On her appointment, Aradhana Bhola said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to spearhead the India operations at FremantleMedia. This challenge is very exciting, given the complexity and diversity of the Indian content market. In my new role, I hope to push the team’s creative and innovative vision to new heights.”

    Aradhana joined FremantleMedia India in 2012 as Creative Director and was promoted to Head of Content in 2015. During her time with the company she has overseen production on titles including India’s Got Talent (Colors), Indian Idol (Sony), Covershot (National Geographic Channel), Angels of Rock (MTV) and Amra Na Ora (Star Jalsha). Prior to joining the business, Aradhana was VP Programming at Star Plus and Head of Programming at Zoom.

    FremantleMedia India first opened its office in 2009 and has since ranked amongst the leaders in television content in the region. The company has produced tentpole programmes such as Indian Idol and India’s Got Talent, which continue to attract record audiences. The seventh season of Indian Idol premiered to over 9 million viewers, doubling Sony TV’s primetime average. The most recent series of India’s Got Talent peaked at 9.7 million viewers, delivered an audience 55% higher than Color’s primetime average and reached an impressive 230 million viewers across the season.

    In 2016, FremantleMedia India produced its first web series, Confessions – It’s Complicated, which launched exclusively on Facebook. The online series amassed an incredible 40 million hits across the series and 11.5 million views. There were also 70,000 innovative live audience interactions with the cast. A second season is now in development.

  • FremantleMedia expands Asia business; makes senior hires

    FremantleMedia expands Asia business; makes senior hires

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia has made some senior appointments in key Asian markets as the business steps up its growth in the region.

     

    Glenn Sims will move to Singapore to become director of creative content, with responsibility for the creative output and sales for the Singapore business. Sims is currently serving FremantleMedia as SVP – content and production for Indonesian operations.

     

    In this newly-created role, Sims will be responsible for driving FremantleMedia’s pan-Asian productions, following the success of Asia’s Got Talent this year, the company’s regional production which was broadcast in more than 20 countries.

     

    In addition, Asia managing director Paul O’Hanlon will move to a new role as creative director – China after taking some personal leave to welcome his first child in September.

     

    In China, O’Hanlon will work closely with new CEO Vivian Yin to drive the continued expansion of FremantleMedia’s China business, particularly looking to leverage the recently-signed joint venture between Shanghai Media Group’s BesTV, China Media Capital and FremantleMedia to create and develop entertainment formats for the China market.

     

    FremantleMedia Melbourne managing director and director of business operations Don Keyte will move to Singapore as commercial production management executive. He will report to FremantleMedia Australia chief operating officer Simon Rabbitt, who has now taken on the additional responsibility of Asia.

     

    FremantleMedia regional CEO Australia and Asia Ian Hogg said, “Sims is an outstanding executive and has been a key contributor to our Indonesian company for several years. He will absolutely flourish in this new expanded role. I am also delighted that O’Hanlon has agreed to creatively lead our important joint venture in China. His experience in the region is second to none and as the business continues to expand, having someone of his calibre to work alongside Yin is something I value enormously.”

    “Keyte has been a successful part of our Australian company’s leadership team for five years. He brings a strong business focus with a deep understanding of production,” added Hogg.

     

    The current COO of Asia Michelle Landy is stepping down from her role. “Landy has made an enormous contribution to our Asian companies. On a personal level I would like to thank her for her energy, drive and steadfast loyalty,” stated Hogg.

     

    FremantleMedia’s offices in India, China, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand will be given expanded autonomy for further investment, resourcing and growth, moving away from the centralised Singapore model. All businesses will report directly to Ian Hogg.

     

    “Our focus on customers and creative development in Asia with these key appointments allows us to showcase our world-renowned creativity to millions of Asian viewers with content that is made specifically for these markets. There is no doubt that pan regional local production is on the rise,” said Hogg.

     

    “Sims and Keyte will help fuel our growth in Asia with world-class programming and commercial solutions. At the same time, we are giving our individual Asian offices greater independence and control to flex their creative muscle and steer further programming opportunities in their respective markets,” he added.

     

    The appointments are effective immediately.

  • FremantleMedia inks JV with Shanghai Media Group

    FremantleMedia inks JV with Shanghai Media Group

     

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia has inked an exclusive joint venture deal with Shanghai Media Group’s (SMG) BesTV and China Media Capital (CMC). Under the JV, the companies will create and develop entertainment formats for the China market, set to reach millions of viewers on Dragon TV and BesTV platforms, and take proprietary China content to the world market through FremantleMedia’s global distribution network.

     

    Based in Shanghai, the bespoke development team will include international experts and local producers and will draw on FremantleMedia’s creative strength to develop original entertainment IP. Outside of mainland China, FremantleMedia International will represent the newly-created IP through its worldwide distribution network. 

     

    FremantleMedia global CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said, “The Chinese television market is rapidly becoming one of the most important in the world. This new relationship with BesTV, SMG and CMC allows FremantleMedia to build on its existing presence in China and strengthen our ties in this territory. It brings with it the opportunity for FremantleMedia to showcase its world-renowned creativity to millions of new viewers, with content that is made specifically for them.”

     

    CMC founding chairman Ruigang Li added, “China’s TV sector is undergoing the most exciting transformation, and the value of premium content is being created and manifested with unprecedented enthusiasm. CMC is delighted to team up with SMG and FremantleMedia, a global leader in entertainment content, to bring together the profound understanding of the market, the established creative capacity and the strength of a global network to further shape the China TV landscape and take more of China’s original content to the world market.”

     

    SMG president Madame Wang Jianjun said, “We envision BesTV to be a new media conglomerate after the restructuring and China’s foremost OTT service provider. It will build a new media eco-system in which BesTV straddles over content production, distribution channels, and products and services. As format and idea development is a key part in content production, the joint venture will undoubtedly bring the best resources from all the companies together and gives a strong boost to BesTV. The collaboration will give SMG the wonderful opportunity to learn how to create good ideas and how to grow these ideas into formats and productions. It will greatly enhance SMG’s production capacity and help SMG make phenomenal variety shows in the future.”

     

    FremantleMedia Asia Pacific CEO Ian Hogg added, “This is a ground breaking deal, not only for Best TV, SMG, CMC, and FremantleMedia, but for Chinese audiences. The opportunity to create and execute story telling that focuses on Chinese values and tastes blended with western structure and creativity is a very powerful combination.”

     

    FremantleMedia has already forged strong relationships with a number of China’s broadcasters and has licensed around 20 titles, including Got Talent, Idols, The X Factor, Don’t Stop Me Now, Take Me Out Hole in the Wall and Family Feud.