ITV

Tag: Nat Geo Intl

  • Rafael Sandor is Nat Geo Intl senior VP, creative and marketing

    MUMBAI: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) has promoted Rafael Sandor to senior VP, creative and marketing.

    It has also hired Stephen Hunter as senior executive producer and Jennifer Williams as director, digital media.

    Sandor will supervise the international global brand development of National Geographic Channel and its sub-brands, National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild and A1, as well as all future brand initiatives.
    NGCI executive VP content Sydney Suissa says, “Rafa’s unique insight on creative direction will provide NGCI with a fresh, multi-lateral approach. His artistic vision, his energy, and his international experience will make him an invaluable asset, as we continue to take National Geographic to new frontiers and platforms”.

    Sandor will continue to perform his responsibilities as senior VP, creative and on air for Fox International Channels (FIC) in Europe. In this position, he has been part of the small management team that started the successful Fox International Channels Italy and the creative head behind Fox Life, Fox Crime, Cult and the DVB-H channel Fox One.

    Hunter meanwhile will oversee production and post production of programmes commissioned by NGCI. He will provide creative and strategic direction to producers and global partners for NGCI signature series, events, specials and versioning projects. Hunter will ensure each venture is consistent with the mission, strategy and objectives of NGCI and the National Geographic Society.

    Prior to joining NGCI, Hunter most recently served as Vice President of Programming with Cineflix Inc. During his tenure, Cineflix went from a small Canadian indie producing some 30 hours of programming a year to one with an extensive international footprint, totalling upwards of 120 hours per year.

    NGCI senior VP development and production Geoff Daniels says, “As we continue to extend the reach of our content, Stephen will offer us considerable depth, creativity and managerial experience that will further enhance our broad range of programming”.

    Williams will manage the planning, development and coordination of non-linear services and content internationally. An integral part of this position will be identifying new business opportunities emerging on non-linear platforms including Video on Demand (VOD), Broadband, Mobile and Interactive TV.

    Williams comes to NGCI after more than five years with the National Geographic Channel US (NGC US). She served as director, programming, acquisitions and scheduling from 2002 until 2007, where she provided direction on programme planning and deal points for programme acquisitions. She also played a role in creative and strategic marketing decisions for on-air specials and stunts. Her programme scheduling strategy contributed to steady ratings growth throughout her tenure with NGC US.

  • Nat Geo Intl to air a show on disease outbreak next month

    Nat Geo Intl to air a show on disease outbreak next month

    MUMBAI: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) has announced that it will debut a show Outbreak Investigation across the globe.

    This is a full commission, six part series that takes a look at the world’s most baffling outbreak of diseases. It has been produced by Lion Television, Outbreak Investigation and will air on the channel in 163 countries and 27 languages.

    NGCI executive VP content Sydney Suissa says, “Outbreak Investigation continues the thread of compelling investigative science series on our channel. With its blend of high-quality graphic imaging, personal accounts, news footage and re-creations, viewers are provided real life stories of how experts raced against the clock to identify these mysterious outbreaks and saved lives.”

    The series is an exploration of six modern-day epidemics, which puzzled researchers and brought fear and uncertainty in their wake.

    One episode is called Killer in Room 911, which is an account of the Sars breakout that caused havoc in Asia and around the world. Another episode in the series, Curse of the Black Typhus looks at three young scientists facing the challenge of their lives as they work to control a deadly virus gripping the small town of San Joaquin, Bolivia.

    Lion Television executive producer David Upshal says, “The production team has done a magnificent job of recreating the drama, tension and fear that accompanied each of these epidemics. The series breaks new ground and these are truly heroic ‘life or death’ stories of human suffering and self-sacrifice in the cause of survival.”