Latest news with #CreativeCitiesConvention
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Matt Risley Exiting Channel 4 After Five Years Running 4Studio
EXCLUSIVE: Matt Risley, Channel 4's YouTube supremo who founded and runs the broadcaster's 4Studio agency, is exiting after more than five years. Risley made the announcement on LinkedIn earlier today. He said it has been the 'professional privilege of my career to launch, scale and nurture a department that has become integral to the business' future.' Channel 4 confirmed his departure but declined to comment on succession plans. More from Deadline Legacy Media? UK Pubcasters Balk At Outdated Term & Say "We've Got To Be Phoenixes Rising From The Ashes" Alex Mahon Writing Debut Novel 'The Rich Bitch Club' & Pitching To TV Producers After Ending Stint As Channel 4's Highest-Paid CEO International Insider: AI - Friend Or Foe?; Guard Change At Channel 4; Canneseries Report Based in Leeds, 4Studio creates social content for Channel 4 across platforms and strikes commercial deals. The studio has been talked up by departing CEO Alex Mahon in recent years, who has placed digital front and center of Channel 4's strategy. The network recently had its first YouTube show, Tapped out Prank Stars, piloted on linear, while Risley steered its first-of-a-kind move to make popular soap Hollyoaks available on YouTube and helped launch numerous other channels. Risley listed his achievements as 'establishing Channel 4 as the leader in broadcaster-led social and YouTube strategy,' 'helping to create dozens of job opportunities with the vast majority based outside of London' and 'scaling global social audiences in their billions.' A Channel 4 spokesman said: 'Matt has been an integral figure in the launch and growth of 4Studio. He has led the development of 4Studio into a social powerhouse, generating new revenue streams, collaborating with teams across the business to drive billions of social views to Channel 4 content annually, and creating dozens of roles that have introduced the next generation of digital talent into the business and industry – the vast majority of which are based in our Leeds National HQ.' Risley's exit comes just a few days after he appeared on a Creative Cities Convention panel alongside YouTube UK boss Alison Lomax, who discussed the barriers breaking down between traditional TV and YouTube. His departure comes two weeks after Mahon revealed she was exiting the network she has run for eight years. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery All The Songs In Netflix's 'Forever': From Tyler The Creator To SZA
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Crisis? What Crisis? ITV Studios Bosses Reject Talk Of Gloom In The Scripted Market But Note British Limited Series Are Under Threat
Bosses at ITV Studios have rejected the notion that there is a UK scripted funding crisis while batting away questions around sale rumors. Speaking at the Creative Cities Convention (CCC), MD Julian Bellamy and sales boss Ruth Berry struck an upbeat tone as they refused to accept that the drama market is in crisis despite it being labelled as such by numerous industry figures. More from Deadline Legacy Media? UK Pubcasters Balk At Outdated Term & Say "We've Got To Be Phoenixes Rising From The Ashes" 'Saturday Night Live UK' Commissioner Says British Version Is A "Risky Proposition": "We Don't Have That History Of Live Comedy In The UK" Paramount UK & All3Media Bosses Debate Trump Tariff Plan Spooking The Industry: "Let's Keep Calm & See What Happens" 'I don't subscribe to the word 'crisis',' said Bellamy, flagging that three of the five biggest British dramas in the past year were made by ITV Studios – four if you include The Gentlemen from newly acquired Moonage Pictures. 'You have to take a step back. We have a pretty strong track record and scripted is a key growth engine.' Bellamy did note that the U.S. co-pro market is 'challenging' and 'very British limited series that don't have a lot of international resonance ' are becoming harder to get off the ground, as he joined industry calls for an enhanced high-end TV tax credit. Concurring with Bellamy, Berry said 'crisis feels a strong word' but it's all about level of risk. 'Cost inflation has outstripped sales inflation,' she noted. 'You have to take a portfolio view and that is where we are very fortunate with the scale of our business. It's not a crisis but it's about being careful across the group and being on top of market trends to make the decisions that we are.' ITV Studios hits over the past year or so include the likes of Mr Bates vs the Post Office, although that one remains unsold in most territories. The super-indie has spent big on scripted outfits in recent months, buying Moonage, Eagle Eye Drama and Sherlock maker Hartswood Films. Yesterday at the CCC, the writer of Mr Bates, Gwyneth Hughes, suggested there is 'overstaffing' of TV crews and these crews should slim down in order to save money. While striking a more optimistic tone, Bellamy said producers could 'develop fewer, bigger things for market or take them slightly later' to commissioners in order to act smarter and negate rising costs. Sale rumors Rumors swirl around the sale of ITV Studios, with both RedBird IMI and Banijay understood to be showing keen interest. Bellamy declined comment on the sale talk but said he is happy with the production arm's current scale following the splashy scripted indie buys. He said 'we don't engage with most approaches for investment and are highly disciplined.' 'We're open to any opportunities to build out our studio group but we're comfortable with our scale,' he said. 'The scale debate was happening when I started nine years ago. To me it's still fundamentally quite straightforward – if you are looking to scale it has to be the right fit.' Bellamy and Berry were speaking on the second day of the CCC before BBC Director General Tim Davie. Best of Deadline Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far Everything We Know About 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 So Far Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tim Davie Says BBC Is 'Bombarded By Regions' Across The UK Looking For Investment
The BBC has been 'pushing money out of London like it's going out of fashion' but faces a dilemma when it comes to where in the UK to shift its spending, according to the Director General. Tim Davie was addressing the Creative Cities Convention (CCC) in Bradford, a city that has recently benefitted from extra BBC funding in the year it is the UK's designated City of Culture. More from Deadline BBC & BritBox Unveil Latest Agatha Christie Adaptation 'Virdee' Creator A A Dhand Reveals The Unlikely Hero That Inspired Him To "Fail Forwards" During A Decade Of Rejection Crisis? What Crisis? ITV Studios Bosses Reject Talk Of Gloom In The Scripted Market But Note British Limited Series Are Under Threat Davie said there has been a sea change in out-of-London commissioning of late and the corporation has been 'pushing money out of London like it's going out of fashion' having actioned plans to up spend by £700M ($932M) between 2021 and 2028. But he noted it is difficult to spread money between the regions. 'In a good way, I am bombarded by different regions looking for economic growth and all of these regions want money,' said Davie. 'The question is how do you deploy limited resources across the UK. The intent is there. You have to do it with the people you trust.' He stressed Bradford is a city that the BBC very much trusts, having recently made A A Dhand drama Virdee and made it the host for some of this year's Proms. He called for 'a degree of centralization' when it comes to decisions around where to spend money out of London from both the BBC and government. 'No one will come with a quarter of a billion and change the game but if you get all the money together you begin to shift things,' he added. 'There's a balance between spreading money thinly and making sure you have a base for skills. All these things need to come together alongside central government funding to make sure you get a critical mass.' The BBC is forever in the spotlight for the amount it spends and content it makes outside of the UK capital. Earlier this year it landed itself in hot water over the lack of Scottish people working on hit gameshow The Traitors, which is made in a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Davie was speaking at the CCC immediately after Dhand, a Bradford local who spoke about his 15-year journey from writing the first draft of Virdee to having it greenlit by the BBC. Others to have spoken at CCC include ITV Studios boss Julian Bellamy and Paramount UK's Sarah Rose. Best of Deadline Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far Everything We Know About 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 So Far
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legacy Media? UK Pubcasters Balk At Outdated Term & Say 'We've Got To Be Phoenixes Rising From The Ashes'
The phrase 'legacy media' has been tossed around a fair bit at the Creative Cities Convention (CCC) this week but senior execs at the broadcasters are less than happy about it. 'Legacy media' was raised as a synonym for the public broadcasters during yesterday's session with YouTube boss Alison Lomax in order to differentiate between the older networks and the Google-owned social platform, as chatter about the future of broadcasting dominates here in Bradford. More from Deadline No Pope Yet: Vatican Conclave Blows Black Smoke On 1st Day Of Vote For New Pontiff 'Saturday Night Live UK' Commissioner Says British Version Is A "Risky Proposition": "We Don't Have That History Of Live Comedy In The UK" Paramount UK & All3Media Bosses Debate Trump Tariff Plan Spooking The Industry: "Let's Keep Calm & See What Happens" But disgruntled mutterings about the term could immediately be heard in the crowd and at the All3Media-sponsored afterparty, as the likes of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 set out to prove they are looking to the future and are in no way, in fact, 'legacy' brands. Veteran ITV factual boss Jo Clinton-Davis laid down a marker this morning for these 'legacy' channels to think more deeply about where they premiere their content, whether it be terrestrial, BVoD or YouTube. 'We may be legacy media but f**k me we've got to be phoenixes rising from the ashes,' she said. 'We have to be resurgent and find these new places for the audience to see what's there.' Lomax was a good get for the Creative Cities. She shared the stage with Channel 4 digital execs who work across the network's YouTube strategy, and the group spoke about how barriers are breaking down between traditional TV and social platforms as older age demographics become au fait with YouTube. One of the architects of that Channel 4 strategy, CEO Alex Mahon, is on the way out, and her replacement will likely need to think just as hard about YouTube as she has. Speaking alongside a group of factual commissioners at rival networks this morning, Clinton-Davis said producers need to think first and foremost of pitching the best ideas, with less thought required around where a show lands. 'You don't have to take on board the whole business landscape,' she said, as she addressed budding producers directly. 'If you have a great idea that makes you stand out and has drama, spoiler alerts and repeatability then we can run with that. Don't get your knickers in a twist. Come with a clear proposition.' BBC daytime exec Helen Munson concurred, telling producers not to 'overthink strategy' but rather leave it to the commissioners. But Jo Street, who runs daytime, features and lifestyle commissioning for Channel 4, said that commissioners have a 'duty of care to convey strategy and help the sector understand' where shows should play. 'We have a job in lifestyle because I don't want anyone to hear that 8 p.m. [terrestrial slots] don't matter anymore because they do,' she added. 'People still watch a lot of telly on that thing in the corner of their living room at the time it is on. We have a job to convey that strategy, what it means and how it is changing.' She used the example of Married at First Sight, which has been a huge streaming hit for Channel 4 but also pulls in strong overnights. As broadcasters think more and more about how to retain young audiences, debates around the strength of linear, YouTube and where a show lands rumble on. Someone who will be thinking hard about these debates will be BBC Director General Tim Davie, who addresses the CCC later today. He may also be keen to put some distance between the notion of 'legacy media' and his own 100-year-old organization. Best of Deadline Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far Everything We Know About 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 So Far
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paramount UK & All3Media Bosses Debate Trump Tariff Plan Spooking The Industry: 'Let's Keep Calm & See What Happens'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways 'The chat in the UK market is let's keep calm and see what happens.' That was the verdict of Paramount UK boss Sarah Rose on Donald Trump and Jon Voight's controversial film and TV tariff plans currently spooking the sector. More from Deadline The UK market is a huge beneficiary of U.S. film and TV production and British film bodies, for one, are already planning to sit down with the government to discuss what could be a dramatic fallout if the tariffs get rubberstamped. Speaking on a Question Time panel at today's Creative Cities Convention (CCC), Rose appealed for calm. 'It's a tweet,' she added. 'There are lots of people analyzing it but the chat in the UK market is to keep calm and let's see what happens.' While Rose held back from commenting in depth given that her bosses are American and currently going through a knotty sales process, she did say, 'My U.S. colleagues wouldn't say Hollywood is dying' in response to some of the POTUS's claims. The tariff plan is more than just a tweet now, however, with Deadline revealing Voight's blueprint in full yesterday. Jane Turton, who runs The Traitors super-indie All3Media, which has a presence in the States, noted that TV as well as film falls under the tariffs plan per Voight's proposal. Concurring with Rose, she said Trump is 'not talking about a failing Hollywood but is possibly talking more about tax breaks and incentives.' 'The UK has made a huge success of its relationship with the States and [the U.S.] is still a net exporter of IP,' she added. But Marcus Ryder, who runs the UK's Film & TV Charity, said it is not enough for senior figures like Turton and Rose to simply claim they need more detail. 'Often [Trump] tweets stuff and it does become policy,' added Ryder. 'What is disconcerting is you've got two people here saying they don't know what it means and that is disempowering. It means anxiety and uncertainty is sky high with regards what it means to people's livelihoods.' The panel were speaking at the CCC after YouTube UK boss Alison Lomax. BBC Director General Tim Davie and ITV Studios boss Julian Bellamy will speak tomorrow. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
